I don’t have time to do a full face of makeup every day. I don’t feel like I need to. But I love makeup and I want to look like I put that hour in to perfectly sculpt, brush and maintain every aspect of my face because it makes me feel great to look my best. I love looking ultra-femme and makeup is a way I love myself. But I wake up, shower, spend five minutes on my face, put a dress on and go. I start my day early in the morning and hardly have time to eat breakfast, so I definitely don’t have time to pull out a contour kit every day. I don’t have time to sweep on perfect smokey eyeshadow or craft perfect red lips or put the five minutes into my brows that they truly deserve. Yet, no one would know this unless they were close to me because I always have some fairly obvious form of makeup on. That’s because I have five products that slip into my schedule quickly and effortlessly.
1. Cream Eyeshadow
NYX Lid Lingerie in New Romance ($9)
Cream eyeshadow kind of changed my life. I don’t really know how else to put it. I never used to wear eyeshadow because of how messy it could be; I always ended up with one colour or another dusted under my eyes and all over my nose. Throughout the day it would roll around and crease and ugh, it just never stayed looking as great as I wanted it to. Cream eyeshadow? Whole new story. It dries so it doesn’t budge, and you can just smudge a dot of it on your lid with a brush or a finger. Yes, this means if you wear contacts you won’t have dots of eyeshadow finding its way into your eye; it stays exactly where it’s easily applied.
2. Tinted Lip Balm
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus ($6.99)
Okay, I suck at putting on lipstick: that doesn’t mean I don’t want super kissable lips. Tinted lip balm brings exactly what you need and is stunningly easy to apply. You get all the moisture you need from the lip balm and get the little pop of colour you want from the tint. Another perk? It looks more natural than liquid lipstick and is less intimidating for all those who want to kiss you but don’t want to wear your lipstick!
3. Eyelash Curler
TWEEZERMAN ProCurl Eyelash Curler ($27.50)
Oh my god, I wish I knew how effective these were sooner. Lengthy-looking lashes without mascara! Pre-teen me would have killed for an eyelash curler if she knew what a blessing these contraptions were. Yes, they look terrifying and if you jerk your hand around while using one it will hurt, but they really aren’t so scary. They turn your lashes upward a bit, making them actually visible. Where it used to be obvious when I was and wasn’t wearing mascara because of how hollow my eyes looked, I can’t say the same now. Personally, I love wearing mascara after curling my lashes because it makes them look fuller, but I never feel the need to wear it anymore. So get an eyelash curler and get curling!
4. Brow Mascara
Too Faced Brow Quickie in Universal Taupe ($22)
Brows are an essential, but I don’t always have the time to pull out a brush, powder, creme, etc. Sometimes I just want instant brows that I don’t have to worry about messing up. That’s where brow mascara comes in. It will give you the fill and colour you need for natural looking brows with an extra pop and wow. The great thing about applying this product is it comes with a spoolie, making mimicking little brow hairs no problem. Could it get any better?!
5. Cheek Tint
Benefit Lollitint Cheek & Lip Stain in Candy Orchid ($40)
Okay, it gets better. I used to only use the Benefit cheek and lip stain on my lips, but when I realized it could easily be rubbed into your cheeks for a gorgeous glow my mind blew. I’ll admit this one has a learning curve so you don’t end up with overly coloured cheeks, but once you get the hang of it you can just pop this little bottle in your bag and have matching lips and cheeks in a heartbeat. Just pop a dot or two on the apples of your cheeks and apply in a sweeping motion.
With these products, you won’t have to worry when you don’t have time to get ready in the morning: you can take these with you on the go! Better yet, they take no time to apply, and you can squeeze a made-up face into those spare two minutes you have before running off to class.
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