Once you have a set make up routine, you can get ready quickly. Reduce the size of your make up bag by including only the essentials for face, eyes and lips. Toss out any extra shades of lipstick you have not worn in six months since you probably won’t wear them again. Stick with the shades and brands that you like the best. By minimizing your make up case and make up in drawers, you will spend less time looking for the right shade. Sticking with the same colors also makes it easier and faster to get ready, which is essential when you’re busy.
Step 1
Nourish and protect skin with a light, daily moisturizer containing sun protection formula (SPF). Dermatologist Kevin Berman recommends wearing a moisturizer with SPF daily. Choose a daily moisturizer for your skin type– either oily, dry or combination. Use a product with at least a 15 SPF and wear it every day. Apply a moisturizer with a 30 SPF or 45 SPF if you live in a sunny climate or plan to spend some time outdoors. Stick with a facial moisturizer which absorbs quickly and does not leave a wet feeling on the skin, so you can continue your make up routine.
Step 2
Dab concealer on blemishes or dark under eye circles. Choose a liquid concealer with its own wand applicator. Liquid concealers blend well into skin. Choose a shade that is one shade lighter than your skin color, not darker. Let it dry, if it is liquid. Or use a stick concealer, for heavier coverage. Some concealers contain skin treatments including wrinkle formulas, redness reduction or acne medicine. The concealer can also be reapplied after Step 3.
Step 3
Choose a lightweight foundation for day use, if you need to even up overall skin tone. A heavier foundation may be used for night time. If you feel foundation is too heavy but need overall coverage,consider a water-based foundation over an oil-based foundation. For a light touch, a mineral make up powder may suffice, if you want to skip the foundation completely.
or powder.
Step 4
Highlight various features of your face, working from top to bottom. Fill in spaces and gaps in eyebrows with eyebrow powder. Eyebrow powder is applied with a small brush and looks more natural and less drawn in, compared to a pencil liner. Use a shade that is slightly lighter than your eyebrow shade. Have eyebrows professionally waxed at least twice a year, and maintain them in between visits. Shape and tweeze eyebrows following their natural growth pattern, recommends Cosmeticscop.com. (See Resources)
Step 5
Apply eye shadow with a light touch and blend with cotton balls, Q-tips or clean finger tips. Use a tri-colored eye shadow palette that matches your eye color, not your outfit. The palette will include a medium color for the eyelids, a light color for highlighting the area between the eyelid and the eyebrow, and a darker color, for the crease. Coppers, tans and browns bring out blue eyes. Shades of green, plum, browns and beige are best for hazel eyes, according to Almay (see Resources). The best colors for brown eyes include light brown, tan and lavender for day, and deep purple and chocolate brown for night. For any night time look, intensify the look of your eyes with deeper hues of the same colors. For example, for blue eyes, use metallic copper instead of a brown.
Step 6
Line the upper eyelid, above the lashes, with a pencil eyeliner. Start at the inner corner of the eye and draw the line out. For close-set eyes, make the line thicker as you reach the outer corner of the eye. Blend the eyeliner with a Q-tip or your finger. For a more natural look, line only the upper lid. For a more dramatic look, or for night time, line the lower lid with a smudge-proof and waterproof eyeliner. For long days, skip the bottom liner, which is the one that can run. Choose the lightest neutral color you can for day use, either a light brown or gray. Save the black eyeliner for night time.
Step 7
Gently curly eyelashes with an eyelash curler. Some newer mascara products will lengthen and curl lashes without the curler. Pick one of the those brands if you want to skip the curling step. Remove the wand from the container and roll the wand gently over a tissue to remove any clumps. Apply the mascara to upper lashes, starting near the eye and moving the wand to the ends of the eyelashes. Make several swipes if you want thicker lashes. Repeat on the other eye. Use a waterproof mascara for summer time or for long days.
Step 8
Apply a protective lip balm to lips to moisten them. Line lips with a lip liner that matches your lipstick shade. Start with the upper lip in the center and draw the line towards the ends of lips. Give yourself a fuller pout by making the line slightly above your natural lip line. Avoid the outlined lip look by using the lip liner over your entire set of lips. This helps you keep your made up lip last longer. Add more lip balm if your lips feel dry. For a more natural look, use only the lip balm and skip to Step 9.
Step 9
Apply lipstick to the lips. Blot with a tissue. Use a nude or neutral shade for a natural look, or apply a shiny lip gloss for shine only and not color. Pinks are flattering and can be worn by any woman. To make teeth look whiter, opt for a shade of plum with undertones of blue. When you cannot find the perfect lipstick color, layer two lipsticks to create your own custom lipstick color.
Step 10
Finish off the look with loose powder. For a natural and flattering look, use a mineral make up product. The mineral make up powder will deflect light and hide imperfections. It can be dusted on with a large make up brush. Use a smaller brush to highlight cheekbones with the mineral make up, or apply blush. For best results, dust excess powder off the brush before applying to face. Apply loose powders in a circular motion. Pressed powder is another option, but will give you a less natural, more made up look.
Warnings
- Avoid trendy make up colors and stick with shades that work for you.
- Don’t wear mascara every day if you don’t need it.
