Now that school has started again, I don’t always have time in the morning to do a full face of makeup, but I still want a fresh and natural look. Thanks to my many 9am classes over the past three years, I’ve been able to find a couple of products to achieve a fresh and natural look quickly. Here are my top 5 favourite makeup products for my 10-minute beauty routine:
Moisturizer and Primer
The first step for any makeup look is to moisturize and prime the skin. To moisturize, I suggest the “Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum” by First Aid Beauty ($45). It’s perfectly safe for those with sensitive skin and claims to also work for normal, oily, combination, and dry skin types. You can purchase this product here. To prime the skin, Becca’s “Velvet Blurring Primer Perfecting Base” ($46) is perfect for an easy look. This primer will minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines, leaving your skin with an airbrushed look. To grab this product, you can check it out here.
Concealer
Swiping on a bit of concealer can help hide pimples, the bags under your eyes, and redness on your face. You can also use it to brighten up your skin. My all-time favourite concealer is “Radiant Creamy Concealer” by Nars ($37). It blends easily and has great coverage! Unfortunately, it’s a little pricy, so you could instead use Maybelline’s “Fit Me” ($9.99) concealer, which is a great dupe. Put some concealer on any of your problem areas and you’ll be good to go. If you feel like you need more coverage, use a tinted moisturizer such as Rimmel’s “BB Cream” ($8.98) before applying the concealer.
Brows
Different eyebrow products will give you very different looks. For the intense Instagram brow look, try ABH’s “Dipbrow” ($23). For quick filling-in and brow thickening, try Benefit’s “Gimme Brow” ($32) or Glossier’s “Boy Brow” ($20).
Mascara
Want perfect lashes without having to apply multiple coats of mascara? L’Oréal’s “Lash Paradise” mascara ($9.86) is the perfect mascara for lengthening and volumizing. It’s even said to be better than the Too Faced “Better Than Sex” mascara ($30). Personally, I swear by the Lash Paradise mascara since it always makes my lashes look perfect.
Lips
I’ll admit, I’m a lip product fanatic. I own way too many lipsticks and glosses, but, for early or rushed mornings, I tend to stick to products that can be applied easily. My favourites are: Glossier’s “Clear Lip Gloss” ($17) and Make Up For Ever’s “Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood” ($27). The Glossier lip gloss isn’t sticky, applies easily, has a clear shine, and no glue-y feeling. It’s my favourite gloss by far. Make Up For Ever’s “Rose Wood” is the perfect lipstick for the ‘your lips but better’ effect.
All the products mentioned above are great for those days when you’re in a rush or just aren’t feeling like a full glam look. They’re definitely my go-to products for all my 9am classes and I recommend them to everyone who wants a natural and fresh look.