I’m
very lucky to find myself in a job where about 90% of the time I can wear my
go-to athleisure look (which, btw, is so hot right now!). Not only is it comfortable wearing my gym
clothes all day, but it also significantly reduces my washing load. Makeup on these days is barely existent: I
usually fill in some eyebrows and then I’m on my way.
The
other 10% of my time at work, however, requires professional wear which to me
equates to “no gym clothes and a full face of makeup”. As someone who is desperately in love with
the creative process behind makeup, there is literally nothing worse in the
mornings when I have to slap on my war paint in a limited amount of time. Thus, the birth of this post: How to get
ready in 16 minutes and 29 seconds. I
meant for it to be 15 minutes but I smudged mascara on my brow bone so that
took some time to clean up. These are my
tips and tricks to putting on your makeup for work in record time.
1.
Start
the night before
Look at it this way: the
better condition you’re in, in the morning, the less work you have. Make sure you wash your face every night
before bed and use a night cream and an eye cream to intensely moisturise your
skin and eye area over night. These
kinds of creams don’t work during the day because you’ll look like a greaseball
all day, but no one cares what you look like when you’re sleeping. I use a few drops of Lipidol Overnight Oil
mixed in with my Clinique Dramatically Different moisturiser every night. You could fry eggs on my face, but it works!
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| Clinique Dramatically Different R245.00 - R495.00, www.clinique.co.za Lipidol Overnight oil 50ml R89.95, Clicks |
Side note: eye creams are
essential, regardless of your age. You
can buy a variety of creams now for an problem you may have: you get wrinkle
defense eye creams, wrinkle repair eye creams, eye creams for those dreaded
bags... the list goes on.
 |
| Superdefense Eyes R415.00, www.clinique.co.za |
Obviously, like any other beauty post
you’ll read, I’m going to tell you to get 8 hours of sleep every night. I am also a realist and know that this is not
always possible. But you’ll definitely
reap the benefits if you can get yourself into the habit.
2.
Prepare
your skin in the morning
This is going to sound repetitive, but
wash your face in the morning again. I
use the Clinique Pep-Start 2-in-1 face wash in the mornings, which works as
both a face wash and an exfoliator suitable for everyday use. Exfoliating your skin in the morning will
brush off all the dead skin cells on your skin’s surface and allow for a
smoother application of your foundation.
 |
| Pep Start 2-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser R295.00, www.clinique.co.za |
3.
Buy
products with multiple uses
Save those precious few
minutes for some extra z’s by using products that can be used for a variety of
purposes in your routine.
Clinique’s Pep-Start Hydroblur
Moisturiser works as both a moisturiser and a primer for your makeup. It’s a gel moisturiser, so it prevents your
skin from getting super oily during the day (although I’m not sure how much you’re
supposed to use for this to work, because I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now
and I get slightly greasy and need to blot at around 11am/12pm). It also dries to a faintly tacky texture
which is perfect for applying your foundation on top of.
 |
| Pep Start Hydroblur Moisturiser R395.00, www.clinique.co.za |
I love full coverage
foundations, so when all these 2-in-1 foundation and concealers were released
recently, I could barely contain myself.
These foundations are perfect for a rushed makeup routine because they
do the job of both of the foundation and the concealer in one application. I apply my foundation over my entire face and
then add a few extra dots under my eyes when the first layer is dry, for a
little extra coverage. Don’t like heavy
foundations for normal work days? Apply
the foundation in the centre of your face and under your eyes, where you would
generally need more coverage, and then work it outwards with your blender. Alternatively, you can just apply your favourite
concealer in the centre of your face and work it outwards in the same way.
 |
| Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation R540.00, www.clinique.co.za Essence 2-in-1 Makeup and Concealer R79.95, Clicks Milani Conceal and Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer R289.00, www.makeupshack.co.za |
Another makeup product that
I love using all over my face is a bronzer.
Not only do I desperately need a bronzer in general, because I’m so
pasty white, but I love using it in my eye crease and under my lower lash line
to create depth for an on-the-go makeup look.
Because your bronzer is meant to be a warm shadow on your face, it makes
it the perfect transition colour for your eyes.
Just make sure you get a colour that suits your skin tone. I love Benefit’s Hoola bronzer because it is
the perfect cool-tone brown to offset my ghost-like appearance.
 |
| Benefit Hoola bronzer R385, Red Square |
4.
