Pressed for Time? Here’s Your 5-Minute Work Day Contouring Routine

If you are like most, you don’t relish the idea of setting the alarm clock just so you can get up and have plenty of time to tackle makeup essentials like contouring and flawless applications. Though you have probably invested in good makeup brushes and want to look and feel your best, you are like millions of others and have only so much time in the mornings. Of course, you might be among the “snooze button” crowd and leave more time for sleep and less time for getting ready, and that means that you need a quick contouring routine for those days when you run out the door shortly after emerging from bed.

Contouring Requires Good Makeup Brushes

First things first, though. Before we delve into the wonderful world of five-minute contouring, we need to be sure you have the makeup essentials for the job. Do you have the right makeup brushes and the right beauty products? A basic list includes liquid foundation in your normal shade and a two concealers or foundations, one in a shade slightly lighter and one slightly darker. You may want setting powder and blush, a concealer brush, and a powder brush, foundation brush or sponge.

That’s it! With those makeup essentials you can do the five-minute contouring routine. Start by laying everything out and getting in front of a well-lit mirror. Then follow the minute by minute guide below:

Minute by Minute

Apply your foundation base and then prepare to use triangular shapes to draw light to certain areas of the face. You won’t need makeup brushes for this as it is best to just use the fingertip and the lighter foundation. Draw inverted triangles below the eyes and on the forehead between the eyes as well as on the chin. You can also put a bit of concealer at the bottom corners of the mouth, using upward lines to lift the face. Also do a line down the center of the nose.

Minute two is for concealer, using the one a few shades darker than your skin and start by drawing lines on either side of the line on your nose, along the bottom of each cheekbone and along the jawbone. Using the foundation or concealer that is lighter than your skin tone, draw a line between the cheekbone and jaw lines to make the cheekbone really stand out.

Minute three is when you start to blend using your fingers to ensure all of those three areas of concealer are softened and blended. A tip: blend downward along the nose for the best results.

Minute four is when you double check that everything is nicely blended and you have the look you want. Then you can set it with your makeup brushes and using some sheer powder and add a darker crease of color along the tops of the eyelids and a lighter color to the lids.

Finally, dab on some lip color and mascara and you should be good to go!

With these makeup essentials you can get an amazing look from contouring and be out the door in minutes. For more on makeup essentials turn to BEAUTIAC, a subscription-based cosmetics firm dedicated to ethically-made products.