When I thought my life couldn't get any worse with working until 10 p.m. on a Summer Friday, when my desk drawers became my vanity station and the office bathroom my dressing room before bar night, I turned to my iPhone, delivery services and home remedies to get me through weeks of being extremely busy and fabulous. Here are ideas, tips and apps to make life a little bit more function-able.
Drugstore Beauty Products Are Now Grade A: Buying anything out of a department store seems so passé. Have you seen the beauty product aisles at your local Duane Reade or CVS? They are looking pretty fancy these days with -- keyword -- affordable brands that are organic, locally made or highly touted Parisian brands that work wonders for skin. Not only are drugstores so convenient, you can pick up your prescriptions, refill on tampons and buy a pretty good toner all in one trip. There are enough choices to make a snobby product junkie binge on Vichy eye creams that don't equate to a monthly electric bill.
Your Moisturizer That Doubles As Your Face And Hair Cream: There are countless of creams that can work for your hair, face and body. One thing that comes to mind is the multiple uses of the all powerful coconut oil, sold at your local grocery store! Another oil that comes to mind is argan oil. It's perfect for maintaining a clear skin complexion and it works wonders on split ends. Not to mention, it is a great makeup primer!
Finding A Stylist To Do That Mermaid Braid For That Party: You don't need to be a celebrity to have a stylist come to your house or office. Nor do you have to resort to sketchy craigslist posts! Download STYLE SEAT for free on your phone and find the stylist to create that beautiful braid that keeps popping up on your Pinterest board. Not only is this app super useful for finding manicurists to create extravagant tribal gel manicures and hairstylists in your area, it's also a great way to jump start your beauty side hustle.
Doctors That Can Come To You: Need a flu shot? Can't get out of bed? A few of my physician friends use this app to "get out in the community" more when the confides of a hospital don't match their "untouched energy waiting to be released." When you live in New York City and a bodega run becomes a journey, apps like Pager and the luxury of on call doctors can make all the difference when you can't fathom getting out of bed when you're sick.
Doctors That Will FaceTime You: Speaking of Doctors who will travel, they will also utilize Facetime and Skype for examinations and checkups. Just ask NYC facial plastic surgeon Sam Rizk, MD, FACS. From the same medical practice that brought you insights of how selfies are increasing the demand of plastic surgery, they've gone a step further thanks to the advancement of technology, and uh society. "The iphone 6 and the iphone 6 plus have made the virtual consult feel even more personalized. With High Definition Voice and the best performing smartphone LCD display now available, together with my patients, I often forget that we are not in the same physical room." Says Dr. Rizk. This best practice is also being incorporated for therapist visits and even pediatric care.
Schedule Your Daily Vitamin Intake On Outlook: Former co-workers and I would all take our daily vitamins at the same time. It was sort of a camaraderie activity we all developed for living in the big city post college and being overworked. Even if you're not big on vitamins, if you require other medication to live, using your outlook for mental and physical notes takes it step further for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Take The Stairs And Get Off One Train Stop Early: These are directions towards a thin lifestyle that's an answer to your gym phobia. When squeezing a workout in proves to be impossible with your hair schedule, substituting elevators for stairs and getting off the train or bus one stop early, will keep you in shape until your next strategically scheduled spin class. Alternatively, there are numerous of Yoga and Ballet inspired at-home workouts that don't require much space. I love Yogi Christina Sell whose 60 min free yoga class on youtube is a great morning refresher.
DIY Coffee Exfoliation Mask: For the budget-friendly beauty ideas, coffee and honey and some lime mixed together also becomes a great mask that awakens your pores. Better than digesting a bunch of coffee in preparation for a long night of working from home, a coffee face mask will simultaneously provide that extra jolt of energy-especially for tired eyes.
Meal Delivery Services: Apparently Beyonce is launching her own vegan meal delivery service if you're about that life. However, there's also services like Blue Apron, which provides the ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals. Then there's a few lunch delivery services to handle your daytime nourishment, including snacks! A former coworker of mine would take up most of the space in the community fridge with his super gourmet breakfast and lunch packs. Check groupon or other discount sites for deals.