4 Makeup Tricks for When You Literally Have No Time
In a perfect world, you wake up before your alarm clock goes off, sip a just-brewed cup of coffee, and have a carefree 30 minutes to calmly, expertly apply your makeup while thinking about the day ahead and plotting out world domination. But, hi, in the real world, you hit snooze once (fine, twice) and fit in your getting-ready wherever you can. Compact mirror on a bus that's hurtling uptown? Sure. Blissfully reflective napkin holder at your local coffee spot? Child's play.
Instead of extolling the value of the first, let's just plan for the second. The key to getting flawless skin on the go is one hero multi-purpose product, plus a few other items worth a spot in your makeup bag.
1. Prep Your Skin
For makeup that lasts, what you do before applying matters just as much as what goes on top. Prone to oily skin? Use a primer specifically formulated to fight overactive glands, and always apply to clean skin. Keep cleansing wipes in your bag if you're always moving (whether that means stepping off a red-eye flight or putting on your makeup at your gym). Maybelline FaceStudio Master Prime Hydrate + Smooth Primer, $10, ulta.com; Outdoor Voices Key Bra, $55, outdoorvoices.com; Outdoor Voices TechSweat Leggings, $75, outdoorvoices.com
2. Dot on the go
How you apply your foundation is as personal as naming a favorite ice cream flavor, but sometimes you can't be picky. In the comfort of your own bathroom, sure, blend with your fingers or use multiple brush heads to get it just so. On the go? Get yourself an easy-to-use sponge applicator that's permanently affixed to your foundation, making it literally impossible to misplace. People with oily skin, take note: Unlike a brush or the pads of your fingers, a sponge can pull double duty by picking up excess oil.
Maybelline SuperStay Multi-Use Foundation Stick, $10, maybelline.com; Sandro Blazer, $312 on sale, bloomingdales.com; Helmut Lang T-Shirt, $175, helmutlang.com; Marc Jacobs Backpack, $395, marcjacobs.com
3. Let your light shine
On-the-go beautification requires a stringent approach to what you're packing. Leave the extras in your overstuffed makeup bag at home and grab only your desert-island products. Along with a good foundation-and-concealer combo, a highlighter should top your list. A touch on the cheekbones is magical and helps fake a finished face that looks like it took way more time than a minute here and 20 seconds there as you rushed to the office.Pick a powder over a liquid (and don't bother packing a brush for the former). Dusting your fingers over the high points of your face—brow bones, cheekbones—cupid's bow—is more fool-proof than trying to blend in a lotion or cream without the aid of a mirror.
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4. Will contour for cocktails
At the end of a long day, use the same products to refresh your look before leaving your desk. Use a foundation stick one to two shades darker than your skin tone to serve as a makeshift contouring stick, drawing a line under your cheekbones and along the edge of the jaw. Blend with the sponge tip and a light touch; by leaving more color deposit in these key areas, you'll get the shade variance key to contouring.
Add a bold lip color and a touch of highlighter on the cheeks' highest points, and you're ready to clock out.
Maybelline SuperStay Multi-Use Foundation Stick, $10, maybelline.com; Diane von Furstenberg Wrap Top, $131 on sale, brownsfashion.com
