Quick Makeup Routine: Multitasking Makeup Products

Are you a busy mom who can’t spare 5 minutes to do your face every morning? Or maybe you just don’t want to spend a whole lot of your precious time putting on makeup? Well, this post is for you! I’ll be covering the most basic makeup routine and multi-purpose products to help you look decent in the shortest amount of time. 

Please bear in mind the product suggestions below are quite general and not meant specifically for acne skin. Not all products stated have been bought or tested by me (those with a ‘*’ are those I do not have).

Step 1: Face Base

For those of you who only need minimal coverage, I would suggest a compact powder foundation with SPF. Powder is generally quick and easy to apply and pretty hard to mess up! Loose powders can get quite messy and not ideal if you are rushing out the door.

If you prefer liquid textures, BB creams are a great choice. Not only do most of them have high SPF protection, there is also a wide range for you to pick from depending on your needs and skin type. Different textures and finishes are available, such as full or light coverage, matte or dewy finish, etc. The only downside to BB creams is the limited colour selection; most are suitable for lighter skinned gals. To speed things up, use your hands to apply instead of brushes. Because it is important to protect our skin from premature ageing, select a face base with higher SPF so you can get away without having another layer of sunscreen.

Examples of foundation products with high SPF:

Shiseido Sun Protection Compact Foundation SPF35 PA+++

Has good coverage for a powder foundation and the SPF is 35+++ which is sufficient. I like the cute packaging and it holds a sponge applicator and mirror, making it very convenient for touch ups throughout the day. One disadvantage is that the powder and the casing are sold separately.

From left to right:

Shiseido Sun Protection Stick Foundation SPF36 PA++

Cream type stick foundation with decent coverage but probably not enough for red marks. No oil control properties so not the best for oily skin, and wipes off easily on your clothes. Portable packaging. 

Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF43 PA+++

Liquid foundation with medium to full coverage and the highest SPF protection of the lot. Complexion can end up looking quite ‘flat’ if too much product is used as the product has a matte finish.

Lioele Triple The Solution BB Cream SPF30 PA++

This brand is not well known locally but has good reviews online. Can be layered for full coverage and has a matte finish with sufficient UV protection.

Most of my suggestions are from Shiseido not because I’m biased but because their makeup have one of the highest SPF coverage in the market. For BB creams, there are also western brands such as Estee Lauder, Kiehl’s, Dior, etc with high SPF but the coverage tends to be more sheer than Japanese brands.

If you have really red acne marks or pimples, you may need concealer on top of your foundation for extra coverage. I suggest a liquid concealer as it is easy to work with and application is also precise if you are covering a small area. The same liquid concealer can also be used to cover up dark under-eye circles. To apply, just place a drop on the area and use your finger to pat and blend! Don’t rub as you’ll just be rubbing off the concealer.

Lancome Effacernes Concealer SPF 12

Easy-to-use liquid concealer that also has SPF. Suitable for covering both red marks and undereye circles with precision. I tried using Bobbi Brown undereye concealer for better coverage but two types of cream products have to be used to achieve the full coverage effect; a colour corrector as the first layer followed by the concealer. This took up too much time and so I eventually reverted back to Lancome.

Step 2: Cheeks and Lips

Personally I think putting some colour on your cheeks and lips is key to having a fresh-faced look. It also prevents you from looking scarily one-toned (think Addams Family) and ‘flat’ from your foundation.

Cream based products are preferred as you can use the same item for both your cheeks and lips (unless you can use powder blush to powder your lips… would it look weird or like matte lipstick???). Another advantage to using the same product is that they will match in colour.

Some suggestions for you to consider:

  Nars The Multiple*

Description from Nars website: Multitasking cream stick for eyes, cheeks and lips with a sheer finish.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks

This product tends to be drying on the lips which makes me sad because I love mine in the colour Fresh Melon.

Stila Convertible Colour*

Another option with a translucent finish, but I’ve never tried this.

Nars Cream Stick Blush

I can’t remember the exact name of this product but I believe it was a limited edition colour (once I saw it I just had to buy.. gorgeous color!). Bought it quite awhile back in Melbourne. Very sheer and dewy finish. I think the colour shows through more if you pat rather than rub it in. 

Step 3: Eyes

It is common to hear that mascara is a must because it opens up your peepers and makes them look bigger. However I don’t find this true for everyone especially if you are Asian with short and sparse lashes like me. Even armed with an eyelash curler and multiple coats of mascara, Asians may not get the same effect as say Caucasians with naturally long and thick lashes. Also, I find it a hassle to remove waterproof mascara at the end of the day and I always end up tugging at my eyelids which isn’t good. I prefer eyeliner over mascara.

Mascara suggestions:

RMK mascaras*

I’ve heard good things about this brand but the price is reeeaaaally a killer! I think it costs around $50 for a tube???

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara*

This is highly rated on Makeupalley with 4.3 out of 5 lipsticks. In my experience Japanese-brand mascaras are good for holding a curl and they are very smudgeproof/waterproof but also extremely hard to remove unless you use oil-based removers.

Eyeliner suggestions:

MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencils

I have these in multiple colours! My favourite eyeliner pencils because they are the most smudgeproof pencils I have found (made even more smudgeproof when paired with Urban Decay’s eye primer, another great product!). Great choice in terms of colour range.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Pencil

Relatively new product with a more creamy texture than the MAC ones, so it glides across the eyelids with much less tugging. However it is slightly less smudgeproof than MAC.

(Optional) Step 4: Highlight

Steps 1 to 3 should be more than enough for your daily routine, but if you have the extra time you can quickly do some highlighting to really brighten up your complexion.

Highlighter pens are easy to use and can be blended in with your fingers. Another option would be to choose a slightly shimmery eye shadow that is one tone lighter than your skin (if you have oily skin, you may want to reconsider the ‘shimmery’ part as it can make you look oilier. Maybe try a matte colour instead). Apply the highlighter on the high points of your face, such as the brow bone, your forehead, along the top of your nose and also on top of your cheek bone.

YSL touche élcat

Famous highlighting pen that can also be used to conceal and brighten light under eye circles. The pen applicator makes it easy to swipe colour on and then use fingers to blend. (btw, I have a spare and brand new YSL touche élcat in colour N3 that I'm willing to let go for below retail price. Leave a comment with your contact details or email me if you are interested in taking it off my hands!)

That's about it for this post. If you find the above to be too many steps, my advice would be to play up your favourite features while leaving the rest simple!

Love,

PockMarkFats