The 5-Minute Everyday Makeup Routine

You don't need twelve products and forty minutes to look put-together. With a little prep and a few multi-taskers, a fresh, polished look takes five minutes. Here's the routine, step by step.

Minute 1: Prep your skin

Makeup sits better on hydrated skin. After cleansing, apply a light moisturizer and, in the morning, sunscreen. Give it a minute to absorb while you get your products out; this one step does more for a smooth finish than any primer.

Don't forget your lips. Swipe on a balm now (a tinted peptide lip balm like the ELIL Peptide Tinted Lipbalm does double duty) so they're soft by the time you add color.

Minute 2: Even out where you need it

Skip full coverage on everyday days. Use a small amount of your base (tinted moisturizer, skin tint, or concealer) only where you want it: around the nose, under the eyes, and on any spots. Blend with your fingertips; their warmth helps products melt into skin.

Minute 3: One color, three places

This is where multi-use products shine. A cream or liquid color designed for cheeks, eyes, and lips, like the ELIL 3 IN 1 C.E.L, creates a cohesive, monochrome look in seconds:

• Cheeks: dot on the apples and blend up toward the temples.
• Eyes: tap a sheer wash across the lids with your ring finger.
• Lips: press a little onto the center of your lips and blot for a natural stain.

Using one shade everywhere makes the look feel intentional, even when it took sixty seconds.

Minute 4: Define your eyes

Curl your lashes if you like, then apply one coat of mascara, wiggling the wand at the root and pulling through to the tips. If you want a little more definition, tightline with an eyeliner pencil (along the upper lash line, between the lashes) for depth without an obvious line.

On humid days or long days, a waterproof mascara such as the ELIL Diamond Studded Waterproof Mascara keeps everything in place.

Minute 5: Set and finish

Lightly dust setting powder only where you get shiny, usually the T-zone. Too much powder everywhere is what makes makeup look heavy.

Finish your lips. Keep the stain from step three, or add a gloss or lip oil for shine. Want more polish? Line and fill with the ELIL Lip Kit (liner plus matte liquid lipstick) and you've gone from daytime to dinner in under a minute.

Tips to make it last

• Less product, better blending. Thin layers wear longer than thick ones.
• Set strategically. Powder only where you need it.
• Keep a lip product in your bag. Lips are the one thing you'll touch up.
• Clean your tools. Fingers and brushes carry oil that breaks makeup down.

Your five-minute kit

1. Moisturizer and sunscreen
2. Skin tint or concealer
3. A multi-use cheek, eye, and lip color
4. Mascara (waterproof for long days)
5. Setting powder
6. A lip balm plus your favorite gloss or lipstick

Building your kit? ELIL makes vegan, cruelty-free multi-taskers for every step above. Shop all ELIL, and use WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order.