Like how in the few short days since I’ve started this blog I’ve abandoned my initially proposed structure?As Monday morning rolls around I thought I’d share my thoughts on a most important Monday morning skill: making your face look presentable in 5 minutes or less. In my various incarnations as a management consultant, graduate student, Wall Street slave, beauty industry professional (with even some experience doing celebrity makeup, if you can believe this disjointed resume) and marketing / general management type, I’ve tried to maintain integrity in the area of looking decent (and actually, better than that, I try to look a little nice) and since I’ve had kids have had to make that process a lot more efficient. The steps below can be accomplished even with a person or two whining and wrapped around your legs:

• If you have dry skin, moisturize, but I skip this step.

 

• If necessary, use concealer or foundation to cover up blemishes.
• Go over whole face with a mineral powder foundation. The benefit of a mineral powder foundation is that it provides sun protection, and is inert so just about any skin type can use it. It also provides surprisingly good coverage, particularly if you are a light- to medium- coverage type of girl. I’m currently using the L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Makeup, which has an SPF of 19 (and which is really reasonably priced) — and which saves me the step of having to apply sunscreen. Powders also require less care than liquid formulas, which require blending — so a quick swipe all over your face will do the job.
• Fill in your brows with an eye shadow or brow wax; comb out using an eyebrow comb. If you’re in a real hurry you can stop here — having your brows looked groomed really makes a huge difference in making you look polished. If you’re brow-challenged, go get your brows done professionally initially, and then you can maintain accordingly — it’s worth the investment if you don’t always want to end up looking surprised all the time.
• Apply a rosy or peachy blush (those tones work well on just about anyone). Again, you can stop here if you want to; you’ll look fine. Blush has a way of perking up your face and making you look suddenly healthier. I find that when I wear it people often ask me if I’m feeling ok (which is not a great testament to my natural beauty).
• Finish up with a pinky-nude lipstick or gloss. I suggest these colors because they’re the lowest maintenance; I rarely re-apply once I’m in the office, so I want shades that wear off well gradually. My go-to lipstick of the moment is Clinique’s Sweet Honey, which has a great texture, is mistake-proof, and which is for me, a shade just better than nude.
  If I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll curl my lashes and swipe on some mascara too — that generally makes me look a lot more awake.

 

It took me more time to describe the process than it takes to do it, so give it a try. If I can give just one woman 15 more minutes of sleep, my life will be complete.