Buy
makeup palettes
Before you jump the gun and
ask me why on earth you would buy a whole makeup palette when you’re only here
for how to do your makeup as quickly as possible, just hear me out.
Buying makeup products that
have a whole bunch of products in them will save you time in the long run, when
you’re not scrambling around, looking for the single blush that’s been pushed
right to the back of your makeup drawer.
If you’re going to splash
out for nearly all your products, Smashbox’s #ShapeMatters palette is the
palette you’re looking for. This palette
has a brow wax and two brow powders, two bronzing powders, a matte highlighting
powder and a luminous highlighter, as well as nine eyeshadow shades and a
multi-use brush.
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| Smashbox #ShapeMatters palette R1300.00, Red Square |
If, however, you’re on a budget, I love
the Essence Face Contouring Palette in “Ready, Set, Peach!” The bronzer, highlighting powder and blush
are all matte shades – perfect for everyone, but ideal for ladies with some
texture on their skin. The bronzer is
also a cool-tone brown and reminds me of my Hoola bronzer. I find it works really well in my crease. I use the highlighting powder to set my
undereye area and any other area I’m going to use my highlighter on. It brightens the skin without making you look
like you’re wearing a mask. The peach
blush really speaks for itself, because we all know that I am all about peach
and coral blushes.
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| Essence Face Contouring Palette R89.95, Clicks |
5.
Plan
your plan of attack
Did you know that’s possible
to multitask in putting on your makeup?
Don’t waste your time by
setting your foundation before you put on your bronzer and blush. Apply your bronzer and blush first (and your
highlighting powder) and then set the remainder of your face with a translucent
powder on a big, fluffy brush. How does
reversing this save you time? By
applying your coloured powders first, you can take less time blending them out
individually by blending them out together with your translucent powder on your
fluffy brush after they have all been applied.
If your plan of attack
includes false lashes and winged liner, I don’t know why you’re even reading
this post. False lashes and winged liner
should never be attempted with less
than a day to do your makeup. Unless you’re
pro at them, of course, then by all means, put the rest of us to shame.
6.
Use
products that will last all day
If I’m going to meetings, I
don’t have time to powder my nose or reapply lipstick in between sessions. I rely on my makeup products lasting all
day.
Rimmel’s Provocalips liquid
lipstick claims to be 16 hours of kiss proof colour. I disagree: you’re going to need some bleach
to get that stuff off your lips if you want it to come off before the following
day. This lipstick does not budge. I don’t really care for the lip balm stuff on
the other end of the tube, I usually just put some lip balm on when my lips
feel a little dry. I love the shade “Skinnydipping” – it’s the perfect nude for
me.
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| Rimmel Provocalips Lipstick R119.95, Clicks |
I like to keep a setting spray in my
bag, like Essence’s Keep it Perfect Makeup Fixing Spray, for a quick burst of
freshness for my skin, if I have the chance.
This is not my go-to fixing spray because I don’t feel like it makes my
makeup last particularly longer, but for about R60, it’s great to keep in your
handbag for a quick spritz during the day when you need to freshen up your
face. It’s also fairly inconspicuous and
no one will judge you for being overly obsessive when you go to the bathroom to
fix your makeup.
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| Essence Keep It Perfect makeup Fixing Spray R59.95, Dischem |
7.
Choose
your battles wisely
I will always make time for
my eyebrows and my foundation. I feel
like flawless skin and eyebrows make me look the most put-together, so when I’m
doing my makeup, I will allocate more time to my skin and eyebrows than the rest
of my face.
This, obviously, is
subjective. If you feel naked without
some mascara and lipstick, then by all means blitz through your foundation and
brows to make sure you have the most time for those two parts.
Just remember, that you’re
not wearing makeup for other people’s benefit: you’re wearing it for
yourself. Don’t fixate on your entire
face, when you know that your eyes are your best feature. At the end of the day, you have to like what
you see in the mirror. This also works
in the opposite way: if you feel like you don’t need a full face of makeup to
look professional and put-together at work, don’t. Who cares? Makeup should
make you happy, not pressurised or stressed.
Thank you so much for coming back this
week, lovely people. Until next time, I
wish you all the love, light and lipstick in the universe! ♡♡♡