Though I blog, I still work in an office from 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday so 10-minute makeup is a must.
I enjoy wearing my work clothes and the style associated with workwear. For me, part of that work uniform is makeup. However, I do not want to spend 20 to 30 minutes making my face look beat early in the morning.
Instead, I like to keep things simple and light to enhance the features I choose to accentuate. Also, wearing heavy makeup every single day is almost guaranteed to cause problems for my acne-prone skin, regardless of how well I remove the products.
10 Minute No Makeup, Makeup
Honestly, this routine can take 5 to 10 minutes depending on how precise I am with my brows, or how much effort I put into the application of mascara. One clutch item within my makeup routine is my Simple Human Mirror. I purchased this mirror toward the beginning of the year when I realized that I would be waking up earlier than my Mister, and I did not want to disturb his sleep with too much light. I know he wouldn’t mind, but I do, so I invested in a magnified mirror that runs on a rechargeable battery and has a few light settings. Unanticipated side effect?
Better makeup application. Using the Simple Human Mirror has improved my makeup application because I can truly see the blending, or lack thereof, on my face. Plus, the light truly mimics outside light, so I know how my face will appear once I leave my woman cave. I have used other makeup mirrors, and I will say that in my experience, the Simple Human Mirror is the best.
With this simple makeup routine, I start by evening out skin with a light layer of Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Between the two, I get rid of dark circles and give my skin a fresh even look. However, before either of those, I apply a good long lasting primer. I probably will not return home for at least 10 hours after makeup application, so using the right primer is clutch. Most recently, I’ve been using the Benefit Porfessional primer.
The Application
The base of a great primer, foundation, and concealer are all that is necessary for me to appear bright and awake first thing in the morning until the end of the workday. Sometimes, I apply liquid blush from NARS Liquid Blush, and sometimes I apply powder blush from NARS. Regardless, I always follow my base application with a light dusting of Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder in deep. The powder adds another light blurring effect, makes my makeup stay in place, and prevents that unnatural shiny look.
After my base is set, I move on to brows, lashes, and lips. I do not really sculpt my brows in the morning (that would take too long), instead I just make sure there are no gaps with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown, and I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in ebony to give my brows the desired shape. This step is the longest part of my routine, but it’s not one I will not skip because brows really do help to enhance the shape of my face.
The Goal
My big eyes take up a large portion of my face, so defining my brows and adding a few coats of mascara to my lashes is a must. I like to use MAC Cosmetics Giga Black Lash Mascara on both upper and lower lashes. Then, take the volume up a notch using Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara only on my top lashes. That combo gives me full lashes that do not clump together and is still subtle enough for the office environment.
Lastly, I throw on some chapstick and a Pat McGrath Gloss. For me, this look is most successful when it looks like I haven’t done much at all. Whether or not that happens truly depends on the amount of effort I put into blending my foundation and combing through my lashes after applying mascara. I do take powder with me to work in my to-go beauty pouch and powder once I see oil peaking through. Eventually, I want my skin to get to a place where I do not feel the need to apply foundation, just a bit of powder, brows, and lashes. Thanks to micro needling, I have faith that will happen one day soon…
