7 Products + No Tools: My 5-Minute Face

You know what’s great about cream shadows? The fact that you don’t need to search through tens of brushes, there’s no fallout, and (usually) they’re very easy to blend and apply. Tom Ford’s Paradiso has been my favorite all summer (seriously, can’t stop wearing it). A lot of cream shadows look very unflattering on me, but this one right here is a keeper. It’s long-wearing, nicely pigmented with beautiful, rose gold undertones, and unlike some cream eyeshadows, it doesn’t irritate my eyelids.

Since my oily skin turned dry, I’ve stopped reaching for primers as religiously as I once used to. Nowadays I’m mostly concerned with making sure my skin is well moisturized. Most *smoothing* or *pore refining* primers are actually quite drying on me. I even noticed that some silicone-based primers just don’t work for me anymore and cause my foundation to separate. That’s one of the worst things that can happen when you’re in a hurry or only want to spend 5 minutes on your makeup: you apply your primer, go in with your foundation only to look in the mirror and see that you need to wash your face and start again. IPKN Radiant Cream Primer* is quite hydrating, but it also adds a beautiful glow to the skin- a glow that actually shows through the foundation. At the same time, it’s not overly thick or greasy- definitely a great find for dry skin that can quickly add a nice glow and help your base go on smoother.

Now, I’m pretty sure I already mentioned this, but ever since I was on Accutane, I have horrible red/purple circles under my eyes. There are days when I love going makeup-free, but can’t do without concealer because I look like I was punched in both eyes. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Neutralizing Correcting Cream* is a concealer/base that can be used underneath foundation or alone to conceal redness- I use it in place of foundation. This doesn’t cover my dark circles completely, but it does just enough to make me look alive. It has pretty impressive coverage so when all I have is 5 minutes, I just take a small amount and either mix it with my primer, moisturizer or just apply directly on my face. Despite the amazing coverage, this actually feels pretty light (don’t know how, because the coverage is VERY impressive), still looks like skin and lasts all day long. There’s definitely less work with this than with a foundation. Also, Transforming Porcelain Beige is a great match for my skin tone.

NARS The Multiple in Copacabana is SO beautiful on fair skin. It’s sort of a pale pink that adds a beautiful + healthy glow to the skin, although perhaps, it’s not necessarily a very natural-looking product. It blends beautifully, even when layered with other products.  Also, very simple and easy to use- I just use my fingers to apply it on my cheeks, cupid’s bow and eyes. I think that this is one of those products that would only work on lighter skin tones, otherwise, it might end up looking a bit frosty.

If I’m reaching for only a handful of products, a brow pencil HAS to be one of them. IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil has been one of my favorites for years. It has a very natural color and it’s great for quickly filling in your brows. Ever since I stopped threading my brows and went for a more natural look, it takes me just seconds to fill them in.

My face (or should I say my eyes) feels pretty bare if I’m not wearing any mascara, so if I’m wearing ANY makeup at all, I’m also wearing mascara. Chanel’s Le Volume de Chanel is a long-time favorite. I still use almond + castor oil on my lashes so pretty much any mascara makes them look great, but there’s something about this one that’s different from any other mascara I’ve used. It just gives me SO much volume and defines my lashes in a way where they just look very… fluffy.

IPKN Radiant Cream Primer, Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color in Paradiso, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Neutralizing Correcting Cream in Transforming Porcelain Beige and NARS The Multiple in Copagana

The last step I skip for my “5 Minute Face” is lipstick. With countless lip balms hiding at the bottom of every bag I’ve ever owned, I dab on whatever currently happens to be in a rotation. Dior’s Lip Glow Color Reviver is an old favorite and since I have at least 3 of these usually hiding in different bags, it’s the one I reach for most of the time.

Now, I’m calling this my “5 Minute Face” but it might as well be called my “Lazy Face”, too. Let’s face it (no pun intended), playing with makeup is fun, but as I get older, I don’t get to do too much “playing around” anymore. I still love makeup though, especially knowing that even on those days when I’m not having a good time, didn’t get enough sleep or just don’t feel my best, I can reach for a handful of products and at least make myself look better. And that, somehow, always makes me feel a bit better, too. Sort of a “no matter how you feel… Get up. Dress up. Show up, and never give up” kind of thing.

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*PR Samples/Gifted Items