Good morning & happy Monday, beautiful!

I know that it sucks to return to work after a wonderful weekend full of fun and sleeping in. Monday’s usually consist of throwing yourself together after accidentally sleeping late, spilling the venti sized coffee all over your clothes that you waited 30 minutes in line at Starbucks for (not to mention you needed that coffee to get through the day), and getting stuck at that train that always catches you at the worst times! Monday’s are a struggle for us all! Mornings are a struggle for me period! That’s why I put together an extremely quick & simple routine to help you look like you totally have it all together, even when you don’t! These steps are perfect for the busy and rushed moms, those days when you just don’t have enough time, or if you just don’t like wearing a lot of makeup. With just a few products, you can create an effortless & flawless look.  

• PREP: Beautiful skin starts with a good, consistent skincare routine. You should start each day by washing your face first thing after waking up. Fresh skin feels amazing. Try rinsing with cool water. It will instantly make you feel awake and refreshed. After cleansing your face, you’re now ready to prep your skin! Prepping your skin for the day is a major step! I prep my skin each morning by pouring T.N. Dickinson’s® 16 oz. Witch Hazel  onto a cotton pad and wiping my face with it. Witch Hazel is a 100% natural astringent. It cleanses, soothes, and treats everyday skin irritations without over drying. I love this stuff! It has been a hero for my oily skin. Next, I apply The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Facial Oil to moisturize my skin. This oil is infused with 3 seed oils from around the world. The seed oils are known for their revitalizing and repairing properties on skin. Black cumin seed oil from Egypt, camellia seed oil from China and rosehip seed oil from Chile, and its powerful blend of essential oils make this oil so unique. It instantly revitalizes. I love that it makes my skin radiant. My skin is super oily, so I was shocked to find a facial oil that didn’t make my skin look completely wet. It actually absorbs into my skin and makes it feel soft.
• PRIME:  bareMinerals ® ‘Blemish Remedy’ Mattifying Prep Gel is great, especially for keeping your skin clear! It gives me a smooth base to apply my powder over. It also keeps me oil-free all day.
• CONCEAL: Unless you just get 8+ hours of sleep every night and never have dark circles or bags under your eyes, then this is the step you do not want to miss, babe! I love to apply the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer with a damp beautyblender – Beautyblender Pro – Black  under my eyes. I also dab a little bit onto my blemishes. This concealer is light-weight, buildable, and super easy to apply.
• POWDER: Powder is so quick & easy to apply. You can even throw it in your bag for on the go! I look for medium to full coverage powders like the MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation. If you need more coverage but still nothing heavy, you can try a BB cream like the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB or the Bobbi Brown Women’s BB cream-IVORY If you are looking for a foundation with a little more coverage, try the TOO FACED Born this way foundation
• BLUSH: Ok, the whole point of this is to create a look that makes you look less tired than you actually are. You will look completely dull and dead without a little bit of color on your cheeks! I love the tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour blush  and I really like the color “dollface”
• MASCARA: I use a different mascara every day. Of course I have my top favorites (I will talk about that another day), but I still love trying different ones. I like the MAC ‘In Extreme Dimension’ Waterproof Mascara . It doesn’t flake throughout the day and it is definitely waterproof. Tip to remove this mascara or any waterproof mascara: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser+Waterproof Makeup Remover I love this cleansing water. It is the product that I never knew I always needed. It GENTLY removes all traces of waterproof mascara unlike any product I have ever tried. Most removers I have tried get in my sensitive eyes and irritate them. Most of them also make a complete mess, but this cleansing water feels exactly like water, just a lot more powerful and magical!
• LIPSTICK: Throw on your lipstick and hustle, girl! For an “effortless” look, you obviously don’t want to rock a bold lippie. Stick to natural, soft pink tones like the  Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in the color “Chihuahua” or the Buxom Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick  in the color “Centerfold.” Both of these options are super easy to apply and they will pull a quick look together beautifully.

Quick tip: For more dewy, healthy-looking skin, try dusting a highlighter onto the top of your cheek bones, down the bridge of your nose, on your chin, and a little above your lip. I like the MAC ‘Mineralize’ Skinfinish Pinwheel This is just an extra step. You don’t have to do this, but it does make a difference. It gives you a healthy complexion and makes you look awake. You can even pop a little bit onto the inner corners of your eyes.

 

You’re all done! Remember that there’s nothing you can’t do with a a glamorous pair of sunnies, concealer, lipstick, and coffee. You’ll be ready to conquer the world and take on anything that life throws at you today! These steps will only take up a few minutes of your morning. You deserve that time to relax and pamper yourself. No more dreadful, long, and boring morning routines. You can now feel excited to rise, shine, and grind! Have a fabulous day, gorgeous!