The 5-minute Makeup Routine for Mamas in a rush

What if we told you it’s possible to get your face looking fresh in just 5 minutes or less, mama?

There are just some mornings where you oversleep and barely have time to freshen up, only managing a tiny sip of coffee before you dash out of the house. You catch a glance of yourself while passing a mirror and suddenly nothing feels like it’s going to work out for the rest of the day! During these moments when you’re pressed for time, mama, it’s vital to have your quickest makeup routine down pat.

1. Base

Start with a clean face. Time is of the essence here and you may not have enough on your hands to get through the whole tone-moisturise-essence charade, so go straight into a moisturiser with SPF in it so you have both your hydration and sun protection in one. Grab a concealer in your exact shade to strategically even out the skin tone, cover blemishes and brighten any dull areas. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is a good one thanks to its brightening effects and super easy-to-blend formula. You don’t have to pile on the foundation if your skin is in fairly good shape! The less you have on, the better. Too much makeup, especially when applied haphazardly in a rush, can make you look dated. If you’re in need of an all-over coverage in no time at all, go for a high-coverage BB cream like the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water SPF 30 and apply with a large buffing brush. Leave it to set while you move on to eye makeup.

2. Eyes

A well-groomed brow and curled lashes do wonders to a tired face, so zone in on these two for the biggest impact in the shortest time. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer is flat and shaped at an angle, making it practically fool-proof to get the perfect arch in your brows. Outline the shape of the outer corners of your eyebrows and fill from the outside in, until you reach the centre of your brows. Use the spooly at the other end of the brow pencil to blend towards the front of your eyebrows, and you’re done.

Unless you have extra time to pack on some eyeshadow, skip straight to mascara and curl your lashes to lift the eyes (plus the cool feeling of the metal against your eyelids will depuff any swollen bits!). I love the classic Shu Uemura eyelash curler – it curls lashes in a jiffy and lasts all day. Once done, hold the curl with a waterproof mascara like Urban Decay Canonball Mascara.

3. Set

Now that your concealer or BB cream has set, powder down with translucent powder and a multi-tasking face brush like the Zoeva 128 Cream Cheek brush. It fits perfectly for powdering under the eyes and around the nose, plus it’s angled for a great chiseled look at your cheekbones and temples when applying bronzer. With the same brush, dust on some blush to add colour to your face.

Finish off with your favourite tinted lip balm, or if you prefer something more long-wearing, try the Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Crème Lipstick. The nude shades in this range are highly pigmented and are in the perfect satin finish to give your lips a subtle sheen, plus it’s easy to reapply throughout the day.

You could just stop there and rush out now that you’re looking much more put-together, but I love setting everything with a good fixing spray which ensures the makeup doesn’t budge an inch during a busy day. Some good ones are the Urban Decay Long-lasting Makeup Setting Spray and L’oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray.

And voila! You’re now good to go, mama, and I promise you’ll feel better, too!