Whether you are getting ready for work or dropping the kids off at school, taking just five minutes to put on makeup helps you feel refreshed, polished and ready to face the day. “Moms have the hardest, most important and demanding jobs out there,” says makeup artist Scott McMahan. “They all deserve to feel great about the way they look without spending a lot of time making it happen.” We agree. Here’s how to get your makeup on fast.
Prep your skin
Makeup artist Angelique Velez recommends you start with a clean, moisturized face: “Take care of your skin before going to bed. You may be tired at night after a long day, but taking the time to do that at night will save you time in the morning.”
use Skin-smoothing foundation
Foundation helps even out skin tone and disguises spots and imperfections. “Apply a very light moisturizer that is not shiny so that you do not have to put foundation and/or powder all over your face and neck,” says author of It’s In The Bag: Your Custom Business and Travel Wardrobe Barbara DesChamps. “Find some foundation that exactly matches your skin at the jaw line and use that just on the spots that need it. For me, that is across the nose and blended out a little on each side. Blot — do not rub — with a facial tissue to remove excess oil if the foundation is not matte.”
Rosilyn Rayborn, founder of Smackages.com, recommends Stila One-Step Makeup for multitasking mamas. “It’s a primer, foundation, concealer and powder in one product. Genius!”
Perk up tired eyes
How can you wake up those tired peepers? These tricks of the trade will have you looking doe-eyed in no time:
- Use a squirt of eye drops in the morning to instantly brighten your sleepy eyes, says McMahan.
- “The one thing a mom can do to look more polished and brighten up and lift the eye area is to get eyebrows shaped and waxed (or plucked) and darken in remaining brows with a compact powder a shade or two darker than the natural brow,” says best-selling author Kami Gray.
- “Use an under-eye concealer one to one and a half shades lighter than your overall skin tone, to brighten the under-eye area,” says makeup artist Tara Correll. She recommends Prescriptives Camouflage Creme.
- To fake a refreshed look, apply soft white eye shadow to the inside corners of your eyes (not on the lid), says esthetician and makeup artist April Meese.
- Swipe a warm, medium brown powder, like Mac’s Saddle, along your upper lash line to give you a soft but defined day look, says McMahan.
- “Finish off with a generous coat of lash-plumping mascara, like Covergirl Lashblast,” he says.
You glow, girl
Give your face a warm glow by using bronzer or blush. “Blush sometimes gets a bad rap, but so many makeup artists rely on it for perking up a pasty complexion. If you go the bronzing powder route, err on the light side (just one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone), and remember to lightly dust your neck, too. You don’t want a big line of demarcation that stops at your chin.”
For a quick pop of color, look for multitasking products that can be used as both blush and lipstick. “Nars Multiples in Orgasm or Maui will take Mom where she really wants to be!” says makeup artist Sharon Becker. “Sticks can be applied to cheeks, eyes and lips for a fresh, fast flush of color. These sticks multitask, just like mom.”
Plumped lips
Smooth on lip gloss or a light coat of lipstick to brighten up your entire face. “Applying lipstick with a lip brush rather than just swiping it on makes it last much longer, ” says author Dana Wood.
For a plump pout, Wood says to try this trick:
“Everyone has a vermilion border (the ridge around the lips), and that border naturally has a white roll above the lip. The easiest way to give the illusion of fuller lips is to use a soft white eyeliner”pencil to trace/draw a line just above the Cupid’s bow. Just as we all know putting a touch of concealer or any pale pink lipstick in the middle of the bottom lip makes the lips appear fuller, this puts the highlights above, making the top lip look fuller.”
Only have three minutes?
“I think there are only three beauty products a mom needs to look and feel put together each day: A face moisturizer with SPF to hydrate and protect the skin; a lip balm or gloss to plump up and define the lips; and an eyelash curler, to open up the eyes and make them pop. Quick and inexpensive!” says Glamamom Jill Seiman.
Using our quick makeup tips, moms can look and feel great without being slaves to the makeup counter. “Being organized is key,” says McMahan. “If you have everything you need and just three to five minutes, you can look great in a few easy steps.”
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