Taking the time to simplify your makeup routine will help get you out of the house on time and looking like the master of morning routines.
Whether you’re waking up at 5 am to get ready for work or telling yourself you’ll leave the house on time for a mid-day appointment, time for makeup is scarce. We’re either walking out the house hoping our wing liner is even or ditching makeup altogether.
I would often find myself in the Target parking lot questioning, “why didn’t I just take a minute to do my eyebrows or curl my lashes?” right before I got out of the car. These were simple tasks that were once a part of my daily routine but became overwhelming once I seemed to misplace my lipstick and wasted 10 minutes drawing mismatched eyebrows. I wanted to be the girl that looked like she loved mornings even when I just hit snooze 3 times in a row.
If this sounds like you, here are some tips to help simplify your makeup routine so you can start your day with an extra boost of confidence.
Tips to Simplify Your Makeup Routine
Create a time block for your makeup routine
Often we find ourselves shuffling through our makeup drawers when we have an extra 30 minutes to spare. And by the time we’ve finished applying lipstick, we’re 10 minutes late, wondering how we ended up here.
Time Blocking is a productivity technique I’ve been practicing to incorporate into my everyday routines.
Start by analyzing your mornings to see how much time it’s actually taking you to get ready. Once you find some tasks that can be taken care of the night before, you’ll find yourself with a window of time for self-care.
I was able to get my makeup done, on time, the way I wanted, and even had time for a selfie or two.
Create a go-to makeup look
This is going to be your signature, ”5-minute makeup look”.
Depending on your day-to-day activity you can choose which level of glam you want to create. You can go for a fresh face where you only use concealer to hide small blemishes or full glam with a step-by-step routine.
Choose products that feel comfortable on your skin. We’ve all experienced foundation that felt heavy or too dry on the skin. Aim for lightweight buildable products.
Consider colors that will complement your skin tone. Fair skin tones should look for cooler colors like pinks and purples. Medium skin tones should look for warmer colors shades such as honey and coral. For darker skin tones, look for oranges and golds to help bring out your skin’s undertones.
One thing we forget about when getting ready is how well our makeup is going to hold up throughout the day. We may look cute at the moment but by the time 3 pm rolls around, we’re a shiny greasy mess.
Think about products you can easily slide into your purse for touch-ups. This can be as simple as powdered foundations, blotting powder, or your favorite lipgloss.
Maintain your eyebrows and eyelashes
Over the past 5 years, eyebrows and lashes have become such a key step in our makeup routines. Think about the last time you watched a full makeup tutorial that didn’t start with eyebrows. We’ve seen it all from block brows to laminations and bleach brows if you’re feeling a little creative.
If you have enough time in your weekly schedule, go ahead and add eyebrows and lashes to yourself-maintenance appointments. That’s two steps automatically eliminated from your morning routine, sounds like a win to me!
If you don’t have the time to add extra appointments to your calendar, try some DIY at-home methods. My personal recommendations for DIY eyebrows are Mina’s Ibrow Henna on Amazon and Sally Hansen’s Wax Strip Kit for the face. The henna will help to darken your eyebrows so you can skip the brow pencil on days that you’re just not in the mood.
For lashes, keep a stash of your favorite falsies. No one wants to sit and pick out old glue from a lash strip at 5 am. A game-changer for me was the Eylure London Pre-Glued Lashes. Literally, pull them out of the package, stick them on and you’re ready to go. No extra glue is needed.
Keep it neutral
Instead of stressing out about which eyeshadow colors blend well together or trying to perfectly match it to your outfit, stick to neutral colors.
Try using nudes and earthy tones. Although these may not sound too exciting, you can always switch up your look by choosing to use mattes, shimmers, or mixing the two to create a more detailed look.
Use fewer products
Watching makeup tutorials can feel overwhelming after seeing how many products you need to achieve one makeup look. The easiest way to simplify your makeup routine is by using fewer products. Look for products that don’t require too many touch-ups throughout the day.
You can switch to products that are multi-purpose like tinted moisturizers or foundations with SPF.
Danessa Myricks’s cosmetics line has an amazing product called Colorfix. Colorfix is made to use on your lips, eyes, and cheeks. With this product alone you’ve already eliminated 3 products from your makeup routine.
Skip the winged eyeliner
There’s really no in-between with winged liner, either you’ve mastered it or you’re still trying. I’ve had days where I’ve felt brave enough to create a larger winged liner…it eventually resulted in starting from scratch because my winged liner unintentionally turned into a smokey eye.
The purpose of eyeliner is to shape the eye, bring attention to the eye, and make the lash line look thicker.
You can achieve these same goals by using dark eyeshadow along the lash line or choosing mascara and falsies that will make your lashes look thicker and luscious.
Go for a lip gloss
When I think of lipstick I automatically remember “I’ll also need a lip liner to go with that”. For any other occasions, I don’t mind taking the time to decide which shade of lipstick will help pull my makeup look together. But at 5 am I can barely see the time on the clock without squinting. Trying to evenly and quickly apply lipstick is not at the top of my list.
A lipgloss allows you to apply it quickly and without much concentration. If you’re not convinced yet, here are some benefits:
- Usually long-lasting
- Easy to reapply
- Comes in many colors so you don’t have to settle for a clear
- Lipgloss can literally go with any outfit
- You can tell people “My lip gloss is Poppin!”
Have a designated spot for your most used makeup products
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve organized, unorganized, downsized, and not to mention lost makeup essentials. Until I took to the time to be real with myself about which products I ACTUALLY use.
Once you have your signature makeup routine put together, gather all your products and store them in a designated spot. This can be anywhere from a drawer in your bathroom to a small makeup bag in your purse. The key is to not mix these products with your bigger makeup collection. Make your routine makeup products easily accessible so you don’t waste time 10 minutes searching for missing products.
Keep your brushes clean
Washing makeup brushes is probably the most annoying part about doing your makeup but it’s also one of the most important parts. Clean brushes will assure a smooth application as well as prevent breakouts from built-up bacteria.
Beauty content creator @kali.ledger on Instagram shared a game-changing tip in her Instagram stories about how to easily keep your makeup brushes clean. She demonstrates how she keeps a jar of rubbing alcohol and a silicone cleaning mat nearby to quickly remove product from her makeup brushes.
I’ve been using this hack since I came across her story and it has been a major time saver. Rubbing alcohol not only kills bacteria but also dries the brush hairs much quicker.
Keeping clean makeup brushes is an easy way to start your makeup routine off the right way.
Disclaimer: If you plan on using this hack, DO NOT leave your makeup brushes sitting in the rubbing alcohol. It will unstick the glue from the brush. Only dip the brush hairs.
Key Takeaway
It’s said that how you spend the first 15 minutes of your morning sets the mood for the rest of your day. We want to feel relaxed, motivated, and look good while we’re at it. Accomplishing small tasks like learning to simplify your makeup routine adds up to the bigger outcomes like productive mornings. And you’re already ahead of the game.
My 5-minute Makeup Routine
Face: The Lips Bar 3 in 1 Tinted Skin Conditioner in Mahogany Mami
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Styling Wax & Brow Wiz in Ebony
Concealer: The Lip Bar Caffeine Concealer in Mocha
Eyes: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real, Lengthening Mascara
Highlight: Makeup Revolution Molten Body Glow
Lips: Maybelline Lifter Gloss in Stone
