The secret to fast, flawless everyday makeup

I hear from a lot of women that they barely have time to dress in a matching shoes in the morning, let alone deal with a protracted makeup regimen. Sound familiar? Yep, I’m hearing you, sista!

What I say in response is that if you have five minutes, you can do a bloody terrific makeup job.

FIVE MINUTES I tells ya!

The secret comes down to being prepared. It’s about having a small handful of product basics that you absolutely love in every way. They are tried and tested (by you!) and will never let you down.

Think of them as your product BFFs.

My suggestion is that you need to find your makeup BFFs and with them will come an island of calm every morning in a sea of chaos (okay, that’s not true but at least you won’t be stressed about your makeup).

My makeup BFFs are products I’ve searched for, tested a lot and now I’m really happy with. They are:

  • foundation
  • concealer
  • eyeshadow
  • blush
  • lipstick

Foundation & concealer

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Tips for finding the right foundation + concealer

When buying a base, you need to ask yourself:

  • what sort of coverage do I like?
  • how do I want to apply it (e.g. mineral foundation is applied with a brush)?
  • how much do I want to spend?
  • do I need a ‘long lasting’ foundation?

To find the right colour foundation for your skin tone, test on your cheek, near the jawline. Try a few colours at the same time by drawing stripes. The one that disappears into the skin is the one for you. Think about the coverage you like. Mineral foundations tend to offer medium to full coverage, while liquid foundations tend to be more sheer and dewy.

If you have oily skin you may need a long lasting foundation or a setting powder.

Concealer can be an absolute life saver if you need to deal with dark circles or blemishes. When it comes to colour you want to select one that is a teensy bit lighter than your skin tone. I apply concealer under my eyes, over my nose and a bit on my chin where I get some pinkness.

My choice: Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation + Ultimate Correcter

Eye shadow

eyeshadow-gillianmoody

Tips for finding the perfect everyday eyeshadow

There is something magical about finding an awesome eyeshadow. For everyday wear my top tip is to find something neutral in a pinky/beige tone. That way it will be that no-brainer colour that matches every outfit or occasion. Buy the best quality you can afford. Better quality generally means finer texture, deeper pigment and better staying power.

My favourite everyday eyeshadow is beautifully neutral with enough shimmer to be pretty but not at all nightclubby.

To apply I swipe it over the whole lid from the lashline to up under the eyebrows.

My choice: Youngblood Pressed Eyeshadow in Pink Diamond. The most versatile colour in my whole kit and a favourite with the ladies in my makeup workshops as it has the uncanny ability to suit everyone.

Blush

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Tips for finding the perfect everyday blush

I am obsessed with blush. I love a pop of colour and it makes me feel a bit brighter and more awake.

There are a million and one colours and ways to wear blush. I like a cream blush as you don’t need a brush to apply it and it has a slightly dewy, illuminating effect. The downside is that some cream blushes don’t have great staying power. Test products first thing in the morning and wear around to see how well they last.

When you are looking for a blush try a few different tones and see which one gives the impression of a ‘peaches and cream’ look. Everyone is different, so you may need to trial all shades from pink to peach to coral before you find one you like.

My choice: Youngblood Luminous Creme Blush in Pink Cashmere. Incredibly long lasting for a cream blush and the colour is rich and vibrant and suitable for most skin tones.

Lipstick

Lipstick-gillianmoody

Tips for finding the perfect everyday lipstick

To find the right shade of pink lipstick, look for one that mimics your natural lip colour, but gives you a bit of a ‘just been kissed’ rosy look. For the perfect everyday colour, you pretty much want something you’re going to feel comfortable wearing no matter how serious the occasion.

My choice: Youngblood Lipstick in Rosewater. Another best-seller in my makeup workshops as it suits 99% of people who put it on.

Notes: I have not filtered or photoshopped any of these images so all product colours are as true as possible  //  I am not sponsored in any way to use Youngblood cosmetics. These are the products I have chosen for my makeup kit after testing widely over the years with many different brands.

Do you have any product BFFs that you couldn’t do without?
Do you any helpful morning routine tips or tricks?

 

Written By

Gillian is a marketing savant and brand strategist with over 20 years of experience in above and below the line marketing, digital strategy and creative direction. She is an exceptional people person who loves to collaborate with clients every step of the way to achieve the best possible outcome. Gillian is also a successful makeup-artist and make-up obsessive who loves to share her tricks of the trade and help women to look good and feel great.

12 Comments

  • All of those featured are just gorgeous. My hairdresser recommended I buy Clinique’s Black Honey sheer lipstick which is another one that suits nearly everyone.

    • Karin! If you need anything flick me an email at gillian@champagnecartel.com I have all the Youngblood colours in stock and can give you a pricelist. Keep an eye on the interwebs too, on FB and IG as I’ll be having a flash sale of some products very soon….. xxx

    • Thanks Lara, glad you found useful! I stock Youngblood, I can talk you through the products if you’d like. Send me an email on gillian@champagnecartel.com. I’m also about to get a flash sale going with my two absolute fav products…. xx Gillian

  • Bought the pink diamond eyeshadow on your recommendation and love it! Foolproof ie any idiot can do it and the colour is gorgeous. Thanks!!

  • Primer! And translucent powder to set and mattify. I have combination skin and am oily through the t-zone. I also LOVE the NP Set contour & highlight set, I use the highlight with shimmer as my all over eye colour and the contour as an accent in the outer corner and crease. I also add a sweep of bronzer from my ear under my cheek bone in between foundation and powder – this is also when I apply blush and highlighter. I have a round face so a touch of contouring never goes astray.

    • Absolutely love a bit of contouring Emily, as a fellow round raced lady, I think it looks fabulous! And how great is primer!!! I love a bit of filler…. Thanks for stopping by Emily xx

  • Love Youngblood products! Highly recommend a private session with Gillian to refresh your makeup kit and learn techniques. She is a fantastic ambassador (not to mention a beautiful and supportive person) and did not push the products on me in any way.

    • Carol! You are so so so lovely. That is such a wonderful comment and so pleased that you are loving your Youngblood products, HURRAH!!! Big hugs x Gillian

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