12 Makeup Hacks for Slackers

Why should makeup be time consuming? If you don't have time to go through a 37 step cosmetic routine, but still want to look reasonably attractive, these tips are for you.
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Why should makeup be time consuming? If you don't have time to go through a 37 step cosmetic routine, but still want to look reasonably attractive, these tips are for you. Skip the YouTube makeup routines and get a natural, radiant look with these 12 makeup hacks:

1)Hide under eye bags: Not enough sleep? No one needs to know. Highlight the crease of the bag under your eye with a shade lighter than your skin tone, then apply a darker tone between that and the eye to visually reduce the puffiness.

2)Exfoliate the lips: If you don't have much time, just focus on the lips. Apply a gloss for a shiny finish or a stain for all-day color. If you exfoliate your lips with a baby toothbrush, it helps the lipstick last longer. Choose a shade that complements your skin tone.

3)Tightline eyes: Apply your eyeliner straight in between your lashes and on the inner, upper rim. The look is more natural than lining above the lashes, but still give you a bit of definition.

4)Curl lashes: If you're not using mascara, curling your lashes can give you the same effect. Anneke la Grange, lead artist from an online makeup course, says to heat your lash curler with the hair dryer for 3-5 seconds before curling to set the lashes into place.

5)Hide blemishes: If you need to hide a blemish, instead of rubbing concealer all over it, take a thin brush and apply concealer directly (and lightly) to the blemish instead. The brush evenly distributes the concealer over the blemish.

6)Conceal mistakes: If you are applying lipstick or eyeliner on the go (it happens) and you slip up, just take a bit of concealer and blend over the mistake.

7)Moisturize without suffocating: Finding a tinted moisturizer will provide the color you need, moisturize your skin and let your skin breath better than heavy foundations.

8)Low maintenance lips: If you're not a fan of lipstick, try using a tinted lip balm. It offers muted, subtle color while keeping your lips soft.

9)Easy winged eyeliner: Winged eyeliner looks great when it's done right, but to all the women trying it freehand with an eye pencil: Use a spoon as a template by pressing the concave side against your eyelid and moving it around to create the angle of the wing.

10)Quick smoky eyes: The smoky eye isn't for beginners--it takes lots of color application and precise blending if you want to achieve a professional look. To speed things up, draw a slanted hashtag on the outer corner of your eyelid with a deeper shade of eyeshadow and blend it in with the rest of your eye makeup.

11) Dry shampoo tip: Instead of applying dry shampoo in the morning, apply it before bed. That way, it really gets worked around and creates tons of volume and absorbs extra oil.

12)French manicure time saver: Unless you have surgeon's hands, doing your own French manicure makes it look like it was done by a 3 year-old. For a perfect line every time, wrap a rubber band on your finger where you'd like the tip, and then paint only the part above with white polish. Once it has dried, remove the rubber band and clean up with a cotton swab and some nail polish remover.

Whether you woke up late or just don't like to spend a lot of time applying makeup, these tips will help you get a clean, polished look with minimal effort. What's your morning routine? Share in the comments!

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