by Kristen Bevilacqua

Created on: June 11, 2009   Last Updated: June 18, 2009

Busy women have less time in their day for everything, including their makeup routine. Looking your best should not be a sacrifice you have to make. Adopting a quick and simple makeup routine before starting your day will help you look more relaxed and polished throughout your busy day.

No matter how busy or crunched for time you may be, these quick makeup tricks will fit easily into your routine.

Start Fresh

The most important part of your makeup routine is the beginning. Start with a clean canvas - your face! After cleansing with a product that is suited to your skin type, apply a light daily moisturizer, ideally one with SPF properties.

If you normally wear foundation, consider replacing it with a tinted moisturizer that works well with your skin tone. Foundation can take a long time to apply and blend into skin for a natural look. If not done well, it can look caked-on and settle in wrinkles throughout the day. You will save time and give your skin a younger, more natural appearance. Two great affects for a busy woman!

The Eyes Have It

When you do not have time to the most important feature to highlight is your eyes. Throughout your day at work, running errands and interacting with people, your eyes are the most noticed part of your face.

Don't let your eyes give away a bad night's sleep. Use an eyelash curler for 5 to 10 seconds on each eye. Curled eyelashes will instantly make eyes look bigger and will help to make you look more awake.

Next apply a light shade of eye shadow to each eyelid. Start from edge of your eyelashes and blend the eye shadow out just to the crease of your eyelid. Avoid spreading the color too high otherwise you may look like you are ready for a night at the disco instead of a busy day at the office.

Finally apply black or brown mascara to your eyelashes. The mascara will open up your eyes even more and brighten your face. Only apply one stroke of mascara to each eyelid. Any more than that and it may clump. Since you don't have time to wash your face and start over, don't take the risk with extra applications.

Keep It Simple

For the busy woman, simple makeup is a blessing. Not only is it stylish, clean and fresh, but you will spend less time applying a natural look than layering on make-up. A clear to lightly tinted lip gloss is best for a natural and polished look. A strong color on your lips can look tacky and clash with your other features especially when you do not have time to coordinate all your the shades.

That's it - moisturizer, eyes and lips. Now it is time to have your last sip of coffee at home and get your busy day started!

Remember to keep it simple and keep yourself looking great even with limited time to spend on your make-up. You will be surprised at the transition that five minutes with the right makeup tricks will have on your appearance, your confidence and your attitude all day.

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