Five-Minute Makeup Routine – Look Gorgeous In Minutes

Are you pressed for time most mornings? Your child loses a shoe and you need to help him find it before the bus comes. You hit snooze one too many times and find yourself scrambling to get ready for work. Mornings can be very hectic and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to find the time you need to get ready for your day properly.

If this sounds all too familiar, you may think you don’t have time to put on makeup. The reality is that no matter how pressed for time you are, you can still find some time to apply a little color. The secret is that you should develop an effective five-minute routine designed to help you look your best in a limited amount of time.

Everyone needs a five-minute makeup routine. Even if you’re the type to wear a full face every day, it is still worth your while to develop something you can do fast, just in case. Not only that, but a shorter routine is perfect for mid-day touchups or for those moments when you want to transition your makeup from your day look to your night look. Here’s some information on what every five-minute routine should include:

Apply Simple Base Makeup

The first thing you should do as part of your quick makeup routine is to apply base makeup. There are several strategies you can use.

Tinted moisturizer. This two-in-one strategy saves time. You can either buy a tinted product for your skin type and complexion or you can mix your regular moisturizer and foundation together for easy application. This is ideal if you would like to still apply your full eye and lip makeup.

Regular foundation. If you are willing to forego your regular eye and lip makeup, or streamline the two routines, making your regular base makeup a priority is a great strategy because it evens out your skin and makes it look flawless. After you’re done with this step, however, you will only have time for a few other steps.

Face powder. Of course, you can skip your base makeup all together and swipe some powder over your skin after you apply makeup. This will provide a simple and effective base for blush and eye shadow. However, it does little to even out your skin tone.

Concealer. If you think you have enough time, you may want to apply concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes or uneven skin pigmentation. After applying concealer you can either apply your powder, tinted moisturizer, or your regular foundation.

Add some color. At this stage, and if time permits, you may choose to add a quick swipe of blush. This step is especially important if you feel tired or sick because this feeling tends to show on your skin. You can opt to apply bronzer instead of blush. Chances are, however, you won’t have time for both.

To maximize this step, it helps to work with a professional makeup expert to help you find the correct shade. Base makeup only does its job of making your skin look flawless if you select the right color.

Quick Eye and Lip Strategies

When developing your five-minute routine, you need to decide if you will focus most of your attention on your eyes or most of it on your lips. Even though you can manage to look polished in a short period of time, you need to streamline your routine. When in doubt, choose the feature you like the best.

Focusing on the Lips

If you choose to focus on the lips, you still may want to apply a thin layer of eyeliner and a few quick swipes of mascara to define your eyes in a subtle way. Next, choose a lip color that compliments your skin tone.

Make sure to select a color that is appropriate for your needs. For example, if you work in a conservative office, you’ll want to find a color that defines your lips without being too loud.

Defining Your Eyes

Rather than draw attention to your lips, you may want to focus on your eyes. In this case, you may still want to apply some lip gloss or a very neutral lip shade. If time permits, you may have a chance to apply a full eye makeup routine that includes eye shadow, eyeliner, and even mascara. If you are truly pressed for time but still want to define your eyes, apply powder to your lids for a base, apply eyeliner, and then a quick swipe of mascara.

With only five minutes to make your face look polished, you don’t have enough time to define both your lips and your eyes. Choose your best feature and focus on that.

Sample Five-Minute Routine

Here is a sample routine designed to give you an idea of how to execute your own routine. This particular strategy assumes that you will focus on defining your lips, not your eyes.

• Wash your face as usual.
• Dot concealer on any problem areas.
• Apply tinted moisturizer, followed by a quick swipe of pressed powder.
• Using a large brush, apply bronzing powder on your forehead, nose, and cheeks.
• With the same brush, apply a little blush on your cheekbones.
• Apply a few coats of mascara to your lashes. Curl them beforehand if you feel you have enough time.
• Line your lips with your favorite lip pencil. Fill in with your favorite lip color.
• Put your pressed powder compact and lipstick in your purse for quick touchups throughout the day.

From start to finish, this routine should take no more than five minutes. Make changes to this routine depending on what your needs are. For example, if you prefer to highlight your eyes, you won’t want to spend all your time applying lipstick. A quick swipe of gloss while you run out the door will be enough.

As you can see, coming up with an effective routine that takes only five minutes is completely doable. It may take some trial and error before you are comfortable with the techniques and the methods that work for you.

Katherine Huether has been making money online for several years. She started off as a writer but has branched out. She now makes money through blogging and Internet marketing. Her mission is to help teach people how to make a living online. Her work has been published in Herbs for Health, Family Circle, Herb Quarterly, Transitions Abroad, The Pebble Lake Review, Pedestal Magazine, and others. She is also the Herbal Medicine Expert at eHow.com and a food blogger at Today.com. For more makeup strategies and tricks, visit http://www.beautygiftsetsjunkie.com/.

Photo Courtesy of Mustafa Sayed [FLICKR]