Makeup doesn’t always have to be a long, drawn out process. Sure, you can have a plethora of products, from primers to foundations to concealer to eyeshadows, but for many people that are in a rush (like those of us that ignored our alarm and ended up waking up only 15 or 30 minutes before you’re supposed to leave the house!), all of those products can easily become intimidating and unnecessary.  Sometimes all you really want is a little something to help you look a little more awake or for your skin to appear a little clearer. 

These quick and easy tricks can help you make the most out of just a few makeup products: 

1. Sometimes a Little Primer Is All You Need: Makeup primers don’t just have to be used under heavier makeup, like foundations and powders- they can be worn alone! Many makeup primers are used to smooth out the appearance of one’s skin by blurring wrinkles, blemishes and other imperfections on your skin. There are even primers that are made specifically to help with the reduction of redness or to help balance out dark or light spots on your face. Some eye primers can also help fade discoloration on your eyelids and reduce the appearance of veins. 

2. Concealer + Powder = Quick and Easy Coverage: If you have some more prominent blemishes that a primer may not easily take care of, you can find a nice, light feeling concealer that matches your skin tone to spot conceal on places that you may want to cover up. Spot concealing is as easy dabbing the product on the places you want to cover, lighting blending it into the skin, and using either a translucent powder or a powder that also matches your skin tone to set the concealer. Sometimes the concealer step isn’t even necessary- you can cover up light blemishes with a powder that matches your skin tone by lighting dusting it over your face. Concealers can also be used to brighten your under eyes- you can achieve a brightening effect by using a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone applying it under your eyes and fully blending it into the skin, then setting with a translucent powder or a powder that’s one or two shades lighter than your natural skin tone. 

3. To BB Cream or Not to BB Cream: BB Creams were popularized in Korean and other East Asian health & beauty markets and have, in recent years, become popular across the world. BB Creams are usually marketed as being multipurpose and most claim to moisturize, blur blemishes, color correct or conceal other imperfections and contain SPF for protection from the sun, among other things. Many brands, from drugstore to high-end/prestige cosmetics, are making BB creams now. There are also products called tinted moisturizers. They have a lot of the same effects as BB Creams but many don’t do more specific things, like blurring imperfections or color correcting. 

4. Mascara and Eyeliner Can Be Quick and Easy Eye-Enhancers: Just a quick coat or two of mascara on your top lashes (and bottom lashes if you’d like!) can bring focus to your eyes by curling, lengthening and giving volume to your lashes and help your eyes look a little more awake. Quickly tight-lining your eyes with a kohl eyeliner pencil can also enhance your eyes. If you’d like, you can wing out your eyeliner or add a thicker line along your lash line, as well. 

5. Get Your Shine On With a Little Bit of Highlighter: Adding a little bit of shimmer to your face can make it look like you’re glowing- this can make a big difference in looking like you just woke up and looking like you’re fresh and ready for the day. Some primers have a highlighting effect in them already, but highlighters can also be bought in a liquid/cream or powder form. Applying highlighter just above your cheekbones, on the tip of your nose, on your cupid’s bow and along your brow bone or in the inner corner of your eyes can give a really nice, glowy effect to the face. A shimmery eyeshadow that leans gold, rose gold, silver/white or other light, pinky hues can be especially great lightly applied along the brow bone and in the inner corner of your eyes. 

Mixing and matching the above tips and tricks can make it quick and easy to apply makeup when you’re in a rush to get out the door in the morning. It’s easy to perfect your own 5-10 minute makeup routine that can be your go-to on a day-to-day basis. They’re also easy tips for makeup beginners that are really only concerned about covering up blemishes or easily and simply enhancing their own beautiful features. 

Cover Image by Hana Haley