Look Professional in 5-Minutes

By Faith Lawless, About.com Guide

Whether you are already a business woman or you have a job interview, you should make sure that your makeup looks appropriate. So if you are already living life in high speed, there will be little time for makeup. However, there are some very quick and easy steps to take, so you can look professional in 5-minutes or less.

 

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 Minutes

 

Here's How:

1. After cleansing and prepping your face you can begin by using a really good makeup primer, such as Nars Makeup Primer (Compare Prices). Apply all over the face, except for around the eyes and on the lips. The makeup primer will work as a good base for your foundation, so it will help it go on smoother and last longer throughout the day.
   
2. Once you apply the makeup primer, you can apply a good all-day foundation, such as Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation (Compare Prices). Apply the foundation all over you face and make sure you blend it slightly under the eye. You shouldn't go directly under the eye, instead you should stop at the orbital bone (you should be able to feel this bone with your fingertips). It's ideal to use a foundation brush when applying, but if you don't have time then your fingertips will work just fine.
   
3. After you apply your foundation, and before you apply powder, you should first dab on any concealer that may be needed around the eyes and on blemishes or flaws. If you can find a good foundation, such as Smashbox's foundation makeup, then you should only need to add concealer around your eyes to help diminish any darkness and work as a base for eyeshadow.
   
4. Next apply a nice cream stick blush on your cheeks. If you can find a really pretty all-in-one item, like Nars The Multiple stick (Compare Prices), then you can use it on your cheeks, lips, and also to highlight your eyes. You will want to use this before you apply your powder, so the color will last all day on your cheeks. Simply use your fingertips to dab the color on your cheeks and then on your lips.
   If you plan to use it on your eyes too, then I would wait until you apply your single shadow color first.
   
5. After adding color to your lips and cheeks, you should then apply a pressed powder. Instead of dusting your entire face, gently dab it where you need it and then throw it in your purse for touch-ups later. Basically, if you cleanse your skin daily and you wear a makeup primer with a good foundation, you shouldn't need to cake on a lot of face powder too. After all, you want to look professional and natural, not made-up and ready to party.
   
6. Now you can concentrate on your eye area. First smooth out your eye brows and do any quick fill-ins, if needed. Then take a single neutral to medium eyeshadow, such as M.A.C single eyeshadows (Compare Prices), and apply it to the lid area only. Follow up with 1-2 coats of all-day mascara, such as Chanel Inimitable in black (Compare Prices).
   
7. As a final step, take a neutral lip-colored lip liner and line your lips, then lightly fill in. You can then add more of the all-in-one stick, if you used it before, or a favorite lipstick. Since you are playing down your eyes you can add a little more color to you lips if you want. Just make sure not to go too bright, unless your complexion can carry it off. As a general rule, if you look in the mirror and automatically focus on your lips because they are screaming red, then they are too bright for the work environment.

 

Tips:

1. To keep your makeup looking professional, down play your eyes and then add more color later if you decide to go out on the town.
2. If you have oily skin, keep a pack of oil-blotting papers in your purse or in your desk.
3. After you get to work, continue to keep it professional by not touching up makeup at your desk. Instead keep a small cosmetic case with the necessities and quickly slip into the restroom for a moment.
4. If you find that you are in a rush for time in the morning, have 2 cases of makeup; one containing your 5-minute work makeup and another containing the items you like to use outside of the work week.

 

What You Need:

• Makeup Primer
• All Day Foundation
• Concealer for Around the Eyes
• All-in-One Color Stick
• Compact Face Powder
• Single Neutral to Medium Eyeshadow
• A Good All Day Mascara
• Lip-Colored Lip Liner