9 makeup shortcuts for busy women

Makeup is a powerful tool. It can erase years from your face, make you look and feel more confident and beautiful, and add the perfect finishing touch to an outfit. However, most women don’t have the time to dawdle in front of the mirror, especially in the morning. There’s breakfast to cook, a bus to catch. Who can possibly layer three shades of foundation?

The good news is that you don’t have to. Here’s are great makeup secrets and shortcuts so you can look fabulous in a flash.

1. Prep your skin with moisturizer.

After your shower, pat your face dry and seal in the moisture with a good moisturizer. Let this sit on your face for a few minutes—as you pick your clothes or blowdry your hair. This preps your skin so makeup slides on better.

Choose double-duty moisturizers, like one that has sunblock (which protects your skin from sun-damage, the biggest cause of early wrinkles). Tinted moisturizers also prevent your skin from looking too pale.

You can also add a little bit of your foundation into your moisturizer, for easy-breezy application that also hides your flaws. Put some on your neck, too!

2. Use a high-quality foundation.

Generally, the ones that give a soft, dewy finish look the most natural and most flattering. The key is to get one that best matches your skin tone. Here’s a shopping tip: before you buy any, apply near the jaw line, and then go outside the mall to look at yourself under natural light. This also gives time for the foundation to ‘set’—some products slightly change in color in reaction to your skin’s acidity.

3. Quickly erase eyebags.

Just dab concealer on the inner corners of your eyes and under your lower lashes. The secret is to pat, not smear, the product. (You avoid putting too much, and you don’t stress the skin and inadvertedly hasten wrinkles.) If you have really dark blue circles circles, invest in yellow powder. Dust a small amount under the eyes after applying finishing powder.

4. Three dabs to a natural glow.

Blush or bronzer make a big difference—and take so little effort. Just apply on the apples of the cheeks, and dust a little along the two sides of the jaw. You’re done! The secret is to get a blush color that closely resembles the flush you get after exercise. Check the mirror after a workout (or great sex) and you’ll see what we mean.

5. Get multi-toned finishing powder.

For an instant, no-brain, natural makeup look, get a finishing powder that makes use of different shades. Swish your brush, tap, dust over your face, and voila! In five seconds you’ve ‘set’ the makeup (helps avoid smears), and lended the colors.

6. Invest in good makeup brushes.

Forget the free brushes that come with your makeup. These cheap duds don’t distribute powder well and often irritate sensitive skin. But the proper brushes pick up just the right amount of product (tap gently on the edge of the canister to get rid of excess) and lightly dust it over your face. You’ll be amazed at how much time you save from trying to correct splotchy blush or thick blobs of finishing powder.

Get a wide, round makeup brush for foundation, an angled one for blush, and smaller ones for eye shadow and lipstick. A kabuki brush is essential for applying mineral makeup.

7. Groom your ‘brows.

One secret to looking vibrant (even when you haven’t had much sleep) is to open up the eye area. To do this, regularly have your eyebrows groomed. No, don’t rush this in the morning. It’s best to have this done professionally, at a salon, and then maintain it yourself by plucking out any stray hairs. Then, in the morning, smooth them into place with clear mascara or deepen the color with matching eyeshadow (which is easier to apply and looks more natural than eyebrow pencil).

8. Curl those lashes.

Curl your lashes and then add a good coat (or two!) of mascara. This makes your eyes look bigger and more alert—and is really, really crucial if you’re skipping eyeshadow.

9. Add no-fuss lip color.

When you’re in a hurry reach for a lipgloss. It’s less likely to smear and can be quickly applied even if you’re running half-way out the door.

However, lip gloss doesn’t last as long as lipstick. If you can spare a minute now, you can save yourself frequent touch-ups by applying a little foundation on your lips, followed by lipliner, then a cream lipstick. Blot with thin tissue, apply again, then blot.

Tip: if you don’t feel like applying eyeshadow, you can make lipstick your bold makeup statement. Choose a gorgeous red (which also makes teeth look whiter!) Pink lipstick can also help counter a gray, sallow look from a late night.