My Quick Six Minute Makeup Routine

I have fond memories of hearing my mother say that she was not ready to start her day until she’d “put her face on”. I remember thinking what an odd expression it was, but it was pretty self-explanatory. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree because I don’t feel ready to start my day until I’ve put my makeup on too… Whether I am going out or not.

Some days I get creative and experiment with new techniques and colors, but for most of my days, its a quick six minutes, and I’m done.

Here’s my routine:products for a simple six minute makeup routine

Tinted SunscreenAustralian Gold tinted review on A Well Styled Life

I’m one of those women who never found the perfect foundation, and it wasn’t for lack of trying… šŸ™‚ My daughter always ribs me for never being satisfied with any foundation and she’s right. Either the color seemed off, the product gravitated to my lines which made them stand out, or it made my face look cakey. I was introduced to tinted sunscreen and never looked back. I have two favorites that I interchange and sometimes mix together. This Elta MD one is a bit sheerer than this one, but both add a subtle wash of color that blends in beautifully.

EyebrowsBrow Wiz by Anastasia on A Well Styled Life

I don’t know about you but my eyebrows are getting sparser and wispier by the day. I’m not brave enough to try microblading so I have to fill them in. They are the frames to my eyes and without them enhanced, I look naked no matter how much eyeshadow I’m wearing. I’ve been using Anastasia brow products for years and love them! I go back and forth between this pomade and this pencil but currently, it’s the pencil because it’s the quickest to use and fills them in nicely. I use the taupe in both.

Lipstainlip fixation by Jane Iredale

I’ve used this stay-on Lip Fixation from Jane Iredale for years! It has color on one side and gloss on the other. It’s funny, but I never, ever, use the gloss! I wish they sold it individually. The good news is it never ever rubs off on the inside of my mask and acts as the perfect base for every lipstick I wear. It never dries out my lips and the color “Fascination” is a natural rosey shade on me. After it dries, I often add a lip pencil which gives it extra staying power and definition around my lips.

Blush

I prefer a cream blush for my dryer skin and have two favorites I alternate. This Kjaer Weiss is a gorgeous consistency and color (I use “Romance”) in a refillable case. This Ilia is a multi-use stick in “At Last” which I often use on my lips too. Be sure you apply your blush along the cheekbone in an upsweeping direction. Applying it on the apples of your cheeks is “old school” and very aging on mature faces.

Eye pencila selection of eye pencils

I’ve been experimenting with new eye pencils lately because most of them seem to lack something I need. I was a big fan of Urban Decay eye pencils until the I had two leads fall out. After trying multiple other pencels I’ve gone back to it the Urban Decay in a deep-taupe matte gray called “Desperation” because:

  • they’re available in an amazing range of colors
  • they are very soft so they never tug on my lid
  • they are water-resistant which is mandatory during my allergy flair ups.

The gal at Ulta thinks it happened because they got old and dried out. I don’t know but I am willing to give them another try.

Eyeshadow

I don’t get too creative with color here and never have. I want people to notice the color of my eyes not the color of my shadow so I always use a soft, neutral taupe. I buy kits with cool tones and never too many. My current favorite is this one in Nude Fair. I sweep the palest color over my entire lid, then the medium color in the crease of my eye and the darkest color just on the outside of my eye. I occasionally use a narrow brush to use the darkest color over the pencil but not always.

Mascara primer and mascara

I curl my eyelashes and apply a thin coat of lash primer followed by two coats of mascara. As mentioned, my new favorite is navy, which many of you discovered before I did:). I am currently using this primer, but when it’s empty, I’ll go back to this one because it’s a tinier tube. No other reason, which may seem silly, but there you have it.

Concealer

Finally, I swipe a small amount of this concealer under my eyes and dab it on any little spots then smooth it in with this brush. I’ve been loyal to this concealer for many years because:

  • the color is perfect for me (Fair)
  • it’s very creamy so never tugs on my skin
  • its tiny brush allows me to dab in on tight spots my finger would make a mess of

That’s it! Easy, peasy and gets me ready to face the day…bad pun:)

Would you be interested in see a video of how I apply this routine?

