Deciding what to wear — clothing, colors and makeup — usually devours the lion’s share of my getting ready time in the morning.
Seriously, I can spend 15 minutes deliberating over/between black, and purplish black liner.
Ah, the life and times of a beauty addict. (Sigh…)
Here’s something that really helps though: when I simply don’t have time for major life decisions like whether to wear a black or a purplish black liner, I turn to the tiny makeup bag on my vanity, which is dedicated to essentials.
It always contains eight things…
- Foundation
- Concealer
- Powder
- Brow pencil
- Mascara
- Blush
- A nude gloss
- A bright lipstick
The specific products will change, depending on my whims, current kicks and fancies, but the kinds of products stay the same.
Restricting my choices this way prevents some of the dilly-dallying I’m prone to and prevents many of the long-winded internal makeup debates I have with myself. (Matte or shimmer blush? Cream or powder bronzer? Highlighter? No highlighter? Lipstick and/or gloss?).
Added bonus? When I’ve totally blown my schedule and I’m already running late, I can just grab the little bag and bolt. Worst case scenario, I can do my makeup on the way to wherever I’m going.
No matter how much I hate rushing (Gaaaaah!), sometimes it can’t be helped. I’ll do anything for new ways to save time and look sharp. Got any good time-saving makeup tips to share? Please say yes! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Funny, I never thought about it as a time saving tip…but I have a small make up bag that now carries essentials. (It used to be jammed full.) I got a job in a clothing store & often didn’t put all my make up on in the am, because once I got to work, there usually weren’t any customers and I was by myself, so I could apply some make up at my leisure.
I read once that a make up bag should be translucent, so it’s easier to find something in it… So I bought a tinted mesh one & have used it ever since. Only I don’t keep a lip color in it since I choose that last & have a drawer of choices & can pick pretty quickly.
I’ve got concealer, mascara, a metal lash comb, mineral powder, a couple eye pencils and a multi-eye color palette in mine, so I can grab it and go, if I need to.
I keep a small clock on my vanity. That way, I know exactly what I do or don’t have time for.
I like the tip of using a translucent makeup bag with all the essentials. That’s an extremely good idea in case it’s a grab-and-go situation–I’ll need to get more of these.
I actually organize most of my makeup in clear plastic drawer organizers and that helps me find things too.
I like to focus on one product or color and then build up the rest of the look around it. For example, if i choose to use a dark green eyeshadow then the other colors will be a lot easier to pick up. Or if i go for a fuschia lip color i know i’ll have to keep it light on the rest of my face.
Deciding in avance on one item or one color saves time.
Since my makeup collection is extensive, and scattered in a few locations (what, me organized?) I’ve found that the best thing for me to do is plan my makeup the night before, just like I do with my clothes. Once I decide what I’m wearing the next day and get that together, I gather my makeup. I keep the basics together in a bag where I’m going to do my makeup (foundation, powder, concealer, mascara, brushes, and brow product), and then just add the color I’ll be using (eyes, cheeks, lips). This avoids the inevitable scrambling around in the morning when I’m already running late because I decided to sleep “just five more minutes” (yeah, right…).
I do a something similar in that I have a separate makeup bag in my hand bag so if I’ve not done my face before I go out I can quickly put myself together. It has duplicates of some staples and some day/night items and I’m so used to the products I can apply them anywhere.
The best thing, two eyeliners, benefit eyebright as a pale liner first along the whole lid, then a gunmetal grey over the outer 2/3rds (or use your favourite dark liner) it’s quick easy opens the eye and looks done and is really hard to go wrong.
To save time, I have often done the “mascara and lip gloss” look. It involves foundation/concealer only where needed, blush (I like the Nars Multiple cream sticks, you can use them as eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick – Orgasm and Copacabana are my faves), a neutral or fun eyeliner, depending on the outfit, and one or 2 coats of mascara. Very neutral, takes less than 5 minutes and I’m out the door looking put together.
If I do want to spend time on hair/makeup and not rush, I will set my alarm and/or get ready earlier. I don’t like to be late or even on time for anything, I like to be super early to scope out my surroundings and wake up if I am still a little sleepy from the early hour. If it’s really down to a time crunch (say, getting my hair to look presentable takes longer than planned), I will cover up any trouble spots with concealer, put some mascara on, and be on my way.
