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Hello cheriés! Today’s topic is about something I always do and I think will benefit you too! Makeup application takes time; some people spend up to 2 hours in front of the mirror because of makeup. I mean, you cannot rush perfection but every day is not makeup day. There are days when you oversleep and have to rush out to work/appointment/school and you just don’t have the luxury of settling down for makeup but you also don’t want to look less of your normal flawless self, just because there is no time. OR you just are too lazy every other day to painstakingly apply makeup. I’m more in the second category (the lazy girl), I get cold feet when it’s time to apply makeup on myself. I love makeup, I love seeing the transformation process on my clients, I love my job but spending that much time working on others makes me just really want to keep away from makeup and breathe! But as the popular Nigerian saying goes: “you no fit fall your hand” (meaning: you can’t disappoint or fall short of your standards), so make up, I must. I have discovered simple makeup tricks that you can follow and be done in 10 minutes and still look amazing! My discovery: DO YOUR BROWS, SKIP THE EYE! Believe it or not, eye makeup takes time! By the time you do your brows, apply eyeshadow base, then the numerous eyeshadows, you blend, do your eyeliner (this one takes precision and therefore time), Curl your lashes, apply mascara, then maybe faux lashes; you notice that at least 15 minutes (if not more) goes into eye makeup. I advice you skip it or at least limit it to eyeliner/Kajal (for definition)/ mascara, and a pop of shimmer in the tear duct. When cleaning out your brows, use a concealer that’s close to your skin tone. You don’t want to have a halo on your brows. OPTIONAL: Dust on a mildly shimmery eyeshadow (I use Revlon Color Stay mineral powder) underneath. Take a cue from celebrity makeup artist, Makeup-By-Mario and keep the eye simple!

FACE: KEEP IT CLEAN Never forget to use moisturizer; preferably one with SPF, apply foundation (your true skin shade. Don’t go lighter or darker), apply blush and bronzer to warm up your skin, then powder. I mix my foundation with face primer and sometimes, a small amount of bronzer … for that healthy glow. Applying face primer and foundation together saves you the time of waiting for the primer to set before you apply your foundation.

Remember to brush a little amount of foundation unto your eyelids to cover any discolouration or darkness. Set with powder immediately to avoid creasing. If you may, don’t do serious contouring, just let the shadows play… Keep it clean! CONCENTRATE ON YOUR LIPS You know you can apply lipstick on-the-go: in traffic, wherever, you may not even need a mirror to do that, your phone camera can be your mirror (you didn’t know? Try it!) For you not to look “sick”, since you’ve skipped the eye makeup, go vibrant and bright on the lips.

After it all, don’t forget to set your makeup with your makeup spray. My personal favorites are the MAC FIX+ and NYX DEWY FINISH spray. Believe me, you won’t really miss the non-existent eye makeup. You will still come out looking flawless like every other day, you just won’t spend the normal time in makeup application! PRODUCTS USED Brows: Zaron Brow Definer Bhcosmetics concealer Eyes: LA Girl Immense Mascara Avon retractable Kajal in Navy Revlon ColorStay mineral powder in tear-duct Face: NYX Angel Veil BlackUp foundation in HC10 Blackopal Transluscent powder ELF contouring bronzer & blush Revlon ColorStay mineral powder Zaron powder in ZZ30 MAC FIX+ Lips: JordanaCosmetics Lipliner in Sienna NYX Soft Matte lip cream in Anywerp You can get these products at www.theDFstore.com, www.beautyrevng.com and any Zaron outlet near you. You can thank me now! About the Writer: Zuka Williams is an Economist, a make-up artist and a beauty blogger. She blogs at www.maketopiaofficiel.com and tweets @ZuWilliams_