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49 Comments

  1. Yes, I would like to see a video on your six minute make-up routine.
    Thanks.
    Dee

  2. Francesca B. says:

    Yes to the video thank you Jennifer for the suggestions. I don’t like foundation on days when I am not working….but love Anastasia eyebrow pencil though I always find it breaks pretty easy.

    Change of subject but please can you do a Etsy favorite sites some time….would love some new necklaces or bracelets.
    Happy weekend šŸ™‚

    1. Yes, I would love to. Etsy is a favorite of mine for accessories.

  3. Jennifer, I get so many great ideas from you about beauty products. Thank you for sharing your experience with products. Iā€™m trying the magnesium cream mentioned earlier. Iā€™m sure I will need the navy mascara too!

  4. Thanks for sharing your tips for makeup. I am looking for some better options than what I am using now. We will try some. I especially liked the lip stain and lip pencil because wearing a mask is a problem. The best to you

  5. I discovered Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation last winter. It is amazing. Iā€™m 72 and it lasts all day, doesnā€™t settle in lines or pores and gives about a medium to light coverage. For $14 you can order a sample set of either warm/neutral colors or cool colors, so you can color match and try it out without committing to a full bottle. Love the stuff.

  6. I am a big fan of that Clinique concealer. The fair is too light for me, but the fair neutral works.

  7. Another YES to video.
    My bathroom counter holds almost the exact same pile of paints and goo’s.
    Only difference, a pot of Bobbi Brown’s creamy cheek stuff that i use on lips too. One pot will last a lifetime! Great goo šŸ™‚

  8. Iā€™ve used Anastasia eyebrow powder (dual light brown) for a few years. My eyebrows are getting lighter and it covers well. The light color for my brows and the dark one covers my growth between salon visits. Brows, lip and Elemis spf cream and I am out the door.

  9. Hi, Jennifer. A resounding yes for the video.

    As I have been following you for a long time, your recommendations brought a smile to my face, as, per your suggestions over the years, I use pretty much everything you recommend. The tinted Australian Gold is an awesome sunscreen which I have recommended to some friends and they all enjoy it as much as I do. Jane Iredale ā€˜Fascinationā€ is also a go to, along with ā€œRaptureā€ for the
    Winter (yikes) months. At age 76, all the products mentioned have been tried and true.

    Thank you for your continuing blog which is always uplifting, informative, encouraging, truthful, and consistently done with grace.

    My question about the Clinique concealer – do you use Neutral Fair or Fair Cream. My sin tone is fair with lots of lines (šŸ˜‰) and I have short gray hair.

    Enjoy the special gift of time with your daughter up here in Canada.. Our two week self-isolation in mid-March was a challenge. However, we live in a condo and have wonderful neighbours who did our grocery shopping, dropped off flowers and phoned or emailed daily – blessings abound. The last couple of days my mind imagined our wooden door to the hall as a HUGE metal barrier.

  10. I, too, never found a foundation that I liked. Tinted moisturizers didnā€™t do the trick for me. Suddenly I discovered La Mer foundation, and I am thrilled! Hands down, best stuff ever! Doesnā€™t sneak into fine lines, very sheer coverage but buildable. At 63, my makeup finally looks decent.

    Eyebrows… never had any to speak of, always had to create them. When microblading came along, I was skeptical, but intrigued. After much research, I found a girl whose work I loved and went for it. Oh my word, best thing I ever did for myself! When you first have them done, itā€™s a little shocking because itā€™s such a new look. They settle and lighten over just a few weeks. Itā€™s been two years and now time for a touch up. She has moved about 25 miles from me, but you can bet I will follow her anywhere!

  11. Take it from me, you’re never too old to learn new tricks. Thank you, Jenn, from an 80 year old imbecile at make-up. I’ve been hobbling along with Nars and Le Mer products, and I’m delighted to try your suggestions. This is a most favorite post and, yes, a video would be wonderful.

