The busy girl’s guide to beauty

Oct 20, 2010 9:00 AM by Beth Blair

Posted in Beauty & Style / Makeup & Skin Care

Gorgeous
On The Go

Being a busy girl can sure put a dent in beauty time. But with a few preplanned techniques you can still look good without all the fuss. Here are some ways to consolidate your beauty routine and still look fabulous.

Skip the tools

"I think this is really important. It's possible to do the whole sha-bang within 10 minutes. Don't be fancy with the brushes, the less tools used, the faster it will take. Apply foundation with your fingers. It is easier to blend and quicker to apply. Brushes create lots of streaks that will take time to even out," says Mai Tran, founder of Mai Couture Cosmetics. "Blotting Papers are great for gals on the go. Apply loose powder with a powder or kabuki brush followed with some blush on your cheeks. For the eyes, smudge eyeliner and add some eye shadow with a soft brush for easy blending. Another option is just to curl your lashes with a coat of mascara. With the right products and tools, makeup and hair should be a breeze."

Plan for the evening

"If you do something simpler in the morning, you can just add to it if you go out at night. Add a little more eyeliner, use blush and bronzer. Use lipstick with the gloss instead of just gloss and you're ready for a night out," says hair and makeup artist Heather C. Adessa.

Double up

When it comes to makeup, each kind can serve several purposes -- even if it doesn't say so on the label. "Let your lip gloss double as a blush," suggests freelance beauty editor and writer Candice Sabatini. "Using a sheer lip gloss on your cheeks really works. Put a small pea sized dab of gloss on the back of your hand, then with a blush brush that's not too soft, swirl it around in the gloss and apply onto cheeks almost 'burnishing' it in. It will give a sheer, natural-looking blush to cheeks that isn't sticky at all, even if the blush is sticky on your lips!"

Stick with one color

"My favorite quick trick is to use a bronzer or a light-colored blush all over your face instead of choosing a different eye and cheek color," says Jamie Bushman, owner of The Circle Salon in Chicago. "It saves a lot of time and really looks natural. I use Aveda's Bronze Glow on my cheeks and, with the same blush brush, swipe it across my eyes to define my brow bone. A little liner and mascara and I'm ready to go! It's so fast and the monochromatic look really looks like I'm not wearing make up at all."

Go permanent

If you don't want to worry about the daily hassle of makeup applications, April Meese, owner of Customized Beauty Ltd says, "Natural-looking permanent makeup is the way to save time and always look good."