Adobe StockSave this storySave this story
Five minutes doesn't seem like much when you're trying to look your best, but it's actually a lot more time than you think. (Think about how long five minutes feels in a tough workout!) All it takes is a little strategy and some smart, thoughtful products to make a big impact in a short amount of time, especially when you're rushing to get out the door. And if there's anyone who knows how to put together a beautiful makeup look in five minutes or less, it's the pros themselves—makeup artists!
Makeup artists often work under pressure: short timelines, quick change-ups or touch-ups, rushing from one event to another. They're prepping clients and models, but they also have to prep themselves, so they know exactly how to curate a quick but effective routine.
Many pros recommend focusing on the skin when you're short on time, as that's the foundation—pun intended—of everything else. “My overall philosophy is if your base looks good and perfected, what you do on eyes and lips actually doesn't matter that much,” says New York City-based makeup artist Kasey Spickard.
And when it comes to a five-minute face, practice makes perfect; the more you complete the same steps, the more seamless they feel. "Speed comes from repetition, not from rushing," says Ash K Holm, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. Holm recommends keeping your five-minute face products in one specific spot or grouped together so you don't have to dig through a drawer or makeup bag for that one specific shade of blush or eyeliner.
Ahead, we tapped six professional makeup artists to share the three getting-ready steps they never skip, whether they're prepping their own faces or working with a client.
Jonet Williamson
Jonet Williamson
Atlanta-based makeup artist Jonet Williamson's easy everyday routine is to spot conceal any blemishes, fill in her brows, and hydrate her lips, but if she's going to an event and only has five minutes to pull together something more impactful, she focuses on a few specific areas. “If you’re ever crunched for time, my advice would be to focus on nailing your complexion and eyebrows,” she advises. “These are the prime things that will make you feel pulled together and most like yourself.”
Foundation
If your base makeup looks good, it elevates everything else. “When you're in a rush, focus on concealing any blemishes and brightening the undereye to look more awake,” Williamson says. To quickly perfect her skin for an important occasion, she likes to “sheer out a full-coverage foundation." Incorporate some skin-care benefits by mixing your formula of choice with a little moisturizer, blend it out, and voilà!
Brows
A perfected, filled-in brow always completes the look and takes just a minute or two, depending on your product, which is why it's an essential part of Williamson's everyday and event routine. “Make sure your brow hairs are brushed in place, then fill in any areas that would help to frame your face,” she advises. “Then throw a lip combo in your bag and go!”
Eyeliner
Whether it's a delicate definition, a classic cat eye, or a smoky, smudged-out moment, eyeliner can make a huge difference in your look in just a few strokes. “I pop on a bit of black eyeliner to frame the eye,” Williamson says. “This is what I know will photograph well and not look like I skipped any steps.”
Tayaba Jafri
Tayaba Jafri
Like we said above, five minutes is more generous than it sounds; you can quickly transform and awaken your face in a short time, no problem. “Five minutes is more than enough," says Tayaba Jafri, makeup artist and global beauty director at Laura Mercier. “Just focus on the makeup feeling intentional and effortless, and the skin looking alive.”
Tinted moisturizer
Jafri starts by perfecting her skin with a sheer base, applying the product only where needed. “This keeps the skin looking real,” she says. Make sure to apply it over your daily skin care, as Jafri says there's “no compromise” on that prep step; your serums and moisturizers ready your face for the makeup to follow and can help increase radiance, hydration, and an overall healthy look. “A balanced skin tone and enlivened texture make everything else look intentional.”
Blush
Time to brighten up! Whether you're team cream or prefer a more traditional powder blush, the product “instantly brings the face to life,” Jafri says. “It mimics natural circulation, so you look fresh.”
Eyes or lips
When you're in a rush, pick one feature to define: eyes or lips. “Focusing on one feature creates polish without effort,” Jafri explains. For eyes, an eye shadow stick and mascara can create something beautiful in seconds flat, and a matte lipstick can be applied precisely for a polished look, tapped on like a stain, or blurred for a cool, edgier finish.
David Birdwell
David Birdwell
David Birdwell, makeup artist and director of global education & artistry at BareMinerals, is a fan of multitasking products like tinted brow gel and a cream lip-and-cheek product to make the most of your precious five minutes. If the clock is ticking and stress is ruining your vibe, turn up a playlist and make it fun! “When I want getting ready to feel enjoyable, even when I am short on time, I will play music that matches how long I have,” Birdwell says. “It keeps me on track without making the routine feel rushed.”
