The Ultimate Guide To Easy Makeup For Hectic Mornings

Just a little dash of color to your face can be a serious confidence boost.

Having said that, though, we don’t all have oodles of time to spend on our makeup, especially on hectic mornings.

And so, today, I’m going to share some super easy makeup tips that I promise will make your makeup routine so much faster.

It’s only four steps, one brush, and you’re out the door, looking and feeling your absolute best, without spending your morning stuck in front of the mirror.

Let’s get right into this!

Use these easy makeup tips to apply your makeup in under 5 minutes:

Please note that I have used a couple affiliate links within this post, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through one of my links. Just know that these are all products I use and love.

1. Use a high quality foundation

Foundation is the bread and butter of your makeup routine. It sets the tone for the rest of your makeup, which is why I stress finding a high quality foundation that you can rely on.

Cheaper, drugstore brand foundations tend to dry out, crack, and settle into the dry patches on the skin. Not cute.

On the other hand, with a high quality foundation that is made with skin loving ingredients, you’re able to rest assured that your makeup will look good all day.

In particular, to really boost the speed of your makeup routine, I highly recommend investing in the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream.

This foundation is extremely lightweight and natural. It has anti-aging benefits, SPF 50, and a host of other radiance boosting properties. Not to mention, unlike a lot of foundations that I’ve used in the past, it applies so smoothly. I honestly just use my fingers to apply, which saves me a ton of time. No extra brushes or sponges necessary

Try out the Your Skin But Better CC Cream, or other high quality foundation of your choice, for a super speedy foundation application.

Image via @itcosmetics

2. A quick application of concealer makes all the difference

If your foundation is the bread and butter of your makeup routine, then your concealer is the icing.

Not only will concealer brighten your whole face, it makes your eyes pop in a way that mere foundation can’t.

Having said that, though, concealer does tend to crease if you don’t pick the right one, which is why I highly recommend checking out the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (I use this concealer everyday that I wear makeup).

Not only is this a high quality product that I know you’ll be able to rely on, you’ll also likely find that you don’t need a ton of product in order to get good coverage. I’ve had my current tube for nine months, which is crazy now that I’m thinking about it.

To apply, I always place one swipe of product under each eye, along with a little on my eyelid, and then quickly blend it out.

Again, to blend, I just use my fingers, which I know would be frowned upon by any makeup artists, but, unlike some drugstore concealers that I’ve used, with this NARS product, I’ve never found it to be drying or problematic.

Image via @narsissist

3. Add color with bronzer

For some, depending on your skin tone, you might go for a bronzer that is very neutral, or you might go with something that really gives you that skin kissed glow.

Whatever your preference, I’ve found that any shade of bronzer can really help bring life to your face, especially if you’re like me and you prefer not to tan your face for fear of sun damage.

To apply your bronzer, grab a brush and concentrate the bronzer around the outside edge of your face. In particular, your jawline, cheekbones, and hairline are the general areas you want to focus on.

In addition, a really easy makeup tip is to add bronzer to your eyelids. You can honestly just use the same brush and sweep the bronzer across your closed eyes. It doesn’t have to be neat or fancy, but just by adding that extra warmth to your eyelids, it will perk up your whole face.

For an affordable bronzer that goes on super smooth and gives that natural glow, I highly recommend the Butter Bronzer by Physician’s Formula. There’s no weird sparkle to it, and it applies so nicely that you never have to worry about looking too over done or orange. I’ve been exclusively using the Butter Bronzer for two years now, and I’m about to buy it for the third time.

Image via @physiciansformula

4. Use a basic highlighter

When people hear the word highlighter in relation to makeup, they tend to think of bold, dramatic highlighter that you might see on a Kardashian.

That’s not what I’m recommending here.

Instead, I’m recommending a really basic highlighter that you can use to simply highlight the inner corner of your eye, and maybe down your nose, if you like that look.

It might seem like such a basic thing to do, but I’ve really found that adding that little highlight makes my eyes look so much brighter even when I’m running on little sleep.

In addition, I like to add just a little highlighter straight down my nose, and onto the tip. If you don’t want to draw attention to your nose, I wouldn’t recommend this step, but for me, it’s a quick way to add some brightness onto my face.

And, once again, I simply just use my finger to apply the highlight, which makes my makeup routine even faster.

If you’re looking for a basic highlight that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on, I would highly recommend the Pure Nude Highlight by Essence.

I have highlighters by Anastasia Beverly Hills and Two Faced, and 9 times out of 10, I go with the Pure Nude Highlight over these more pricey alternatives.

For more of my favorite drugstore makeup products, be sure to check out this post on my list of my favorite drugstore makeup finds, and my full review on the Pure Nude Highlight.

5. Finish off with mascara

To finish off the look, it’s very rare that I go anywhere without loading up on mascara, especially when I’m rocking such an easy makeup look.

In terms of what mascara I recommend, to be honest, I’ve never really tried a mascara that I didn’t like, which probably just means that I’m not super picky with mascara. Currently I’m using the Volum’ Express Colossal Mascara by Maybelline, but really, I always just base my mascara purchase off of what is currently on sale.

Find a mascara that works for you, and you’re good to go.

Optional: fill in your brows

This is one of those makeup tips that I think is very personal and will vary from person to person.

For me, personally, I love a full brow, and even though I have relatively dark, full eyebrows naturally, I do generally tend to fill them in ever so slightly.

Of course, though, I’m still trying to keep this easy makeup routine super fast, so when I say that I “fill them in,” I mean that I add the tiniest bit of product to my sparser areas, which tends to be in one particular section of brow.

Trust me, you don’t have to sit for hours trying to get the perfect drawn on brow in order for this to make a difference. Just a little filling in can frame your eyes.

With regards to a recommendation, I’ve used the NYX Micro B row Pencil for years, and I don’t think I’ll ever use anything different since this product tends to be so reliable and inexpensive.

Image via NYX Cosmetics

When it comes to your makeup routine, the most important thing to focus on is the skin, which is why I spend more money on things like foundation and concealer rather than mascara. To me, when your skin looks bright and fresh, all you need is the bare minimum on your eyes, and voila, you’re ready to tackle your day.

Of course you can always add to this little routine, if you have the time.

Sometimes I’ll add a thin line of eyeliner onto my upper lash line. Also, in the winter, I’ll add a dusting of blush onto the apples of my cheeks for some extra color, since I can get pretty pale in the colder months.

And really, other than that, that’s it!

Four steps, with only one brush, and an optional fifth step. Pretty easy, right?

I’d say so!

I’d love to hear if anyone has used any of these products, and whether or not you like them. If you have any product recommendations that help you quickly apply your makeup, leave them in the comments below. I’m all about easy makeup that still looks great.

Oh, and also, if you found these easy makeup tips helpful, feel free to share this image with your Pinterest followers. It’s always appreciated. You all rock, xx.