One thing that I swear by is having a quick go-to makeup routine for the days when I don’t have a lot of time to get ready. Although I like to take my time on my makeup, during the weekday that’s just not very likely. My mornings have gotten much busier now that my kids have started daycare and I started a more demanding job. My 10-minute makeup routine is key for me to feel put together no matter if I overslept, if I’m rushing, or if I barely got any sleep the night before. If you’re a busy woman, like me, and you want to look refreshed, awake, and vibrant in a short amount of time, keep reading.
EYEBROWS
After I’ve washed and moisturized my face I start with my brows. My go to brow pencil is the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil, because it is not only precise, but it glides on smoothly. Since I have thin eyebrows my first step is to start at the inner corner of my eye and outline the bottom of my brow. Next, I use my spoolie to brush the hair along the arch and outline the top of my eyebrow, then I use light strokes with my brow pencil to fill in any gaps. Make sure to shade, rather than draw, to ensure that your brows don’t end up too harsh. Once I’ve filled in my brows I take my spoolie to create a gradient ombre effect, and to make sure that the color has been spread evenly. Lastly, I clean underneath my eyebrows with NARS Concealer in the shade caramel.
FACE
I normally use a light coverage liquid foundation, but if I need to get ready quickly I reach for Makeup Forever Pro Finish Powder Foundation. When you’re in a rush you might not have enough time to properly blend a liquid foundation, so to avoid having blotchy foundation a few swipes of press powder will do the trick. After press powder I lightly conceal my under eye using NARS caramel concealer and blend it with a beauty blender. Applying a thin coat of concealer makes a world of difference and can dramatically make you look like you’ve had a full 8 hours of sleep, when in reality you probably didn’t. I also like to dust a little blush onto my cheeks and eyelids, and a little highlighter to my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and my cupid’s bow. You could also use a bronzer instead of a highlighter and/or blush if you want to warm up your face.
EYES
I love that blush can double as an eye shadow when you’re in a rush, because it is a multi-purpose product for this routine. To use blush as an eyeshadow, swirl a tapered fluffy blending brush into your blush and then swipe it over your lids in a windshield wiper motion. This process only takes a few seconds, but it makes the eyes more defined and adds dimension to the overall look. Ambering Rose by MAC is one of my favorites, because it has a slight shimmer and is the perfect color as we transition from summer to fall. You can add a lengthening mascara to your eyelashes and stop there, but I also add a liquid liner to my top lids and white eyeliner to my waterline to make it look like I took more time on my makeup than I actually did. If you do decide to go with liner, remember to keep your eyeliner thin and as close to the lash line as possible to keep the look soft and effortless.
LIPS
With light makeup I like to go for a either a pinkish-nude or a more brown nude. It really just depends on my mood, but I always line my lips with Whirl or Chestnut, both by MAC when doing a nude lip. Once I’ve added my lipstick I’m ready to walk out the door, usually with a few extra minutes to spare.
