Beauty buffs, take a pause and let’s review just how much we’re wasting our time applying makeup just to look different. Reports say that women spend an estimated two years of their lives just… putting on cosmetics. On average, women take 55 minutes working on transforming their looks. That’s a lot of time that you could’ve spent doing more productive things.
But here’s the thing. We could not go a day without looking our best. Our morning routine is an ode we dedicate to ourselves to feel confident. Feeling like you need to cut down on your usual time spent for makeup but does not know how to? Then this cheat sheet is just for you! Know the best ways and tricks that you can use to look good in a short amount of time.
Remember: Your face is your canvas – you must always start with a freshly cleansed skin! And don’t forget the moisturizer you need to use to replenish the lost natural oils.
Prep Your Skin
The best way to prep your skin before you put on a makeup is to apply a primer or a moisturizer. This helps your skin stay soft, smooth, and supple. Applying primer and moisturizer prevents dryness as well. Some types of cosmetics such as concealer and foundation can dry skin. This can speed up skin aging, which leads to development of wrinkles and fine lines. Dry skin is more prone to irritation as well.
Primers help minimize the size of your pores too. They help prevent makeup products from clogging pores and causing acne.
Concealing Blemishes and Dark Spots
Once you’re done with the basic face care, you can now start doing your makeup. The first step’s always to conceal the blemishes and problem areas on your face. Pick a shade that matches your skin tone and apply some concealer on dark circles, acne marks, fine lines – basically spots that you want to seal away.
Do not just spot the concealer on the face, instead, apply using stripes. Dab using the fingers and lightly pat to blend on skin. Remember not to put pressure on areas that are sensitive.
Beauty Tip: Using concealer or foundation as a base for eye makeup is not recommended. It causes creasing!
Building the Foundation for the Makeup
Instead of using a compact one, use a foundation stick. It’s easy to master and even shaves off the amount of time you need to dab repeatedly on the foundation. Handle it like you would a marker and draw lines along the sides of the nose, the area above the brows and down your cheekbones. You can mix the foundation with another one that is two or three shades darker and apply it in the same places to have a sun-kissed tone. In terms of coverage, using a brush lets you have medium to full coverage. Using fingertips is for a sheer coverage. For a lighter layer, use a moisturizer on hands to get a dewy look.
Beauty Tip: In terms of coverage, using a brush lets you have medium to full coverage. Using fingertips is for a sheer coverage. For a lighter layer and a dewy look, a moisturizer complements the foundation greatly. Apply on hands before blending.
Evening Out the Skin Tone
Dust the face lightly using a powder. It helps the makeup set in. It also helps control the oil which can ruin your appearance. Take a step back and see if your skin tone is even. If it isn’t, you might want to use a bronzer. Smooth it on the areas of your face, neck and even your chest.
Beauty Tip: The best way to apply powder is to focus on the T-zone – areas that are prone to getting shiny. Lightly dust on the rest of the face.
A Splash of Color
Make your face livelier and brighter with by applying some blush. If you can’t find the apple of your cheeks, smile. Lightly dust over the cheeks and use a brush to smooth it towards the tops of your ears and down again towards the jawline.
Beauty Tip: There are different types of blushes. There are even lip balms that serve as a blush too. They are convenient and more affordable.
Priming the Eye
Make your eyes pop by following these simple steps. For an eye shadow, you can choose mild and neutral colors that will just make your eyes look brighter. Or you can also opt for popping tones that will definitely enhance your appearance. First, pat down some cream base that will help the colors set in and stay for a long period of time. Apply your preferred eye shadow. Use sheer bases or matte for a natural look. Fill in those brows with a darker shade of the strands. Sweep the mascara on your lashes for a fuller look.
Beauty Tip: If you want to put emphasis on your eyes, use a liner. White or luminous liners on the inner lower lid make you look more awake and your eyes bigger. Darker liners will help you get smaller eyes or more pointed ones. It depends on which look you prefer. Don’t apply too much or it can overpower the overall appeal of your looks.
Make Your Lips Appear Supple and Healthy
For fuller and suppler lips you must first cancel the dry look. You can exfoliate to make sure that the lips are smooth and shiny. Use a washcloth to wet the lips and apply a lip balm afterwards. It also makes the lipstick slide smoother. Dab with fingertips to blend in the lipstick.
Beauty Tip: For fuller lips, apply some white liner on the center of the lips and apply a gloss or a lipstick. It creates a luminosity that helps the lips get a plumper volume.
After all these, you’re all set! Walk with confidence and shave off at least half of time for your usual makeup routine. This way, you can enjoy a few more minutes sleeping. After all, having a beauty rest is more important than piling makeup on your face.