The Only 5 Items You Need to Look Fresh in 5 Minutes

There are times when bare isn’t beautiful. And that’s whenever you’re stepping out of your house! You’ll never know who you might bump into—your colleagues, business partners, your crush or your ex (yikes!) Or your boyfriend or husband might ask you out on a last-minute date. But when you’re too busy to even comb your hair, how can you look fresh in 5 minutes or less?

Here are 5 EXTREMELY simple steps to turn from drab to fab in 5 minutes with just 5 makeup items in your beauty kit.

1. Slather on some tinted moisturizer.

Majority of women have pale, uneven skin tone. Unless you have zero stress in your life, follow the healthiest diet, get enough sleep daily, and have the perfect set of genes, you most likely need coverage to enhance your skin.

But when you don’t have the time to apply, build up, and blend your foundation, a tinted moisturizer is the answer. You don’t even need a brush or a blender to even it out. Just use your fingers to blend it. Most tinted moisturizers are smooth enough to be blended out easily. You can use products with SPF to give you that added sun protection, especially if you didn't apply your sunscreen in the morning.

What I used: Pixi by Petra H20 Skintint

I love how lightweight this feels. It’s water-based, so it’s perfect if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. It’s great for both oily and dry skin. But you need to use sunscreen underneath.

2. Fill in your brows using a brow pencil.

Fuller brows make you look younger. Use a pencil to lightly fill in those sparse areas. Make sure to shave any stray hair under your brow. Brow powder is ideal for filling in brows, but pencil is easier to use when you’re in a hurry. Go for a softer look. If you have dark brows, choose a pencil color that’s two shades lighter than your actual brow color.

What I used: MAC Veluxe Brow Liner in Brunette

The color is just right for my dark, black brows and the pencil applies smoothly. It’s also pigmented.

Fill in sparse areas using a brow pencil.

3. Apply concealer and set it with powder.

Maybe you’ve seen YouTube makeup gurus apply a big triangle under their eyes when applying concealer. That’s great but don’t do that when you’re running out of time! That’s because you won’t have enough to blend with care and set it with powder. The next best strategy for those in a hurry is to apply dots forming a triangular shape surrounding your under-eye area.

Minimize redness by applying concealer on areas where you need it. You can also conceal any blatant pimples or discolorations.

You only want to apply powder on areas where you used your concealer and also on areas where you tend to be oily, like your forehead. In my case, I only applied powder under my eyes and around my nose to set my concealer and also on my T-zone. I left my cheeks and chin alone. You want to look a bit dewy, not dried up matte.

What I used: Clio Kill Cover Pro Artist Liquid Concealer in 03-by Linen

I love how creamy and blendable this liquid concealer is. This Korean makeup brand favorite gives medium to full coverage without creasing or looking patchy.

Canmake Marshmallow Finish Powder in Matte Ochre

This powder is one of the Japanese cosmetic brand Canmake’s bestsellers. I have the shade Matte Ochre, a beige with yellow undertone. It creates a soft and slightly matte look. This has SPF protection but has never given me a ghostface flashback (you know, that whitecast underneath your eyes that makes you look like a raccoon in flash pictures)

Dot your concealer under your eyes, reddened areas or blemishes that need coverage.

4. Apply blush.

This is the step that will make you look healthy more than anything else. But when you only have 5 minutes to do your makeup, skip the powder formula and turn to reddish or pinkish cheek tints or creams. These colors, especially in cream form, give you a natural-looking flush. You can even use your lipstick as a blush, as long as the formula isn’t too moist or shiny and as long as the color is also leaning towards pink and red shades.

Just apply two to three swipes on the apples of your cheeks and blend them out up to the high point of your cheekbones just before you reach your temples. Make sure your blush doesn’t reach your undereye area or that fleshy area beside your lips. Also, stay away from anything peach, coral, or orange-toned blushes. They don’t look natural on the apples of your cheeks. This color is great, but it needs more time to blend it out on the high point of your cheekbones.

What I used: Peri’s Ink Stick in Love Mood

This is actually a lip tint that you can also use as a blush. I love how this looks moist on my lips, but not shiny on my cheeks. The color also registers pinkish berry on me.

Apply two to three swipes of blush using your lip tint or lipstick.

5. Finally, swipe on your lipstick.

Apply a bright lipstick on both upper and lower lip to achieve a full, opaque color. Ideal colors are reds, pinks, and berries. Stay away from nudes that make you look washed out when you don’t have eye makeup or from dark colors like burgundy or plum that don’t really match your fresh face look.

You can apply balm underneath if you have dry lips, but note that this can reduce the opacity of your lipstick color. If you find the color too bright, you can always blot it with tissue.

What I used: Peri’s Ink Stick in Love Mood

Tints can be drying, so use a lip balm underneath if you have dry lips.

Before and After. Here's what you can do with makeup in just 5 minutes. 

I did all of these in 5 minutes, using quick blending and swiping motions. The key is to add color to your face while hiding some of the imperfections. You can do it, too.

This 5-minute makeup routine is ideal for those impromptu encounters that matter or for applying your makeup in school or in the office when you’re already running late. Now there’s no excuse not to look your best Every. Single. Time.