How To Streamline Your Make-Up Routine
Firstly, Start With Your Skin
“Nothing will be speedy if you don’t have good skincare in place. Why? Because nothing will sit right and will end up causing you more fuss. Cleansing is essential, especially at night-time. It rids everything from the day and provides you with a clean slate for anything you apply the following morning, meaning less pilling of product too. On top of cleansing, I recommend gentle exfoliation once or twice a week – this is key to keeping skin bright and healthy. Try using something like Beauty Pie’s Dermabrasion Face Polish Wonderscrub as you shower to speed things up. It resurfaces, brightens and improves uneven tone immediately. It also gives skin a buttery-smooth surface for make-up to adhere to. Using one at night is my preference as it saves you time come morning.” – Tahira
Prioritise A Good Concealer
“No matter your skin type, I often think no one needs endless steps to create the ideal base. You do, however, need a very good concealer. The right one will brighten your skin and, at times, replace the need for foundation. I swear by the RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer. It offers such great coverage on pigmentation and darkness, with a smooth, creamy texture that’s easy to blend. While you want to speed everything else up, it’s important to take the time when it comes to base application – focus on the areas that need it most, so under the eyes, around the nose and anywhere you want to unify. I see people take a big dollop and just blend like crazy, but this masks everything and you end up taking longer to reverse it. Work strategically and blend out with a brush or a sponge – Otis Batterbee has a brilliant selection in my opinion. I also love Nadia V Persaud for brushes.” – Tahira
“A good sponge helps to speed things up when it comes to working with concealer. I love the traditional BeautyBlender – using a dabbing motion, it helps concealer become at one with your complexion and it does so quickly, especially if it’s a little bit damp as it just fuses everything together. For concealer, ditch the huge amounts you see on social media and, as Tahira says, take a dedicated approach. I always recommend going over areas with your finger just to ensure everything is blended nicely and smoothly and not settling into fine lines.” – Ruby
Don’t Be Afraid To Double Up
“It’s easier than you think to streamline your make-up routine. So many products can be used across several areas of the face now – lips, cheeks, eyes, you name it. Don’t be afraid to use your blusher over your lips and even eyelids – cream formulas work particularly well for this. Similarly, I often use powder bronzer as an eyeshadow. It pays to get a bit creative and not limit yourself just because a product says it’s dedicated to one area.” – Ruby
“I love a gel or cheek tint that holds and can be used all over the face. A few of my favourites include the Gen See Cheek Tint in Lychee which suits everyone and is so easy to work with. I also love RMS’ Lip Lights – they are so quick and easy to apply but instantly help you to feel polished and pulled together. I also love to use Ilia's Liquid Powders as a highlighter – they have the most beautiful champagne and neutral tones. The brand 19/99 Beauty is great for multi-purpose sticks too.” – Tahira
Play Up Your Eyes
“I often say you attract with the eyes and seal the deal with your lips. It’s personal preference, but I recommend thinking of eyes first and lips second – if at all. Sometimes just a tinted balm is enough to bring lips to life and these require no precision when it comes to application. In my opinion, as we get older, focusing on the eyes is key because it lifts and brightens your entire face. Once these are done and your base is complete, you can see what else you have time for – be it cheeks or brows or lips.” – Ruby
Do A Speedy Smokey
“If you want drama around your eyes without too many steps, use a darker kohl crayon – not black as it can be ageing; look to grey or brown or aubergine and apply it on the outside corner of the eye, creating just a small flick. Buff it out with your finger or take an angled brush. It isn’t about precision but more about creating a small shadow that moves upwards on the eye as it helps to open and brighten with minimal effort. I recommend setting it with eyeshadow of the same colour to hold it in place – you don’t need setting powder as well.” – Tahira
“Eyeshadow crayons are great if you’re time-poor. If you don’t want to create anything other than a wash of colour on your lids, use one and scribble it all over, buffing with your finger or a brush – that’s it. Some of my favourites are from Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and NARS.” – Ruby
Invest In Good Hybrids
“If you do want more than a concealer, I recommend investing in skin tints with benefits, like Ilia’s SPF Super Serum. It’s got lovely coverage that conceals just enough, without being heavy, while the added SPF saves you another step in your routine. Though it’s worth noting, you’ll need more protection if you intend on sitting out in the sun all day.” – Tahira
Understand Your Highlighter
“Forget about spending hours contouring your skin. Personally, I think it’s much more flattering to use highlighter. Darker shadows push everything back, so your features look more sunken. It’s why I recommend using highlighter as light brings everything forward. It’s one step worth including if you can. Dot highlighter onto areas the light naturally hits to increase skin’s volume and overall glow.” – Ruby
Get Acquainted With The Right Products
“I pride myself on being able to do my everyday make-up in 60 seconds using my own Ruby Hammer beauty products. Everything I’ve created doubles up – for instance, my mascara has a brow gel the other end and lip serum balms work nicely on the lips and cheeks. Shopping around for products like this is key for a streamlined routine. I also love the Jones Road Miracle Balm and Merit’s Flush Balms – both products look gorgeous over the lips, cheeks and eyes. You can’t beat NARS’ The Multiple Stick either as it goes everywhere – even on the body for a soft sheen.” – Ruby
Transition With Ease
“If you want to transition your look from day to night quickly, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, the light. The biggest change from day to evening is the level of light, so you can simply go over your daytime make-up with a heavier hand – in my opinion, removing it is unnecessary and a waste of time. An additional coat of mascara and perhaps eyeliner to an otherwise plain eye is all you need. Even a little gloss over lips can transition your make-up in seconds.” – Ruby
“I recommend misting your face with a toner to take your look from day to night. I love the Et Al 3-in-1 Face Mist which is a toner and hydrator in one. It gently fixes make-up without causing any stickiness. It also reinvigorates pigments – so you’ll find eyeshadow and lipstick look fresher and brighter.” – Tahira
Learn Some Quick Fixes
“I’m not big on hacks, but one I do love is applying foundation or concealer to a cotton bud and then using it as an erasing wand. It’s quick to do and saves you faffing with remover and causing more mess. It works really well too and keeps coverage looking smooth.” – Tahira
“Stock up on brushes that are double-ended so you’re not constantly reaching for new brushes each time you change steps. I always carry my Magnetic Brush Set with me and use the tapered tip to buff when I am on the go. There are six brushes in this set and they all click together for ease.” – Ruby
“Another tip is to always use what I call ‘FX’ products – these are textures that can switch the dimension of your products to create looks with ease. For instance, tinted balms can be applied, but they can also be worn on top of powders and matte textures to give them a further boost. Experiment and play, you’ll soon find what helps you achieve what you need.” – Ruby
Lastly, Remember Less Is More
“When you streamline your routine, it’s worth remembering that less is more. The minute you start applying lots, you realise there’s more room for error. Take a simple approach and look to products that you know will work hard for you. I recommend the brand Studio10 which is home to such versatile, hard-working products – most of the range doubles up as two products in one. It has great palettes too that house a bit of everything.” – Tahira
For more tips, follow @RubyHammer & @Tahira_MakeUp
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