PSA: You don’t need a ton of time or a bulky bag of beauty products.
Whether you’re a makeup maven or you’ve never picked up a lash curler in your life, the truth is that you don’t need a bazillion beauty products and a team of makeup artists to master an everyday makeup look.
All you need in your cute cosmetics case are a few quality staples — and about five minutes. Yes, it can really be that easy! Take it from the beloved beauty guru Bobbi Brown herself. “Wherever you are and regardless of how experienced you are with makeup, you can create the perfect daytime beauty look in just five minutes,” Brown says. “You just need the right products and tools at your fingertips.”
Below, Brown shares her go-to makeup routine that guarantees you’ll be out the door and looking your best by the time it takes you to hum along to your favorite song (or two). From an ultra-light foundation that isn’t greasy to a perfectly designed brow pencil, this natural, Brown-curated look will work just as easily for running errands around town as it will for a casual date night. It’s a quick routine designed to enhance the beautiful features you’re already blessed with.
Skin
The perfect makeup look always starts with healthy skin. First, moisturize where you need it. “My skin is dry, so I use an eye cream and a light moisturizer most days, but you should check your skin each morning and determine how much moisturizer you might need,” Brown says. Next, she suggests using a combination of face pencils and a very light foundation to cover any redness (like around the mouth and nose), conceal dark circles, and even out your skin tone. “I typically don’t like a traditional foundation because most of them are too heavy for everyday use, but I love this product, What the Foundation (WTF), which is more like a tinted balm. You can apply it with your fingers, or a foundation brush and the color should totally blend into your skin, so you look like you have no makeup on when you’re done.”
To find the shade that’s right for you, you can take this shade matching quiz. “After you apply foundation, go in with your face pencils to cover any redness on your cheeks and to even out any dark shadows under your eyes,” says Brown.
Brows
Next, focus on the brows. “They’re one of the fastest and most efficient ways to make your eyes pop,” Brown says. Start by brushing your brows up using the Tweezerman Angled Brow Brush & Spoolie. “Then take your Brow Pencil and use light, short, feathery strokes to fill in and add definition. If you want more control, use the angled end of that same brush and apply the product directly from the pencil to your brows.”
Eyes
“To quickly accentuate the eyes, I start with the lashes,” she says. If you curl your lashes, do that before you apply your mascara. “My favorite curler is this classic lash curler — it works on everyone and it comes with three replacement pads (which will last you about a year). After you curl, apply a few coats (I usually do two or three) of black mascara, letting it dry between each coat.”
After mascara, apply a light color shadow all over your lids. “As we head into summer, I love this Sparkle Wash in Barely Pink. It’s a liquid shimmer eyeshadow that dries quickly and locks onto the lid without creasing.”
Cheeks and Lips
“I’m a huge fan of pink because it looks good on everyone,” she says. “I’ll use this Lip and Cheek Stick and apply it to the apples of the cheeks and a little bit on the lips.” Brown suggests choosing a shade that closely matches the color your cheeks turn when you pinch them or are naturally flushed. Finish the look off with a swipe or two of gloss on your lips.
