Easy Makeup Routine

Now that school has started again, my makeup routine needs an adjustment. The last thing I want to do at six in the morning is hunt around for a blush brush, blend out dark eyeshadows, and fuss with a liquid lipstick.

Thankfully, makeup doesn't have to be difficult. You can skip any step you want or utilize your fingers as a tool. When I have to, I can cut my regular routine by more than ten minutes if I accidentally sleep in! (By accidentally I mean I pressed the snooze button one to five times)

Primer
Firstly, I skip the primer. I have dry skin and my makeup tends to stay on all day. I like primers for smoothing my skin beforehand, but if I don't have the time it's the first step that I cut out.

Foundation
I like to reach for a medium coverage base that matches me perfectly, so I don't have to fuss with it. A pump is also a good choice for this step! I use the Ordinary Serum foundation and quickly pat that all over my skin with a sponge.

Concealer
I skip the corrector and head straight for a concealer that is easy to blend and has a good amount of coverage. I feel strange if I have a lower coverage foundation and a high coverage concealer! I like the Bareminerals Bareskin Serum concealer, it's so lightweight and effortless to use. I also put a little on my eyelids in place of an eyeshadow primer and apply it to any blemishes or areas I want a little extra coverage.

Contour
I actually like to contour every day, even if I'm in a rush. It adds a little extra dimension to my face that I think it needs! Rather than fuss around with a bunch of different brushes, I draw a quick line under my cheekbones with the Nyx Wonder Stick and blend that out with the Real Techniques sponge. This blends out really easily and the shade I have, Light/Medium, is great for fair skin.

Blush
Like with the contour, I also reach for a cream or gel blush so that I don't have to fuss with a variety of makeup brushes. At the moment I'm loving the Glossier Cloud Paint in Puff. It's a really pretty cool-toned pink! More affordable options are the Nyx Whipped Fouette in Plush or the Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel in Natural. These can all be applied with the fingers so it's a quick and easy step that gives a lovely flush to the skin and makes me look alive again.

Highlighter
Again, cream and liquid products all the way! Colourpop highlighters are a great option. I have the shade Lunch Money and it's absolutely gorgeous! So are stick highlighters, like the Trestique mini highlight stick, or full-on liquid ones like Becca's Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfectors. I use my fingers for this step, too, but they can also be sheered out with a makeup sponge.

Setting Powder
Now that all my cream products are applied, I set everything with the RCMA No Color powder. This amazing fine-milled, no-flashback powder comes in the worst packaging ever for a powder--it looks like a spice jar! I kept an empty container of powder and pour some of the RCMA powder into there to make it easier (and faster) to apply. Some sort of lid would work well, too!

Bronzer
My face is still missing some color at this point, so I reach for a bronzer just a few shades darker than my skin. The No. 7 Match Made bronzer in Caramel is my current favorite, but you should go for any in your collection that is easy to apply and never looks muddy!

From left to right: Nyx Wonder Stick Contour, Nyx Wonder Stick Highlight, Glossier Puff, Nyx Plush, Pixi Natural, Colourpop Lunch Money, Trestique Maldives Luminescence, Becca Opal, No. 7 Caramel

Eyeshadow
Since it entered my Project Pan, I've been reaching for the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette to do a lot of my eyeshadow looks. I set my concealer (that I used as a primer) with WOS, buff Naked 2 into the crease, darken it up with Faint, and then use Venus as an inner corner highlight. If I have time, I pop a shimmery shade on the lid such as Colourpop I Heart This, Elf Wine Not, or Kiko's Long Lasting Shadow Stick in Rosy Brown. These can all be blended out with fingers so they're quick to apply and add something extra to an all-matte look.

From left to right: Venus, Foxy, WOS, Naked 2, Faint from the Naked Basics palette

Eyeliner and Mascara
The Nyx Epic Ink Liner has a brush-tip applicator that just glides over the eyelid and lasts all day. Perfect for a no-fuss look! As for mascara, I go for any that isn't prone to clumping. I put on one coat and call it good. All of my favorites are unfortunately not cruelty-free, but I'm still looking for the perfect affordable cruelty-free mascara!

Lips
Who can bother with a lipstick or even worse, a liquid lipstick, when you're in a rush? I keep Colourpop's Ultra Glossy Lip in Aquarius in my purse at all times so that I can swipe it on after breakfast. This nude pink is really flattering and a comfortable product, one of my absolute favorites from Colourpop.

From left to right: Colourpop I Heart This, Elf Wine Not, Kiko Rosy Brown, Colourpop Aquarius

A spritz of perfume finishes my get-ready routine and then I'm out the door! It sounds like a lot of steps but by using the same tools for each one and using products that blend like a dream, it really cuts down on my makeup routine.

What steps do you cut out when you're in a rush?

Xx Katie

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