'I'm either late or I don't go' - this quote perfectly sums me up. A snooze-button addict I'm not one for leaving myself lots of time for my beauty routine in the mornings (you people who manage to eat breakfast are a complete mystery to me. I don't think I've had time for breakfast since I learnt to tie my own shoes. Congrats on doing adult-ing right!). Instead I often find myself rushing around like a headless chicken and relying on my trusty, fail-safe and foolproof five minute face products.
Whether you're new to makeup and want to know how you can create a full face using less than ten products, need a seriously time saving, super speedy, no fuss routine in the mornings or (like me) you find yourself having to apply your makeup on the go (oh hai fellow train-make-uppers. HIGH FIVE! Have you found that people really like to stare, like PROPERLY STARE at you as you do your makeup on the train? #NothingToSeeHereJustSlayingMyContourOnTheSevenFiftyFiveToWaterloo....) then read on!
I have pesky oily skin which means that whilst the new thing at the moment is everyone focusing on their 'strobing', I spend half my time manically trying to mattify my face. Luckily for me Bourjouis have created the delightful Air Mat foundation (£9.99). Compared to other matte foundations it's non-drying and super easy to apply (I use a beauty blender). It's enriched with 'mattifying micronized powders' and despite having no idea what that really means, I do find it leaves me shine-free longer than most other foundations, The coverage is buildable so one layer gives medium coverage whilst still feeling lightweight enough so your skin doesn't feel caked or tight and it doesn't look completely one dimensional. My shade is 03 Light Beige which is a perfect match for me when I'm using gradual tan - I'd compare it to MAC nc25. If I was fake tanning or had seen some sun this year (sob I need a holiday!) I'd definitely need the 04 Beige.
I pair this matte foundation with my trusty staple Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49). Now, for us oily skinned gals the foundation version of this would leave us looking like Edward Cullen (oh yeah, a Twlight reference in 2016!) in other words, NOPE. However, for concealing and illuminating specific areas (under the eyes, temples, anywhere you want to highlight or conceal) the Rimmel wake me up concealer is absolutely perfect. I dab on and blend with either a beauty blender or my dab with my fingers. You can check out my 'How to conceal dark circles and shadows' post for a more detailed guide on concealing plus you'll see I featured this concealer way back in 2013 - a true timeless makeup bag staple.
The duo together ensure I'm mattified without my makeup looking like a mask and hides all signs of my late night netflix binge-watching.
Hands down the Benefit Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine mattifier (£23.50) is my ultimate, HHG (holy holy grail - yes I love it THAT much!) powder. I cannot rave about it enough, it sets my makeup and removes shine whilst seemingly remaining undetectable. Benefit sum this beauty up perfectly: 'Just twist, tap & sweep to look fresh-faced, without a trace!' I love the little applicator brush it comes with as it's perfect for those hard-to-reach areas but I often use my EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush (£9.99) to sweep a light dusting all over my face, focusing on my T-Zone.
I've gone through about eight of those bad boys and have converted my friends to become Agent Zero Shine fans (side note, I am incredibly useless and, without fail, forget to twist the thingy closed each time I use it so I always get powder EVERYWHERE. This annoys and amuses my friends who can always tell which product is theirs as they manage to open it without covering anyone nearby in a light sprinkling of powder. Point: twist the thingy shut every time you use it.
Only negative - absolutely no way to know how much you have left so, indubitably, one is always caught by surprise when one realises (No I don't know why I started speaking like that either but going with it...) that there's none left and one must then dash off to the nearest shop to repurchase (thanks for sticking with me through that 'one' digression).
Two staples that wont break the bank and will still leave you beautifully bronzed. Up first, the Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (£7.99) which I apply with the EcoTools brush. I use this as a dupe for Benefit's Hula and Bobbi Browns Bronzer in medium - it's a matte, true medium brown (remember my completely outdated reference to Edward Cullen? This bronzer is perfect for oily skin and for ensuring any active acne or acne scars remain hidden, not highlighted) which I apply all over my face and neck. The coverage is extremely buildable so this is perfect for most complexions and suits me whether I'm rocking my natural pale look or my ever-so-slightly-bordering-on-orange night out look!
Next is a well-loved and slightly battered looking Sleek Makeup Face Form in medium (£9.99). I mainly use the darkest, matte brown contour powder for super subtle contouring and sweep it lightly onto the hollows of my cheeks and up towards my temples. In the daytime I apply the highlight shade under my eyebrows and the inner corner of my eyes (I use my little fingers for this).
For evenings/nights out, if I'm having a good skin day or know I wont be venturing outside I will use swish (technical term...) an angles brush into the highlight and the sparkly brown (I'm sorry, truly, I tried for ages to think of a better way to describe it but 'sparkly brown' really is the most accurate) colour and apply to my cheekbones. I often use the colours as eye-shadows to create a subtle cut crease look. Using the highlight for the inner corners of the eye and under the eyebrows, the sparkly brown colour all over the lid and the matte brown in the crease. Again, the colour is buildable so the products can take you from day to night.
I absolutely adore the L'Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara (£11.29). Quite simply, I can achieve gorgeous looking, non-clumpy, full lashes in two simple steps. I layer on the white base coat (I also use this base coat when applying other mascaras. I find it works better than eyelash curlers and it helps stop smudging!) and then apply a generous coating of the mascara itself.
I will do a full review on this baby soon as it's another HG product of mine.
The finishing touches!
I apply Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara (£4.99 shade dark brown) which is literally a mascara for your eyebrows. I have Tracie Giles 3D semi-permanent brows but this ensures any foundation that's decided to cling to my eyebrows vanishes and my natural brows stay in place. I'm left with fabulously defined, natural looking brows (no clumping, streaking or flaking to be seen!) and it's incredibly easy to use, I simple very gently sweep it back and forth over my brows ensuring an even colour deposit.
I dot Benefit Cha Cha Tint (£24.50) a delightfully sheer mango-tinted lip and cheek stain onto the apples of my cheeks and pat in a circular motion with my fingers and then apply a small amount to my lips, I top the whole look off with a slick of Vaseline (£2.19).
Et voila, the five minute face!
Jennifer Rosellen x