You slowly open your eyes after what seems like only an hour of sleep. As your eyes start to adjust to the light, you blindly reach out to pat nearby surfaces to check for your phone.
Finally, you find it on your bedside table, and turn it around to read……
7:45 AM????
You must have snoozed your alarm without realizing it, and now you shoot up in a panic, fearing being late yet again for your 8am lecture!
Does this scenario seem familiar to you? Then you’ll definitely benefit from this article.
There are a few key steps in the beautification process that, when combined, can make you look super put together without all the other complicated and time-consuming steps usually performed in a full-face makeup routine.
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With these few easy steps, all it takes is 5 minutes to look campus-ready. Here’s my ultimate 5 minute makeup routine:
Related reading: The Ultimate Guide to No Makeup Makeup
Table of Contents
Step 1: Hydrate and Prime the Skin
The best way to both hydrate and prime the skin at the same time is by using a priming spray. Just a couple spritzes of your favorite spray and you’ll be ready for the next step in no time.
Some of the best priming sprays I’ve found are the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water as well as the Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray. These products are pricey, but trust me: a little goes a long way.
Mario Badescu’s Facial Spray works well to prime the face for lighter makeup days, too!
Step 2: Conceal and Set
Apply your fave full-coverage concealer only to the places you really need to conceal, like under the eyes or over any blemishes you may have.
Blend out the concealer with your fingers or a preferred beauty sponge and quickly set the concealer with some translucent powder.
I use my beloved Tarte Shape Tape Concealer for this step, because I know it’s going to give me the coverage I need without being difficult to blend out.
Again, this product is pricey but one tube will last you months as it’s so pigmented. As we talked about a while back, it really is the best concealer out there right now.
For setting powder, the Kat Von D Lock-It Blotting Powder does the trick, and looks flawless to boot. (Here are some good inexpensive setting powders to try as well.)
Step 3: Blush
To quickly add some life to your face, apply a blush that gives you a soft flush of color on the apples of your cheeks.
I recommend blush rather than bronzer only because it looks more natural by itself, although if you have enough time and you’re a bronzing queen, you can definitely apply both.
My current favorite blush is the amazing Satin Touch Blush by Essence, which will only run you about $3!
If I’m going for a more bronzed look, I’ll reach for my Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer to sweep over my cheeks and forehead.
Step 4: Fill in Your Eyebrows
Obviously, you can skip this step if you were blessed with naturally full or shaped eyebrows.
For the rest of us unfortunate souls, simply adding more color and shape to our brows can make the biggest difference ever! I really recommend you do this step.
I recommend a pencil for this step because it’s the quickest way to fill in and shape your brows.
The Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil is a great eyebrow pencil because it’s thin enough to create hair-like strokes. If you’d rather something cheaper, NYX’s Micro-Brow Pencil is a great drugstore option with a cult following.
When I’m running short on time I like to focus more on filling the eyebrows out in their natural shape rather than reshaping them to perfection. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Step 5: Lashes
What better way to make you look more awake and ready for the day than to add some length to your eyelashes! If you have time to curl them first (it should only take about 10 seconds per eye), that’s even better!
Just swipe on a coat of your most trustworthy mascara and you’re ready to head out the door!
Benefit Roller Lash and L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara have been my constant companions these past few weeks.
And there you have it, my tried and true 5 minute makeup routine that will get you ready for class in a snap. With a little practice and a lot of coffee, you’ll have these steps down in no time, letting you feel less guilty about catching extra Z’s in the morning.
Obviously, if you end up having a few more spare minutes in the morning, you can totally add some highlighter or eyeshadow to your look. However, if you’re super pressed for time (like I always am), definitely follow these steps first and foremost.
Even though it’s only September and there’s still a whole lotta semester left to get through, chances are you’ll soon fall victim to the snooze button. When that happens, you’ll be glad to know how to make it on time to your earliest class while avoiding looking like you just rolled out of bed. 5 minute makeup to the rescue!
What’s your makeup routine for college?
Do you have any early morning tricks for looking good without wasting too much precious time? Do you have a 5 minute makeup routine?
Let us know in the comments section. We’d love to hear how you expedite the getting-ready process on hectic mornings!