The 5-Minute Everyday Makeup Routine

You don't need twelve products and forty minutes to look put-together. With a little prep and a few multi-taskers, a fresh, polished look takes five minutes. Here's the routine, step by step.

Minute 1: Prep your skin

Makeup sits better on hydrated skin. After cleansing, apply a light moisturizer and, in the morning, sunscreen. Give it a minute to absorb while you get your products out; this one step does more for a smooth finish than any primer.

Don't forget your lips. Swipe on a balm now (a tinted peptide lip balm does double duty) so they're soft by the time you add color.

Minute 2: Even out where you need it

Skip full coverage on everyday days. Use a small amount of your base (tinted moisturizer, skin tint, or concealer) only where you want it: around the nose, under the eyes, and on any spots. Blend with your fingertips; their warmth helps products melt into skin.

Minute 3: One color, three places

This is where multi-use products shine. A cream or liquid color designed for cheeks, eyes, and lips creates a cohesive, monochrome look in seconds:

• Cheeks: dot on the apples and blend up toward the temples.
• Eyes: tap a sheer wash across the lids with your ring finger.
• Lips: press a little onto the center of your lips and blot for a natural stain.

Using one shade everywhere makes the look feel intentional, even when it took sixty seconds.

Minute 4: Define your eyes

Curl your lashes if you like, then apply one coat of mascara, wiggling the wand at the root and pulling through to the tips. If you want a little more definition, tightline with an eyeliner pencil (along the upper lash line, between the lashes) for depth without an obvious line.

On humid days or long days, a waterproof mascara keeps everything in place.

Minute 5: Set and finish

Lightly dust setting powder only where you get shiny, usually the T-zone. Too much powder everywhere is what makes makeup look heavy.

Finish your lips. Keep the stain from step three, or add a gloss or lip oil for shine. Want more polish? Line and fill with a liner and matte liquid lipstick and you've gone from daytime to dinner in under a minute.

Tips to make it last

• Less product, better blending. Thin layers wear longer than thick ones.
• Set strategically. Powder only where you need it.
• Keep a lip product in your bag. Lips are the one thing you'll touch up.
• Clean your tools. Fingers and brushes carry oil that breaks makeup down.

Your five-minute kit

1. Moisturizer and sunscreen
2. Skin tint or concealer
3. A multi-use cheek, eye, and lip color
4. Mascara (waterproof for long days)
5. Setting powder
6. A lip balm plus your favorite gloss or lipstick

Building your kit? Elil Beauty makes vegan, cruelty-free multi-taskers like the 3-in-1 C.E.L for cheeks, eyes, and lips. Shop the collection.