Every now and then, my inner southern grandma comes out and I mutter to my husband to just “give me a few minutes while I go put my face on”. Now, anyone from the south knows that learning to put your face on is like a right of passage. For me, that was around my early teens, when I’d take my copy of YM magazine (the best teen mag back in the day) and stand in front of the mirror trying tirelessly to copy whatever makeup trend the models were wearing that month.
In the early 90s, I was all about the brown lip liner and clear gloss (c’mon, you know you did it too). Then, in college you realize that you’d rather trade the time spent in front of the mirror for just one more hour of sleep. And this my friends, is where I first learned the art of the 10 minute makeup routine. In fact, I’ll never forget the roommates I had from East Texas, whose grandmas I’m pretty sure coined the term “put your face on”. Their make-up tips were simple – a little concealer here and some mascara there, and voila – face on.
So after years of honing in on the natural makeup look, I’m here to share these tips with you. Just don’t forget to tag me in those selfies – ahem, #WokeUpLikeThis, ahem…
Step 1) Concealed Weapon – unless you are the 2% of women with flawless skin, finding the right foundation and concealer is the most important step of all. I’ve tried many over the years, but Clinique is by far my favorite. I recently started using their Even Better Makeup which has SPF 15 and just creates the most dewy glow. I couple that with Clinique’s Line Smoothing Concealer, which is literally my secret weapon, and so key if you’re a new mom like me.
Step 2) I’m Blushing – blush might be the most underrated makeup product. Honestly, if I accidentally forget to apply it – I just feel naked. I used to play around with lip & cheek stains, and I still love Benefit’s chachatint in mango. But lately, I’ve been using Charlotte Ronson’s 2 in 1 cream blush & bronzer in a peachy/coral tint. Still in denial that Sephora discontinued the line, but you can still score some on Amazon.
Step 3) Lashing Out – I used to be the queen of playing around with all the latest trends in eyeshadow and liners, but these days I’m all about finding the best mascara. As far as drugstore buys go – Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash lengthening mascara has been my tried & true favorite for years. Lately, I’ve jumped on the Benefit they’re Real! mascara bandwagon and I have to admit, it’s good stuff. Both mascaras have my favorite kind of rubber brush which helps to de-clump and define as you move the wand from the inner lashes out.
Step 4) Lip Service – the best way to tie an effortless, natural make-up look all together is with a lip shade that compliments your skin tone and helps punch up your outfit. I personally can’t live without my army of Fresh Sugar Tint Lip Shades – I literally have like 10 (here’s the proof), and I’m all over their new Tulip shade. They also just launched their newest shade Ruby this past week – and so my obsession continues…
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