How to Apply Makeup on a Busy Schedule

Quick, effortless makeup can have you smiling all day.

To keep makeup application easy, have everything ready before you actually need it, focus on evening out your skin tone over what fancy colors to wear and use products that serve more than one purpose to cut your time in half.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Double-duty foundation
• Well-sharpened or self-sharpening brow pencil
• Eye crayon for lining and shading
• Cotton swab
• Waterproof lengthening and thickening mascara
• Cream blush
• Lip crayon
• Clear lip gloss

1. Smooth on a foundation that does double duty. This saves you time when you have very little of it. Examples you can choose from are a foundation with a built-in primer, a tinted moisturizer for skin softness and light coverage, and a mineral makeup base that conceals as it evens out skin tone.

2. Fill in sparseness in eyebrows with a brow pencil you keep well-sharpened to avoid tugging. A greater time saver is a self-sharpening retractable brow pencil.

3. Define your eyes with an eyeliner that makes your eye color pop. Instead of using a safe black, brown or gray, pick one the color of the flecks in your eyes. You may prefer an eye crayon which can be used as either eyeliner or eyeshadow. Clean up any unevenness in the lines with a cotton swab. A quick swipe of waterproof lengthening and thickening mascara on top lashes also helps if you have the time. By selecting this formula you sidestep using an eyelash curler to enhance your lashes.

4. Blend a cream blush into the apples of your cheeks. Cream is easier to manipulate than powder. Make sure that the color you use looks like the natural flush that brightens your complexion when your heart races.

5. Line your lips and fill them in with a lip crayon that is both a lip liner and lipstick. If you have dry lips, dab clear lip gloss on top. Presto, you're all done!

Tips & Warnings

• For easy access, have handy a neatly organized makeup kit with essentials you use on a daily basis. This should be separate from your bigger makeup box, where you store cosmetics you don't use frequently.

• In the shower, gently exfoliate face and lips for makeup application that is smoother and easier.

• Before bedtime, apply products that improve your skin's texture and color, such as eye creams that help minimize discoloration and dark circles, and spot treatment for blemishes. This lessens the need for more cosmetics during makeup application.

• Schedule some time to maintain your eyebrow shape so that there is no need to do any brow plucking or trimming when you are getting ready for school or work.

• Never apply eye makeup in a moving vehicle to avoid injury and possible blindness.