Mondays That Call for a 5-Minute Face

Every Sunday without a doubt, I sigh in disbelief at the idea that Monday is the next day and that I have a whole week of work ahead of me. In order to avoid traffic, I usually find myself waking up around 6:30AM on the daily and hitting the snooze button until about 6:45AM. I frantically wake up, get ready, and try to get out of the door ASAP. Now I know this probably isn't that early for some people, but for me I've always been the type to sleep in till 10AM (or 12PM..let's be real), so I'm still incredibly proud/shocked that I can get up at this time every day.

Now I am not one of those individuals fortunate enough to have pin straight hair. For me, it's a daily battle in the morning with my hair as I deal with my weird wavy hair (thanks dad). I spend most of my time in the morning straightening my hair - although I've got that down to about 5 or so minutes. While I wait for my straightener to heat up I usually brush my teeth and throw on some moisturizer and sunscreen. After that I run back to my room to slap on some makeup.

Now I usually end up throwing on some concealer, drawing on some eyeliner, curling my lashes and running walking out the door. These are a few of the pieces that I go straight for on days when I'm in a rush. I usually start off with a good dark brown eye liner which is the best for those 'no-makeup makeup' days. I plan on writing a post on my favorite dark brown liners - we'll get this blog there eventually. Drawing in a subtle line along my lash line and smudging it out gives a natural appearance of thicker lashes. I usually end up taking some of the liner and and dragging it out for a slight winged effect.

Next I move on to drawing some triangle shapes and dots around my face with the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer. This stuff is so easy, just twist - swipe - blend - done. I really just concentrate this on the sides of my nose, and a dab on my forehead and chin. This gets the job done with canceling redness and covering up any old scars.

I curl my lashes with my favorite and trusty Bobbi Brown eyelash curler that I've had since 2008 (we go way back), and quickly put on some waterproof mascara. Ever since I made the shocking discovery that waterproof mascara truly does keep your eyelashes up and curled ALL DAY LONG it's been a real game changer. I find that curling your eyelashes truly helps you look awake, and the fact that waterproof makes it stay all day means a great deal - and with this Tarte formula, a little goes a long way. Ain't none of them spider lashes from this wand.

When my brows are full, I like to use the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil. The nib is bigger than the Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil so it's much quicker for "drawing on" and you don't need to spend as much time filling in. I also feel that this has a waxier texture which means you know it'll stay on and stay put.

Last I take a huge fluffy brush and some bronzer and swipe in a figure 3 || B motion along my temple, cheeks, and jawline to add a bit of life and color back into my pasty pale skin. As noted in my February monthly favorites, I've been loving this honey bronzer from The Body Shop!

What are some of your favorite products for those quick, no-fuss makeup days?

Cheers!