Have you ever wondered why a friend or work colleague always manages to look perfectly polished no matter how often you see them? Maybe you think that achieving the same result is impossible if you have a whirlwind schedule, but with a few simple makeup hacks, it’s totally possible to look polished in a matter of minutes. Here are a few tips.
Swap foundation for a tinted moisturiser
Applying foundation well can be a tricky business, as it needs to be carefully blended around your features to ensure an even appearance with no tide marks or clogged patches. Instead, swap your regular base for a light tinted moisturiser. This can be applied to the whole face in a matter of seconds, and doesn’t need to be blended.
If you have any particular blemishes or dark areas under your eyes, cover them up with a few dabs of concealer and blend the edges with a brush.
Tame your brows
Neat eyebrows are key to a well groomed look, so use a brow gel and brush them over. If your brows are on the sparse side, fill them in with a pencil or powder. This will give them definition and help to perfectly frame your face. If you want to save time every morning, you could consider microblading for your brows.
Microblading is a type of semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo, without the pain of regular tattooing. It uses very fine needles to deposit pigment into your skin that resembles eyebrow hairs. It’s ideal if you have thin eyebrows and want to create more shape and definition without all that extra work.
Lashings of mascara
Mascara instantly lifts your eyes, making them look larger and more defined, so don’t be tempted to skip this step. For best results, rest your elbow on an even surface and use the hand on the same side of your eye. This will give you a more controlled movement and help you to shape the lashes in the natural direction of growth.
If the lashes look clogged, comb them through with a clean mascara wand to remove the excess and neaten them up. If you have time, apply a second coat for that extra wow-factor. Unless you are a real whizz, skip eyeliner because it can be tricky to get right at the best of times and you will probably end up wiping it off and wasting precious time!
Give your cheeks a healthy glow
Apply a confidence-boosting sweep of blusher or bronzer across the apples of your cheeks (smile!) for some instant radiance. Don’t get bogged down with complicated contouring techniques; these are definitely best left to those days when you have plenty of time on your hands…
Wrap it up with a lip colour
Finally, apply a lip colour to really bring this fast-forward polished look together. If you are really squeezed for time, simply slick on a coat of tinted lip gloss.
When you are done, spritz your face with a setting spray to help you stay looking fabulous all day long.