For my front-end dev, it's really:

  (modify Stylus line,
  save).repeat(500)

vs :

  (modify Stylus line,
  save,
  focus terminal,
  run make (or whatever your build tool is),
  focus browser window,
  ctrl-r,
  focus editor window).repeat(500)

Of course, if you're not taking advantage of better tools than pure CSS, it's still:

  (modify CSS line,
  save,
  focus browser window,
  ctrl-r,
  focus editor window).repeat(550)

You don't NEED livereload, it's just a lot more comfortable.