No one wants to spend an hour applying makeup every day, and most days you just don’t have that kind of time. When you’re in a hurry you still want to look good, it’s time to hack your makeup routine, skip a few steps and save yourself valuable time—you know, without completely looking like you tried to save time.
Transform Your Eyeliner
Using an eyeliner pencil that’s not gel? It can take several minutes to apply a nice, even coat of eyeliner with a pencil. Make this tool easier to work with by using a simple hack: melt it. Get a lighter and ignite the flame. Place the tip of your eyeliner pencil into the flame just for a second. Let the pencil cool for about 15 seconds, and apply. The eyeliner will go on much more quickly and smoothly, with more even coverage.
Repurpose a Mascara Brush
Save a mascara brush from an empty tube, and wipe it off thoroughly. To do your eyebrows, run the brush gently over an eyeshadow color that matches the brow color you want. Lightly spray the mascara brush with hairspray, and run the brush lightly across both brows. This will fill and set your brows, and it’s a quick, easy technique.
Skip the Eyeliner
If you don’t have time to be super precise with your makeup and go through every step, leave the eyeliner in your makeup bag. Apply eyeshadow around your lashes instead. Dab a line of eyeshadow above your upper lashes and just below the lower lashes. Throw on some mascara, and the skipped eyeliner will hardly be noticeable.
Apply with Your Fingers
If you’re really in a rush but you don’t necessarily want to look like you were in a rush, use your fingertips to apply some quick eye shadow. Dip one finger into the color you want, and sweep it right across your eyelids in a smooth, even motion. If you want to do a smoky eye in a hurry, apply your eyeliner quickly in bold strokes and use your fingers to smudge it to create a quick smoky look.
Grab the Sunglasses
If you’re super pressed for time and you can reasonably get away with it, skip doing your eye makeup entirely. Grab a pair of sunglasses that you can wear all day. Put on a strong shade of lipstick to really sell the look. This is a simple hack that Hollywood celebs use all the time when they’re feeling lazy.
Hack Your Makeup Routine
Try some shortcuts when it’s time to put on your makeup, and you may find some hacks on your own. There will always be occasions when you want to take extra time with your makeup and create a truly stunning look. Then, there are those times when you just need to get the heck out of the door. That’s when makeup hacks come in handy, and some days they’re going to be a lifesaver.