The Hunt For The Perfect Lipstick: Makeup Application When You've No Time For Makeup

Makeup is fun. Applying it can be time-consuming, especially when trying to get ready to go out into the daily workforce. I have my makeup routine down under five minutes, with only three steps.



Step 1: Put on mascara first. Most makeup wearers, when they first learned to apply makeup, did whatever the person who taught them did, and most professional makeup artists put mascara on after applying practically everything else. I've run into makeup guides purported to be for the average makeup wearer that have mascara on the list as #7 out of ten (?!?) steps. Trust me, I have made every single mistake you can make in learning to apply makeup, and none are more damaging than getting spots of mascara all over the smoky eye layers of eyeshadow you've just spent five minutes putting in just the right place. Not only do you have to take off all your eye makeup on that eye to fix the problem, you've now just wasted five minutes of your precious time (and everybody's time is precious these days). By applying mascara first, you're still working on a blank slate and thus any mistakes can be easily fixed. For a daytime look, you only need one coat of mascara on the top lashes only, and it takes about 30 seconds per eye. Give your mascara a quick blot by putting a tissue under each eye against the lower eyelid and giving two or three blinks.

Step 2: With a good powder brush or a cosmetic puff, brush on one coat of a powdered foundation or translucent face powder. Most powder foundations are enough to smooth out skin tones and give the face a lightly-airbrushed look. My favorite powder foundation is M-A-C Cosmetics' Studio Fix. For problem areas (undereye circles, acne), wet down either a small makeup brush or the tip of a cosmetic sponge, shake off or wring out the excess water, then use the damp applicator to spot-apply a heavier coat in areas that need it. Brushing on the powder takes 30-45 seconds, maybe 60 if you need spot touch-ups. (I brush on in a "Letter T" pattern--two swipes across the forehead and eyes, one swipe down the center of the face--then around my jawbone, across my cheeks, and finally give nose, chin, and lips one or two swipes each to make sure to cover them. Dark circles under my eyes get a bit of a light gold or yellow concealer powder (or my powdered foundation, if I don't have my full makeup kit with me) applied with a damp brush to neutralize the blue/purple skin, then the touched-up areas get another pass with the dry brush to help hide the concealer.)

Step 3: Apply lipstick. I use lipliner first, but a lot of makeup artists are now switching to applying lipliner last to conceal any flaws or to make a hard edge to keep the lipstick from feathering. (Laura Mercier Cosmetics makes a "nude" liner designed to be used to define the edge of the lips, and it is usually applied after lipstick goes on.) Some makeup artists use a lip primer to help the lipstick adhere to the lips better before applying lipstick; if you use a color correcting lip product, it too should be applied before applying the primary shade. I apply one coat of lipstick and blot it twice. If you like lip gloss atop your lipstick, make it the last thing you put on, and allow it time (15-20 seconds) to set up before blotting or applying a finishing powder over it. This entire step takes anywhere from 30-60 seconds.

Voila, your everyday makeup application is done in about 3-5 minutes. I like to use Marutake Rice Powder as a final coat to seal everything; this step can be skipped, or substitute a quick touchup with a bronzing powder on the cheek apples, the tip of the nose, the tip of the chin, and across both eyebrows to bring light-play to areas where lights would naturally hit first.

Notice what I don't use: Eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush. I hardly every use eyeshadow or eyeliner any more and use blush only occasionally. In the daytime, I feel overly made up with eyeshadow and eyeliner; a good coat of mascara can do wonders to make eyes stand out without applying more and more color to the lids. I use a bronzer or an illuminating powder in place of blush in the daytime to make the skin look brighter and sunnier without adding color. There's an old adage that the best makeup jobs look like you're not wearing makeup at all, and I've learned to appreciate that adage in my latter years.

YMMV, of course.