For some, the minimal face is a sort of trend-driven affectation; something novel to have a whack at for a while until they return to the usual 40-minute morning makeup application extravaganza. For the majority of make-up wearers, it is their morning ritual; all they have time for, or all they can be bothered with. Lashes and contour at the school gate are well for some, but on the average weekday morning, most of us just want to look like we aren’t battling a secret meth addiction, and losing.
Whether you have three minutes or 15 for your make-up in the morning, it’s best to opt mostly for cream products you can apply with fingers. These products are quick to apply and forgiving if you are rushing, or are applying them on a dark winter morning or on public transport. None of these products have airborne powder elements. Feel free to roar that at anyone who gives you a dirty look for applying mascara on the bus because you would rather spend five minutes more asleep/with your children/finding your tights than doing it at home.
Start with a dewy (read: forgiving) compact foundation such as Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation SPF25 (€55 at Brown Thomas), which can be buffed in with a chubby, fluffy brush in under two minutes.
Follow up with a liquid or cream eyeshadow, preferably something like Glossier Lidstar Glistening Eye Glow (€18 at glossier.com) for some light reflection. Go for a nude shade, which will of course vary depending on your skin tone, to make your life a little easier, and to keep the look pared back and natural.
Apply Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Blush Stick (€30 at Brown Thomas) to the apples of your cheeks and pat in with fingers. These sticks are intensely pigmented, fresh and easy to use. The pink or peach shade both brighten and inject life into a sleepy morning face.
The mascara you choose can make your eyes a focus, even in minimal makeup, or just make them look polished and defined. No7 The Full 360 Mascara (€13 at Boots until February 12th, €18.50 thereafter) has a good deal of oomph to it. It curls lashes and coats them in a jet black, but non-clumping formula which gives intense volume but is still day appropriate.
For something more lengthening with a slightly more "your lashes, but fancier" finish (don't try to tell me for even an instant that lashes cannot be fancy), Glossier Lash Slick (€16 at glossier.com) is affordable and excellent.
To finish, choose a lip product that enhances, but subtly, is comfortable and won’t disappear from the centre of your lips when you horse into a croissant (or some other exorbitantly overpriced café snack) mid-morning.
MAC Versicolour Varnish Gloss Stain (€25 at Arnotts) applies as a gloss, and wears beautifully, leaving a non-drying stain behind which means you don’t need to worry about your lipstick. Choose a nude shade – pink or peach nude for paler to mid-toned skins, or a berry tone for deeper skins.
