Well 5 minutes, 44 seconds according to my stopwatch. I post plenty of FOTDs (Face of the Day) on this blog, and most of them take an average of 30 minutes. I tend to get distracted easily, what can I say? Anywho, I DO NOT spend that much time on my face unless I’m going out or have to do so for a job. I have developed a go-to routine for getting out of the house quickly (G really appreciates this), but still look pulled together. Time, after all, is our most precious commodity. Rather than present products and instructions to you, I will talk about general principles of achieving 5-minute fabulosity (thanks Kimora). For those of you who don’t have a 5-minute look or feel totally lost, I will list my advise for essential things to focus on when you’ve got little time.

Organise, Organise, Organise!:

This is, perhaps, the most essential point in achieving a glowing look in five minutes. I have more makeup than the average woman, so If I don’t have the products and tools that I need handy, I waste time looking for things. It’s also good to have an idea of what kind of colour scheme you are going for. Consider keeping a travel makeup bag stocked with those essentials needed for your five-minute face. That way, you won’t have to waste precious seconds looking for anything. Changing out blush and lipstick are the easiest ways to seasonally update a go-to look.

Two-fer Products and Minimal Tools:

In order to be quick and efficient, think about investing in products that can either do double duty or are simple to apply (i.e. waterproof cream shadows, cream blush, lipstick or gloss that doesn’t require liner, powder or cream foundation, etc.). Use your hands as much as you can. Nothing slows down the process more than too many tools. The only product that I generally don’t recommend applying with your hands (unless you really can’t spare the time) is foundation. You absolutely will not get the same mileage and finish by using your hands as you would with a brush or sponge. Even though you are short on time, you don’t want to look sloppy or appear to be a greasy mess within three-four hours. The only exception to this is tinted moisturiser because it’s essentially moisturiser with pigment.

Groomed Brows:

I cannot stress enough how important groomed brows are. I will go out of the house with a makeup-free face, so long as I have filled in my brows. Those little hairy caterpillars above your eyes are the very foundation of a pulled-together face. They give focus to any face. For more advise on shaping your brows, see this post . For my five-minute look, I allocated the largest chunk of time to getting my brows just right. I’m a little obsessive, but you get my drift. To make things quick, consider investing in a mechanical eye brow pencil that can do the trick (for the most part) without making your brows look painted on.

Think “Health” and “Vitality”:

You only have five minutes, so don’t try too hard. Focus colour on one-two places on your face. I think every woman should wear a bit of blush. When done appropriately, it exudes healthiness and vitality. It can also go a long way to detract from lack of sleep or the skin-dulling effects of too much caffeine. Also keep in mind that if you wear foundation, blush (or a bit of bronzer) is  essential, as it puts the dimension back into the face.

Focus colour on 1-2 places:

Where you emphasise colour is totally up to you, and will depend on your features and colouring. Someone who has naturally rosy cheeks or vivid lips may not need to put much colour in those areas, and thus choose to throw on some cream shadow or pop a little eyeshadow in their crease (upcoming post on why this makes a difference). However, someone with alabaster skin may choose a vivid lip colour (very on-trend) to create contrast. My personal preference is to focus the most intense colour on my lips because it takes the least amount of time to do.  I tone down the colour on my cheeks.

Here’s a photo of all the products and tools I used (follow on for essential list).

Here are the essential products to help you pull a fabulous look together in 5 minutes:

1) Concealer: this can be under-eye concealer or face concealer. This will depend on where you most need the attention. If you tend to have dark circles under your eyes, use under-eye concealer to brighten your eyes. If you’ve got hyper-pigmentation issues and don’t want to wear foundation, opt for face concealer. If you don’t face either of these issues to an extreme, simple foundation should be enough to detract from any skin concerns.

2) Mascara: This wakes up the eyes, making them look less tired. I also think mascara emphasises a woman’s femininity.

3) Blush: See “health and vitality” principle above.

4) Lip product: this can take any form. If your lips are naturally pigmented and even, opt for a slightly tinted lip balm. If you’re a smoker with darker lips, opt for a very pigmented lipstick. Gloss gal? Go for that.

Whatever you use, make sure it makes you feel confident to take on your day. It may take some practice to get your look down to 5 minutes, so practice when you have time and don’t be ashamed to use a stop watch.

I would be interested to know if any of you have any special tips for pulling a look together quickly. Please share then in comments. As always, feel free to ask questions .