  12. I haven’t worn makeup in years and just decided I wanted to leave a few pictures behind for my granddaughters and Son that look a little better. He’s making a book of some sort. So, I really appreciate this. I use to wear lip balm, eyebrow pencil, tinted moisturizer and mascara so I think I can do this. Im 78 so prob won’t make much difference but worth a try.

    1. I think youā€™d be surprised how nice a little color and definition is.

  13. Thanks for the suggestions. I am definitely going to try the tinted sunscreen. A video would be great!

    1. Do you use the neutral fair in the concealer? So glad you shared this about makeup. I need to buy that brand of tinted cream. I have the same trouble with foundation. The concealer I use now is not creamy enough either. So going to try these new products. Thank you, Jen. šŸ™‚ā¤ļø

  14. I guess Iā€™m in the minority here. I apply sunscreen in the morning, grab my wide brim hat and head out for my walk. When I return, I wash it off and put some daytime face cream on. If Iā€™m going out, I put on mascara, tinted bb cream with spf 30, lip liner and lipstick. I like to keep it simple and let my true beauty shine through. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜…šŸ˜‚

  15. I vote yes to the video!

  16. i will be trying some of your recommendations! I really like the Elta MD but find it a little hard to take off…I am going to try the Clinique Take Off the Day Balm and see if that helps. As for eyebrows, I have been using men’s beard dye on my eyebrows, a hack my daughter showed me. If the eyebrows aren’t too overplucked, it colors sthe whites and grays and lasts about 4 weeks. Just be careful…it is messing about around the eyes.

    1. Yes, I would like to see the video. I have hardly any hair left in my eyebrows, not sure what would help

  17. Linda Henderson says:

    Yes to the video. Thanks for sharing the products you like.

  18. A video would be awesome šŸ˜Ž
    My eyebrows are microbladed, and I love them so much. Iā€™ve also had permanent makeup done on lips and upper/lower eyelids. All of this was done in February, just before the lockdown, so itā€™s all mellowed out a bit. Iā€™d been looking at before and after photos for years. Now Iā€™m sorry for waiting so long because itā€™s so wonderful to have visible lips, eyes and eyebrows 24/7. The eyeliner was rough because getting a tattoo on the eyelid hurts so much that itā€™s hard to hold still.

    1. I had my brows done and I love them. I’m way too chicken to try the eyeliner!

    2. Iā€™ve always felt tempted to get the eyeliner but figured it would be so painful.

  19. Yes, a video would be great. Even when “they” said to wear blush on the apples, I still did the cheekbone sweep. I have rosacia and after all the covering of that I was not going to put more pink back. Guess I am finally back in style, ha ha. I have not been out to check on the navy mascara, but will pick some up next time I do.

  20. This is my kind of makeup routine ! Short and sweet ! Thanks for sharing your choices , I am going to try out the smash box , and Yes , videos are always nice

  21. I use the Maybelline color stay 24-hour lip color and I NEVER use the other (clear) side of it either.
    I need to find some tinted sunscreen, what a great idea!

    1. It’s the super stay not color stay. And they do make it in one tube, I just discovered on Amazon. hmmmm

  22. A video would be great! Thanks for all the information, especially about tinted sunscreen. I donā€™t care for foundation. I feel like I have a sweater on my face.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Suzanne

  23. I had my eyebrows microbladed back in Feb. so glad I did it. I had almost no eyebrows from over tweezing when young and the natural aging process. What brows I did have were mostly white. It wasnā€™t painful, just a little uncomfortable. I have been back for my touch up and now should be good for a couple of years. They look very natural.

  24. The more time that I spend on my skin preparation, the quicker my makeup application goes. I use the serum and moisturizer from the Your Good Skin product line as a foundation for my makeup. I also apply an eye lid primer that helps immensely to apply a smooth eye shadow.
    I love the Porefessional by Benefit! I am also a huge fan of their mascara also.
    Yes, please do a video of your makeup routine.

    1. I forgot to say I’d love to see a video of makeup application too. Thanks.

  25. Nancee Webb says:

    Do you use an eyelid primer?

  26. yes!!! to the video

  27. I still use the
    Charlotte Tilbury foundation you recommended years ago. I think it is called Light Wonder. I love it!

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