Quick! You just found out that band you like is playing at the local pub, and your friends are on their way to pick you up… in five minutes!
You know you don’t have time for glamour, but you’d still like to look cute. What are the easiest ways to make that happen without missing the opening act?
Here are eight quick and easy tricks for natural five minute makeup!
1. Keep the colors natural and neutral
When you only have five minutes, you don’t have time to choose bright contrasting colors and blend them perfectly, and you certainly don’t have time to deal with sparkly fallout. Opting for neutral shades that suit your skin tone is a safer bet than looking out of place with colors that don’t coordinate because you didn’t have time to be careful. Simple neutral shades let you put together a quick look that is natural, minimalistic, and easily blended.
2. Concealer and Foundation
Blending is key when you’re in a hurry. Use foundation and concealer to even your skin tone and cover blemishes.
Opt for a well matched, light coverage foundation rather than the thicker cream foundation that you might use at an HD photo shoot. Use concealer to cover only the imperfections that absolutely need it. A very thick base with otherwise natural features won’t look as effortless as you’re hoping, and you won’t have time to start over again!
3. Blush and highlight
Giving your cheeks some color transforms your whole face. Blush and highlight will brighten your features and give you a fresh glow that is quick and easy to achieve. Just remember to apply these products lightly!
Choose a warm, natural blush that suits your skin tone without standing out too brightly against your other neutral shades. Start at the apples of your cheeks and blend lightly upward toward your temples. Next, dust a light, slightly shimmered highlight onto the ridge of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and the Cupid’s bow of your top lip. Highlight helps the blush brighten your features.
Be careful with shimmered products, especially when you’re using them in a hurry! Too much shimmered highlight can make you look shiny instead of glowing.
4. Use matte shadows
Matte eye shadows are easier to color coordinate and blend quickly. Matte fallout is also less noticeable than the sparkles that fall from brightly colored shimmer shadows.
When it comes to color, the more natural the shades are, the more versatile your look will be. You’ll fit in at calm daytime events but you’ll also look subtly glamorous later on at a party. Neutral matte shadows also blend more seamlessly, which is useful when you’re in a hurry and might not be paying your most careful attention.
5. Skip the wings
Winged liner is a classically glamorous look, but getting the wings perfectly pointed and even on each side takes time and concentration. With your friends waiting, you don’t have time to agonize over the length and width of your wings.
Instead, opt for a black or brown pencil liner and softly trace your top lash line from corner to corner. On the bottom, use the same liner to trace the edge of your lash line from the outer corner, stopping half way between the corner and the center of your pupil.
Blend the liner lightly with a soft brush so your eyes aren’t ringed by dark, harsh lines. If you don’t have a pencil liner, use an angled liner brush and black or brown powdered shadow.
6. Keep Mascara light
Mascara gives your eyes depth. A few light strokes that separate your lashes will define your eyes so the look doesn’t appear unfinished with no mascara. Try not to slap on too much because you’re working quickly, or your lashes will appear clumped and stiff.
Keep it light and consistent with your natural look.
7. Give your brows some love
Paying attention to your brows before you go takes your light look to the next level. You won’t have time to alter their shape or redefine their edges, but using an angled brush and a powder that compliments their natural color and filling them lightly gives definition.
If you don’t feel like you have enough time to fill your brows the way you like, give them a simple comb so they sit neatly.
8. Don’t skip your lips
Giving your lips some color will pull your entire look together! Doing your eyes and cheeks but skipping your lips will appear unfinished rather than natural and minimal.
Skip the sparkle glosses and try a natural pink matte lipstick that suits your skin tone. If you do want gloss, choose a clear gloss or a tinted one that matches the lipstick shade. Apply a light layer that adds shine without looking wet.
Think natural!
You only have five minutes! Quick, natural, and understated glamour is better than an attempt at a dark cat’s eye that looks smudged because you didn’t have time to blend properly. Stick to the essentials, favor matte over sparkle, and choose shades that compliment your skin tone.
