My 5-minutes Makeup Routine

5 minutes makeup routine

5 minutes makeup routine

Lately I’ve been having many early mornings, when I literally have next to no time to get ready. So the usual luxury of standing around pondering which foundation to wear, which eye shadow palette to use has, under the circumstance, been thrown out the window. Replacing it is a very quick and super simple routine that requires the least amount of faffing and blending effort. The key to a quick yet effective makeup routine as I’ve discovered, is to choose your products wisely. Despite spending less than the average time it would normally take to do my makeup, I can look just as put together and polished as I would when I have more time to spare.

Step 1 Concealer: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

I hate the packaging of this; it comes in a pump bottle (concealer in a pump bottle? mind boggling), but the result is amazing so I accept this as being a small price to pay. It gives ‘incredible’ coverage and sometimes I even consider this to be a hybrid between concealer and foundation. If you are short of time, just use one pump and blend under your eyes and on any blemishes and imperfections, and that is enough to give you an even, flawless canvas ready for the next step.

Step 2 Powder Foundation: MAC Studio Fix 

This is practically my life saver and what really saves me the most time. When you have next to no time to get ready in the morning powder foundation is your best friend. You don’t want to be faffing with liquid foundation, what with the blending and the messiness that come with it. Mac Studio Fix Powder foundation is my ultimate favourite, and it’s just a matter of pressing your brush in the powder compact, swirl it around to gather the product, and then just blend all over your face. Fuss free, mess free, done in seconds, and you get the same flawless coverage as you would with a liquid foundation.

Step 3 Eyebrows Gel: Blink Brow Build

One of my biggest pet peeves, when it comes to a makeup routine, is doing my eyebrows. It’s my least, least favourite thing to do, and what I waste the most time faffing with. So a brush-on eyebrows gel is a very quick, easy, and foolproof alternative to create a natural-looking fullness and definition without the need to be precise. My current favourite is the Brow Build from Blink, which contains miniscule fibres that mimic the appearance of thicker fuller brows with just a few brush strokes, perfect for a 5-minutes makeup.

Step 4 Mascara: Maybelline Falsie 

This is an old school, cult classic mascara that I’ve fallen back in love with. Rightly called the Falsie for the reason that it really gives your lashes that va-va-voom effect akin to wearing false eyelashes. And when you have no time for eyeshadows, having a full and luscious lashes and let your eyes do the talking really does compensate a great deal.

Step 5 Lash Line: Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eye liner

A step that you can skip altogether, but spending extra few seconds on this can make such a huge difference. Lining your upper inner waterline makes your upper lashes appear thicker and more voluminous. And as mentioned if you have no time for eyeshadows, this quick and simple step is all it takes to oomph up the definition on your eyes, making you look more polished and sophisticated.

Step 6 Blusher: NARS Orgasm

A universal blush colour that looks good on just about everybody and will suit anything and everything you wear. It’s a gorgeous peachy-pink shade that also has a golden shimmer so it can be doubled up as a highlighter, for those of us who can’t go a day without that extra boost of glow.

Top Pick Mascaras for Straight Lashes 

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I am rather picky when it comes to mascara. But that’s only because I have the most difficult eye lashes to deal with. They are dead straight and even with the magic Shu Uemura eyelash curler, I still need to do at least between 40-50 pumps to keep those pesky lashes curled (not kidding!) Having straight lashes also means the only type of mascara I can use is strictly waterproof and my choices are very limited. You can probably imagine the extreme frustration at not being able to try out all those amazing mascaras out there in the market that are not waterproof; Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara, Maybelline Lash Sensational (which, as far as I know, has no waterproof version in the UK), Lancome Grandiose Mascara (with that amazing curved wand), to name a few.

Having been an avid user of waterproof mascara for as long as I can remember, today I thought I would round up my top picks so that all is not lost on us girls with troublesome straight lashes.

1. Maybelline the Falsies (WP). This is probably an all time favourite that I’ve had in my stash the longest and keep repurchasing whenever I run out. I know Tanya Burr used to use this mascara exclusively in all of her tuturials for a long time and I can totally understand why. It has the first patented spoon curler brush of its kind, that separates, curls and fans out lashes whilst coating every single strand. The result is amazing lashes packed full of volume and definition and as the name aptly suggests, you can easily be mistaken for wearing a pair of falsies.

2. Max Factor False Lash Effect (WP). I love this one for the serious volume that it gives to my lashes. It has a chunky plastic wand that really amplifies your lashes and despite the chunkiness of the wand, it does gets right to the roots and gives great definition to your lash line. The only problem I have is you need quite a steady hand to apply this mascara as it can get messy and transfer on your lids. But at the end of the day it’s nothing that can’t be wiped clean with a cotton bud so I always have one close at hand.

3. Maybelline The Rocket Volume (WP). This is very very similar to the Max Factor False Lash Effect, it even has the same identical looking chunky wand. But I find this mascara gives a much more natural look in contrast to the amp up effect by its counterpart. It’s also very easy to apply and doesn’t transfer to the lids so I always reach for this on a no-makeup makeup day or on days that I just want to do a quick and easy makeup.

4. L’Oreal False Lash Telescopic (WP). I absolutely adore this mascara’s super sleek and thin wand. It literally gets into every nooks and crannies and coats and stretches each lash for a very defined look. This is more of a lengthening rather than volumising mascara but I love the way it defines your lash line as well as double the length of your lashes. It is also by far the easiest mascara to apply but the same can’t be said about taking it off at the end of the day so be warned.

5. Fairydrops Scandal Queen Waterproof Mascara. Alas a magic mascara that’s come to save the day! The Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara is one of those all rounders that basically does everything and more. It has this strange curved wand with three bobbled bristles that picks up even the shortest of lashes. The formula also contain some loose fibres that add more oomph to your lashes but they don’t get into your eyes or irritate them. It’s the kind of products that you have no idea how it works but it just works. You can also choose whether to opt for a natural look, in which one coat will be enough, or you can add a few more coats for a dramatic finish.

Do you have any favourite mascaras that keep your lashes curled?