Life is busy for most people, there’s no getting around it.
In an ideal world we’d all be able to choose exactly how long to spend getting ourselves ready in the morning, after the gym or for a night out. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way.
Whether you’re a busy mum, a working woman, a combination of the two, or someone who just doesn’t want to spend too long on their face, here’s our tips to ‘put on a face’ in ten minutes flat.
Table of Contents
- First minute
- Second minute
- Third minute
- Fourth minute
- Fifth minute
- Sixth minute
- Seventh minute
- Eighth minute
- Ninth minute
- Tenth minute
First minute
Whether you use a tinted moisturizer or a foundation (remember to choose the right color!), the first step is your base coat onto which everything else is built.
You can choose to miss this step out if you’re confident about your skin and really pushed for time, and don’t feel there’s anything you’d prefer to cover up, but it’s worth considering that it might save time in the long run – keeping your makeup on for longer and saving the need for you to spend time reapplying.
Second minute
Although some people like to add it first, and it’s purely a matter of personal preference, the next step is concealer. A good concealer can make the world of difference. Make sure you choose one that’s not too chalky and is easy to apply. Pop it in all the zones that you feel need a little extra help – under your eyes, over blemishes or discolored patches etc.

Third minute
Give your face a little pat or brush of powder to set it all in place and keep the shine to a minimum.
Fourth minute
You might be surprised that you can fit in a bit of contouring into a ten minute make-up routine. Take your powder or liquid – whatever your preferred product is – and swish it under your cheekbones! Blend away. You can also add touches across the top and sides of your forehead and down the sides of your nose if you feel like it.

Fifth minute
Grab your highlighter and brush or blend a little touch to the top of your cheekbones. Also add a light touch of your favorite blush to the apples of your cheeks.
You can also opt for a foundation that gives you a glow! Check out our review of one here.
Sixth minute
Now it’s time to pay attention to your eyes. Curl your eyelashes if you choose to; it helps open your eyes up and has the added bonus that you tend to need less makeup.
Then add a slick of pale or neutral eye shadow as a base coat over your eyes. If you’re speedy, you might have time for a bit of primer or base coat on your lids too!

Seventh minute
Grab a brush and apply a second shade of eye shadow in either the sockets of your eyelids or over the entire bottom parts of your eye lids. Don’t choose something too dark as this will require lots of blending and careful application. Try to go your version of neutral as it’s much harder to go wrong.
Eighth minute
For a finished look, sweep eyeliner over your top lid next to your eyelashes. If you’ve had lots of practice, liquid eye liner makes great impact.
Ninth minute
Don’t skip the mascara as it can sure make a difference. Apply two quick coats to your top lashes and one quick flick of the brush to your bottom lashes.

Tenth minute
Add a slick of lipstick or lip balm. For speed, miss out the lip liner and, if you want your lip color to stay in place all day, consider going for something long-lasting. Paler colors tend to be quicker and easier than applying something like a strong bright red.
Ta-da! You’re done and ready to face the world.