We have all been there. After hitting snooze one too many times, you stumble out of bed, take a quick gulp of coffee, and quickly brush your teeth. In between the madness, there’s no time for a decent makeup routine and no time to brush your hair, let alone style it. I hate to admit it, but this happens to me far too often. But luckily for you, it’s caused me to perfect my 10-minute morning routine.
As I said last week, in the spirit of back to school season, we’re focusing this post on college students. But this is a routine anyone can follow when you find yourself at a loss for time in the AM.
The Makeup
Less is More
When I’m in a hurry, I find that less coverage is better. Try using a moisturizer with a tint to keep your skin tone looking even all day instead of a heavy coverage base. I notice the more coverage I have in a foundation, the concealer, eye makeup, etc. I need. Something lightweight and light coverage will even our your skin tone, cover minor imperfections, and melt into your skin as the day goes on for a flawless finish.
I love Complexion Rescue from Bare Minerals for busy mornings. Not only does it add a bit of coverage, it contains SPF. Anything that can multi-task gets an A+ on a rushed morning.
Skip the Shadow
If you’re anything like me, a natural eye look can turn into a time consuming, glam creation in the matter of seconds. So instead of reaching for shadows on busy mornings, I smudge a pencil liner along my lash line, curl my lashes, and add mascara. It brings attention to my eyes, makes me look more awake, and gives me a polished look with minimal effort.
Personally, I prefer a brown liner/mascara combo on natural days–just because it looks a lot more natural on my pale skin than harsh black. I tend to reach for Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Demolition and L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise mascara in Black-Brown.
Highlight, Highlight, Highlight
Unfortunately, the majority of us don’t wake up with flawless, glowing skin. Luckily, though, products like Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting Powder are here to help us out. A quick sweep of a subtle illuminating powder will help you achieve that healthy, lit from within glow in a flash. Not only does a subtle highlight look more natural on the skin, you don’t have to be a precise as you would with an ET effect.
Lively Lip
I’m not opposed to bright lip colors accompanying a natural face. For me, it’s all about the formula and consistency. I’m not a huge fan of opaque, bright lips on a natural day, because you typically need a liner and primer as well. No time for that. So instead, I opt for something a little more sheer and a lot more moisturizing that I can apply sans mirror if need be.
Products like Neutrogena’s Moisture Smooth Color Stick or Clinique’s Chubby Stick lip colors are great for on the go. They have the moisturizing properties of lip balms with the convenience and color payoff as a sheer lipstick, and the shine of a gloss.
The Hair
Finger brush, and throw up in low bun, claw clip, or pony tail.
The Outfit
Busy mornings are definitely when having a fashion uniform comes in handy. Recently I’ve been reaching for a basic, knit dress and a denim vest. This combo, in my opinion, makes you look like you put a hell of a lot more effort into getting dressed than the 1 minute it actually took you.
Let's Chat!