Fashion Details:

 

Hello Friends!  Today I’m coming to you with a quick helpful post about my 5 minute makeup routine.  Because I’ve received a few questions about what makeup I wear I thought it would be a good idea to share my routine with all my readers.  

 

I’m sure you are thinking “5 minutes? It only takes you 5 minutes to put your makeup on?  You must look like a clown on a daily basis!” Nope, I promise you I don’t look like a clown and I literally take 5 minutes to put on my makeup.  Yes, I’ve perfected it over the years, and with practice you can too.

 

I have limited time in the morning and my hair takes up most of it.  Since all of my effort goes into my hair as it’s super thick and a little wavy, I need the time to tame that beast every morning!  I did a whole post on my hair care routine and products that you can check out here.

 

I’m Not A Beauty Blogger 

I don’t classify myself as a beauty blogger, but I do know a few things about makeup.  Therefore, I don’t have a huge makeup collection, meaning I don’t have containers full of random eye shadows.  But over the years I have carefully selected my makeup brands and colors over years with a little trial and error.

 

And when I say trial and error, there are some great errors along the way.   My most favorite error was the time I went to Bloomingdales to get new makeup.  I was ready for an update and wanted to freshen up my look. I went to the counter, told the woman what I was looking for and let her work her magic.  However there was no magic going on.

 

The woman wet my face (yes with water) and applied a powder foundation.  Now I’m not an expert, but I know this isn’t how you apply a dry powder. She proceeded to wet my eye to apply eye shadow.  I clearly looked like a clown because Mike walked up and asked what was going on! I ended the session with the woman and walked to the nearest hotel lobby restroom to wash my face. One of the best perks of living downtown is I can pop into any hotel and wash my face in an emergency and this was an emergency!

 

I’ve never been a huge makeup person, I’m more of a hair care person.  Meaning I love the makeup I wear, but I rarely stray or try new things unless I’m swayed by my favorite blogger 🙂  

 

When breaking down my makeup routine the tools I use are just as important as the makeup.  In my younger years I would buy cheap brushes and needed to replace them constantly. I finally wised up and invested in some quality brushes that have lasted (with proper care) for years.  Makeup brushes are like a high quality purse , it’s an investment, but you will be happy with your purchase.

 

Tools

Eyeshadow Blending Brush

This brush is great for blending eyeshadow and getting it in your crease.  The fibers are loosely packed making it flexible to go back and forth seamlessly over your eye.

 

Eyeshadow Application Brush 

A sturdy brush to use when just applying (not blending) eye shadow.  This brush works best for applications down the center of the eye and under the brow.  I typically only use this brush in one direction vs. going back and forth over the eye.  

 

Loose Powder Brush 

I use a large puffy brush to apply my bronzer.  It covers a lot of ground and evenly applies the bronzer on my face.  The loosely packed bristles allow it dust the bronzer on my face for a sun kissed look.

 

Blush Brush 

Currently I’m using the MAC Blush Brush.   It’s a bit more that I would normally pay, but I may have gotten caught up in having all MAC brushes.  I believe that any standard blush brush will do the job.  Ulta has some great brushes that are half the price, like this one.

 

Makeup

Face Makeup

For my face I use a variety of items from concealer, powder, bronzer and blush. I’ve changed things up over the years, but have always been a press powder foundation type of gal.  While it doesn’t provide a thick coverage (like a liquid foundation would) it gives me enough coverage without being thick on my face.  Below I outline each item I put on my face, in the order that I apply them.  

 

Concealer 

My new best friend these days!  I put a triangular shape under my eyes to conceal those dark circles.  I simply blend it in with my finger (I use my middle finger or ring finger. These fingers let me have a softer touch on my face).  I use the bareMinerals BarePro 16-Hour Full Coverage Concealer in Fair/Light Neutral (#3). It literally lasts all day long and doesn’t wear off!  I originally received this as a free gift and ended up loving it.

 

You can grab it at Sephora or on the bareMinerals site and they offer an automatic shipment option that you can set up based on your needs.  This is a genius idea because I always run out of it and then can’t get to the store to buy another one.   

Loose Powder Foundation

MAC Studio Fix offers the best coverage for my skin type.  I prefer a powder as my base vs. a liquid foundation.  Foundation type is a personal preference, I’ve never been into liquid foundation because of the way it mixes with my skin, it always feels thick and cakey.  I wear C3.  I put the foundation all over my face, including my eyes.  

 

Bronzer

I’ve turned to MAC again for my bronzer as the formula is light and airy.  I can lightly dust it on without it looking thick on my face.  They only offer 4 shades in this bronzer and I like that.  The less options the better for bronzer.  I wear the color Bronze.  With the bronzer I lightly apply it all over my face to give it a golden look.

 

Blush

You guessed it MAC again!  No particular reason, it just made sense to keep all the face products with the same brand.   I use their Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul.  Warm soul is a great color for several skin tones, it’s one of their top sellers.  I apply the blush to the apples of my cheeks, in an upward motion and a small amount right on my temples.  

 

Eye Makeup

I pretty much wear the same eyeshadows day or night, for night time I just put on a little more 🙂  If I’m heading to a black tie event I’ll add an extra eye shadow color, eyeliner and a bolder lipstick.  I’ll share those details with you. Speaking of black tie one of my most popular posts ever is how to dress and accessories for a black tie, you’ll want to check it out. 

 

Primer

First I prime my whole eyelid with the MAC Paint Pot in Painterly.   The product comes in seven colors, but Painterly is the most neutral shade.  To apply, I use my finger and dab it on my eye. Dab not rub or smear. I apply it on the entire eyelid and under my brows.  This give the whole eye a nice base for the eye shadow. It allows the eye shadow to stay on all day and not smear or get caught in my crease.

 

Eyeshadow

One of the reasons I love MAC eyeshadow is that you can build your own color palette.  Mix and match eyeshadows, blushes and everything in between.  Being able to build a custom palette is important to me.

 

I’ve build a four color eyeshadow palette that works best for me.  Here is what my custom palette looks like: 

Grain – I wear this color down the center of my eyelid.  I literally take the brush and go from the crease to the bottom of the eyelid.  One swipe top to bottom, that’s it.

Satin Taupe – I place this color on the right and left side of my eyelid, leaving the grain color in the center of the eye.  Then in a windshield wiper movement I blend this color into my crease. I put more effort on the outer edge of the lid.

Brulee – This color is applied under my brow and a tiny bit in the inner corner of my eye to lighten it up.  

Print – This isn’t an everyday color, it’s one I use for special occasions.  It’s a grey color with a bit of shimmer in it, to create a dramatic look. When I use this color I layer it over my everyday look (noted above) in the outer corner of my eye and crease.  I blend it in so it creates a dramatic look similar to a smokey eye.

 

Mascara

Mascara is a very personal choice, what works for some doesn’t for others.  I’m pretty simple when it comes to mascara and use a basic drug store type. My go to is Maybelline Define-a-Lash Lengthening Mascara.   I can find it anywhere and its $9, I love it!

 

Eyeliner

I don’t wear eyeliner on a daily basis, I used to, but I don’t now.  I rub my eyes a lot during the day and found that my eyeliner was all over the place, so I eliminated it.  When I dress up for an event though I do wear eyeliner. My pick is Ulta’s black eyeliner.  It goes on easy and stays on, unless I rub my eyes 🙂

 

Now I’m sure this post took around 5 minutes to read and within that time my makeup is done!