10 Simple Beauty Tips We Should Steal From Millennials

We all want impeccable manicures, but when you're a mom with limited time, the last thing you want to do with a glorious, unexpected hour of freedom is sit in a nail salon with your hands trapped in a dryer. Jamberry Nail Wraps can be applied at home in minutes, come in a variety of shades and designs that range from basic red to ombre and gold leopard, and cost just $15 for a mani that lasts at least two weeks and (best part coming up) doesn't chip.

Applying body lotions after a shower was one of the first luxuries I promptly kicked to the curb after having a baby. Apparently, millennials feel my pain and are demanding products like Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion, which does the job of both a cleanser and moisturizer. "It adds about 30 seconds to your shower, but will save you the 10 minutes of applying and waiting for body lotion to soak in after showering," McDermott says.

With so many incredible products on the market that are tailor-made for every hair type, millennials are more inclined to work with what they've got—and go big or go home. "Gen-X loves their hair to whisper and millennials love their hair to shout," said celebrity hairstylist Jet Rhys. "They love the idea that more is more with their hair and they keep up with trends." Curly-haired McDermott is a fan of Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding and Pillow Soft Curls, while straight-haired beauties can spritz a bit of Living Proof Instant Texture Mist, scrunch, and go.

When it comes to skincare, millennials are so intent on keeping it simple that they don't want anything to do with our old, water-wasting ways. Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment deep cleanses, removes makeup, lightly exfoliates, and adds moisture to your skin. And, wonder of wonders, it requires not a drop of water. Perfect for those days and nights you'll spend camping out at Coachella, right?

When it comes to tattoos, a lot of younger women learned by watching the mistakes of their older siblings and cousins. Instead of running to a tattoo parlor whenever the impulse to decorate their flesh hits them, they take advantage of glam, jewelry-inspired tattoos like this one from Flash Tattoos. If only these were an option before I "decorated" my foot with a black sun (otherwise known as a squished spider).

Since the womb, millennials have been told they must avoid the sun like a plague. But instead of going overboard and using three different types of sunscreen each morning, many take the opposite, less hysterical, and more minimal, approach to sun safety: by seeking makeup with a built-in SPF. A product like Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation is the ultimate millennial tool because it already contains SPF 30, as well as other good-for-your-skin ingredients.

"Gen X-ers can definitely experiment with bolder makeup colors. They tend to be afraid of the bright pink and red lip," says beauty advisor and esthetician Niecy McCoy at Beauty Bridge. Whereas '90s girls stuck to barely-there nudes and browns, millennials know a powerful lipstick or gloss is sometimes the only makeup you need. "A strong lip wil always work," says McDermott. For pure luxury, try YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres glossy stain, which doesn't take precision to apply (perfect for early morning school drop-offs). A more affordable alternative: Cover Girl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss.

Forget everything you've ever learned about the beauty benefits of white eyeliner (I know, I'm having a difficult time with this one, too). There's a superior eyeliner out there -- one that will brighten your peepers without making you look like you're on your way to a rave -- champagne or nude eyeliner. Apply a liner like Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in Champagne to your lower waterline, brush on a bit of mascara, and voila -- eight fabulous hours of sleep when you've really only had four.

You know you're not supposed to wash your hair every day, but did you know that some very smart millennials are getting away with washing their hair every fourth or (ssshh, don't tell) fifth day? Dry shampoos are no longer a luxury -- they're a must. Brands like Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo are affordable and won't leave your hair feeling stiff or sticky like some (no names) you may have tried years ago. Dry shampoos save time, energy, and give your locks a much-needed boost of va-va-va-voom.

McDermott wanted to create Old Hollywood waves in her hair, but instead of spending a fortune at a salon, she dedicated an hour one evening to watching You Tube tutorials until she got the hang of the look. And she isn't alone. "Millennials are well informed and they use social media and the Internet to their advantage to learn about new products and little known beauty remedies," said professional makeup artist and author Jocelyn Morris. "A millennial will rely on a stranger in a YouTube video before they believe any brand's mass marketed message."