Tinted brow gel
Your everyday brow gel can do way more than define your arches, especially in a pinch. “Using one product multiple ways saves so much time,” says Birdwell. “I will use a tinted brow gel on brows and lightly on lashes or use a brow pencil as a soft eyeliner for a more natural effect.” Genius!
Cream blush
Blush can quickly add a healthy flush of color to your cheeks, but don't stop there: “I will often tap the cheek color onto my brow bone to create a cohesive, healthy look,” Birdwell says. He also likes to use it on lips to continue the color story.
Tinted moisturizer
A convenient two-in-one formula hydrates and perfects your base, but you can also combine your go-to concealer with your skin care for easy coverage, fast. “For quick complexion coverage, I like to mix a small amount of concealer into my serum to create a lightweight skin tint, then spot conceal where needed,” says Birdwell.
Ash K Holm
Ash K Holm
Holm, who works with stars like Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan, keeps a very busy schedule and has her own routine down to a science.
Skin prep
Don't neglect your skin when you're rushing to get ready. The moisturizer step is a very important one. “Even with five minutes, I'm not skipping moisturizer,” Holm says. “Hydrated skin makes everything else—even if it's nothing else—look better. This takes 30 seconds, and it's nonnegotiable for me."
Cream blush
If Holm has time for only one face product, she's reaching for cream blush. “A little color on the cheeks immediately makes you look awake and healthy,” she says. “I place it high on the cheekbones and blend up; it does the work of bronzer, highlighter, and blush all in one step.”
Winged eyeliner
Flicked-out liner is Holm's signature look and “the one thing that makes me feel most like myself." If you're an eyeliner newbie or not super steady with a brush or a pencil, practice on slow, less-busy days for success on the more harried mornings, she advises. “When you're rushing, the muscle memory is already there,” Holm explains. “A simple, quick flick at the outer corner takes under a minute once you've practiced.”
Christian Briceno
Christian Briceno
When New York City-based makeup artist Christian Briceno is working against the clock with a client, there are three nonnegotiable steps he makes sure to complete: even the complexion where it counts, add lift with cheek color, and open the eyes. “Those three steps change the face the fastest," he explains. "They make someone look rested, structured, and intentional without trying to do full makeup in a rushed way.”
Concealer
“First, I even out the complexion, but only in the center of the face,” Briceno says. He spot corrects under the eyes, around the nose, and any redness or discoloration. “Targeted correction gives the biggest payoff because it instantly makes skin look calmer and more polished,” he adds.
Cream blush
“Blush is the quickest way to bring life back into the face,” Briceno explains. Place it higher than you think—slightly back toward the temple—for an instant, wide-awake effect. Take any excess blush and tap it onto the lips for a “cohesive” look.
Eyes
You've got a few options here—each one easy, quick, and effective. “I open the eyes with one clean choice,” says Briceno. This could be curling lashes and a light coat of mascara, tightlining with an eyeliner pencil, or brushing up the brows and setting them. “The point is definition, not drama,” he says. “A little structure around the eyes makes the whole face look finished, even if everything else is minimal.”
Kasey Spickard
Laura S. Fuchs
When you really need to save time but still want to complete as much of your usual routine as possible, Spickard recommends cutting your layering steps. "If you've only got five minutes, go with just creams and set everything with powder, or do your foundation and concealer and finish with all powders," he explains. “When I have time, I build everything with cream first, then set each individual area with powder. Pick a lane and put your pedal to the metal. Layering takes way more time."
Blush and bronzer
After concealing and brightening the undereye and any area that needs a little coverage, Spickard sweeps on bronzer and blush for contour and color. In addition to its important role as a contouring tool and skin warmer, Spickard likes to add a bit of bronzer to the eye as well, finishing with lots of mascara.
Eyeliner
If you want to “bump up” your five-minute face, Spickard recommends reaching for a dark brown eyeliner and smudging it across the top and bottom lashes and buffing it out with bronzer. “Honestly, in a pinch, I've used the brown eyeliner from the eyes as my lip liner and did it with one product,” he says.
Lip liner and gloss
Another way to add a little drama to your look without adding extra minutes to the countdown is a simple lip pencil. Spickard recommends pairing a darker lip liner with your favorite gloss for something that feels a little more elevated, especially for a night out. “This takes you from day to night super quickly with only two products,” he says.
Meet the experts:
- David Birdwell is a makeup artist and director of global education & artistry at BareMinerals.
- Christian Briceno is a makeup artist in New York City.
- Ash K Holm is a makeup artist in Los Angeles.
- Tayaba Jafri is a makeup artist and global beauty director at Laura Mercier.
- Kasey Spickard is a makeup artist in New York City.
- Jonet Williamson is a makeup artist in Atlanta.
Leave a Reply