I have the same ‘go’ bag, and I’ve found that when liner just isn’t enough, a pinky nude gloss (love ya BFF Buxom glosses!) makes a great eye opening eyeshadow over the lids with a dab near the tear duct.
I also have a go-to bag that is seperate from the copious amounts of shadows and blushes that I call my “polished face” kit. It’s the minimum makeup I can use to get out the door looking and feeling polished, but if I have time I can bump up to a more elaborate look. It’s similar to yours but I have all a powder foundation instead of liquid, a felt tip liquid liner, and a neutral quad that has an all over brightening color, a highlight, a contour color for crease and doubles for brows, and a darker color for the lash line.
Easy peasy. I can get out the door under 10 minutes.
I have a few things, I can not say I have everything, yet lack many products that dream of having.
I am well organized, let in a little drawer in my work and in my home office in two necessaries.
The things I carry with me always, I use every day are always the same products, in the morning I wake up and wash my face clean with astringent lotion, then apply an anti age usually the SkinCeuticals Serum 15 and come with 50 fps prep primer the mac, bb cream, and finally the base, then apply the mac blot and pitch black eye pencil and lipstick pink mac everyone.
My make does not change much, the afternoon I usually improve my skin, apply a base clarinha brown with a beige, and more step eyeliner, this time I prefer liquid, use the mac brush that comes with it is super thin and very black.
After step further and base bb cream for best results.
Almost not use brush, only the F88 more that I can not live without it, and own brush that comes in the kit shadows that I usually use.
One tip is to always leave whatever use in a small pouch, so you know the oredmem of things to be applied.
I usually leave semi prepared the day before (I know I’ll wake up lazy and terrible sleep the next day, and how do aerobic fasting evil mood haunts me) picked up the pencil, the bb cream, primer, the foundation, lipstick,The blot.
Do not use mascara on a daily basis, only at night, I have a huge craze for scratching the eyes, and if I do it “accidentally” end up breaking my hairs not that I want to do this.
Clothes I’m most basic posivel, a pair of jeans and a shirt, and a blazer always looks great and more chick.
In pes prefer sneakers, she let the look thinner without having to stand on the second floor.
Karen is hard to be vain, I myself am so proud that I come across always thinking I have failed to, or not spent right
A great big kiss!
I use pencils more than eye shadows. That’s quick.
Then I have one blush that goes with all my warm or cool dresses – Loreal rosewood.
I’ve stored my lipsticks in separate open boxes in a drawer – There;s a box each for all pinks, nudes, Corals and Mauves. I did this recently and its been working well so far. This way I’m using the lippies I din’t for a long time only coz I couldn’t find them in the stash.
The thing that always works the best is planning make up depending on what I’ll be wearing. Only in mind – I decide the lip colour, eye pencil colour and that’s it. All that remains is – Apply. 🙂
I think cream shadows are the best time savings item. You can just slap them on your eye .. minimum blending, add liner, mascara and go.
Monica.
I always have my essentials together so I can grab them in a hurry. Sometimes when I know I will have even more of a time crunch I’ll set each item I want out on my bathroom counter so that they are right there waiting for me and I wont be tempted to reach for other items that will add extra time.
My best time-savers: Eyelash extensions (I do my own, which isn’t recommended, but I’m very, very careful), fluffy foundation and concealer brushes, and Japanese charcoal sponges to clean and exfoliate in the a.m. (no cleanser required). Serums absorb super quickly and do the job. A limited signature palette: BB cream, concealer, powder, and very light blush with an emphasis on lashes, brows, and lips (my motto: go red or go home!). Strong glasses frames. Done.
When I’m busy, my look is BB cream, undereye concealer, blush, brows, taupe eyeliner (just enough definition, and not so dark on my pale skin that it needs to be perfectly applied like darker browns), mascara on curled lashes. I can do this in 5 minutes and be out the door.
Skincare takes longer, but I don’t skimp on that because my skin is finicky.