Five Minutes for Your Face

If you think you need to dedicate all your time to applying makeup, think again. While a perfectly prepped face takes time, effort and patience, you can freshen up your face in five minutes with this hand guide to simple beauty. Here's how:

Cleanse, tone and moisturize

This should be as much a routine as brushing your teeth in the morning and evening. Good looking skin starts with good skincare, and no matter how much makeup you buy, if your skin is in a bad condition, it will show right through your makeup.

Double up with moisturizer

A tinted moisturizer is a great option to use if your skin is in a good condition. Apply all over your face instead of using a standard moisturizer and if you need more cover up, use foundation only to the areas of your face that need it. Don't forget the golden rule: blend, blend, blend.

Conceal the deal

If you have any blemishes or skin imperfections, cover them up with a suitable concealer. Apply concealer after your foundation, using a concealer brush and dab with your fingertips to ensure it is blended in. A small dab of powder will help to seal the concealer in and prevent it from lifting.

Brighten up

Apply highlighter to key areas of your face. This will prevent you from looking too drab and washed out. Highlighting pencils and powders can be used and should be applied just under the eyebrows (for that perked up arch), on the inner corners of the eyes (for that extra bit of sparkle), as well as over the tops of your cheekbones (for some simple prettiness).

Blush up

A pop of color will help to bring your face to life. Using a blusher brush, smile and apply a small amount of blush or rouge on the apple of your cheeks. Use light strokes to blend the color evenly and remember to dust off your brush before applying color. This will help to ensure that you don't overdo it. You can always add more color later.

Get in line

Use a brown eyeliner pencil to define the lower lids and upper lash line and blend the color with a smudge brush. If you feel you are too white, a light sweep of a pale pink or beige eye shadow applied before the liner might be an option to consider.

Must have mascara

Finish the eyes with two coats of brown mascara, or for more depth and definition, go for the ever-trusted black mascara. Choose your mascara according to the effect you want, however a simple, feathered effect is best of a no-fuss look that looks natural.

Love those lips

Tie the whole look together by applying a quick slick of lip gloss to your pout. You can further define your lips prior to your gloss application; however, avoid the thick lined lip effect. Instead, define only your cupids bow and lower, middle portion of your lip with a suitable liner and blend.

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