It may be acceptable to skip “putting on your face” for a day at the beach, but a day at the office is another story. Wearing a bit of makeup gives you a much more polished, professional look. But what if you’re running late, or just can’t find time in your morning routine to apply a full regiment of cosmetics? Here are some tips to get you out the door looking fantastic, but not flustered.
- Handle maintenance ahead of time. You know that flat tire that made you late for an important meeting? It probably wouldn’t have happened if you’d checked your air pressure on a regular basis. Taking care of the routine, mundane tasks on a regular schedule can prevent surprises. Tweezing, bleaching, applying masks, removing blackheads — all of these should be done in the evening and on weekends. That way, you won’t have to interrupt your routine to pluck that crazy hair from your chin.
- Start with a smooth palette. Wash and moisturize your face. Facial cleansing wipes are a fast way to remove gunk and freshen things up, and some of them even include moisturizing ingredients. Everything else will go on more smoothly and quickly if your surface is primed.
- Get your gear in order. Great chefs work under the concept of mise en place. It’s a French term that literally means “put in place.” In a kitchen, it means laying out everything you need to make a meal before you get started. In the bathroom, it means laying out your foundation, shadows, pencils etc. in the order you’ll be using them. Taking a few moments to get organized means no frenzied digging in a messy bag or drawer for your favorite lip gloss.
- Scrap your tools. Sure, you hear makeup artists say it’s better to work with a variety of brushes and sponges. But when you’re in a hurry, your fingers are often faster. Don’t use tools that aren’t an absolute necessity.
- Use a double duty foundation. My personal favorite is the bareMinerals line. It provides the smooth, even coverage of a liquid foundation and the flawless finish of a powder in one product. Or dampen a pressed powder and smooth it on as if it were a liquid foundation. No need to do two steps!
- Use an eye primer. You’ve probably heard of foundation primers, but did you know there are primers for your eyes? They are creams that dry to a powder finish and help keep eye shadows on your lid. They’re great when you’re wearing a fully made up eye, but they can even stand alone. Get a primer in a nude color and apply it to your entire lid, up to your brow. (I love the MAC Paints.) If you do nothing else, your eyes will already look brighter. But you can also use your finger to quickly swipe a dark shadow in your eyelid crease.
- Line only the bottom of your eye. You don’t have to line all the way around your eye. In fact, skipping the top line can make you look younger.
- Use a double duty mascara. Don’t take the time to curl your lashes or apply multiple coats of mascara. Mascaras these days are quite high tech, and can thicken or lengthen your lashes in a snap. The Double Extend line from L’Oreal is a great example.
- Simplify your lips. As much as I love a well-defined mouth, you don’t really need both lip liner and lipstick. Use liner and then slick gloss over it, or use a lipstick without liner. Even better? Use a pencil/lipstick hybrid, like the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil.
As a summary:
Skip brushes, separate foundation/powder, layered eye shadows, full eyeliner, lash curling, lip liner, brow grooming
Don’t skip cleansing, lip color, eye color, cheek color, mascara
This post was written by...
amybhole – who has written 1 posts on Daily Pinch™.
Amy Bradley-Hole is a freelance writer and speaker who covers tech, travel, business and parenting. She blogs at Freaky Perfect about the freakiness of her not-so-perfect life. When she’s not goofing around on the internet, she dreams up new ways to drive her husband and two kids crazy.
