5 Tips For Getting Ready Faster From Our Makeup Artist

While it's fun to put on our favorite playlist and take our time getting ready, we don't have that luxury every day. Whether we're rushing to get to work in the morning or need to polish ourselves up quickly for a hangout with girlfriends, a five-minute makeup routine is all one really needs. You may think it's impossible to look completely put-together in such a short amount of time, but with a few of my tips, it can totally happen. Why should you trust me? Well, as a long-time makeup artist of over 15 years, I've had many instances when I needed to get a client ready in minutes — sometimes backstage at a runway show or on a last-minute add-on at a wedding. Although I was rushed, I knew what steps I could skip and what products absolutely needed to be used for a finished look.

Moreover, one piece of non-makeup-related advice I can offer for saving time is to take good care of your skin. If you don't have to cover up blemishes or address dry patches, you can focus on other areas. Be sure to stay hydrated, and exfoliate at least once a week. When your skin is at its peak condition, your makeup will only look better and your quick application will be a breeze. That said, let's break down five areas where your makeup can be hastened.

Knowing how you'll be doing your makeup every day will go a long way toward getting that beat face faster. Establish a go-to look that leaves you sufficiently presentable, and save the more elaborate faces for special occasions. This can totally be customizable depending on your preferences. Of course, skincare should come first, but after that, are you a foundation-first person? If so, that should immediately come after moisturizer. If you like to apply eyeshadow first to avoid any fallout, then that could be your first makeup step.

Once you have your routine locked down, applying your makeup should be a breeze. You can practice it until you're able to do your face without even thinking about the steps, and, in fact, the great part about having your makeup look the same every day is that, over time, you'll just get better at the technique and get ready even faster. This doesn't mean your look has to be boring or devoid of personality, either. If a red lip is part of your daily glam, then by all means, let that be part of your short-and-sweet routine. You can also switch up your eyeshadow color to help complement different outfits without adding extra time to your routine.

Fumbling around for a specific brush or errant eyeliner can take up precious time, so make things easier on yourself by organizing your products. First things first: Declutter your out-of-control makeup stash. Get rid of expired mascaras and lipstick shades you'll never use. Old foundations should be tossed as well, as their shelf life is only about a year. If you're not sure when you purchased your makeup, throw it out at the first sign of doubt. Risking your skin health is never worth it.

If you've established a daily makeup routine, keep those products separate from your "fun" stash. You shouldn't have more than 10 pieces in the stash, so they should easily fit in a small cosmetic bag or bin. The rest can be sorted in a clear, stacked makeup organizer so that everything is easy to locate. While this might sound like a daunting project, having everything neatly situated will only make your life — and your everyday look — a lot easier.

We all know that having the right makeup tools is essential, but some work better than others at providing faster results. For example, many use a foundation brush to apply their base, but I find that a makeup sponge is much more efficient in spreading the product around. A teardrop-shaped one is ideal, as you can use the round part to apply the foundation to large areas such as the cheeks and forehead. Meanwhile, the pointy side is great for under the eyes and around the sides of your nose. I also like to use the sponge to buff out the makeup after the initial application for a flawless finish.

I love using a thin pencil to fill in brows, as I can get a precise application and mimic brow hairs. However, an eyebrow powder and stiff, slanted brush can fill in sparse areas in a snap. You also don't need an arsenal of brushes for each product. One fluffy brush will do just fine for finishing powder, blush, and/or bronzer. The same goes for eyeshadow — a couple of small fluffy ones are all you need for a simple look. Just be sure to clean your brushes with a brush cleaner at some point each day to prevent spreading bacteria among your products.

When getting ready quickly, it's not necessary to do a full face of makeup. If you're crunched for time or simply don't have the patience to doll yourself up, choose one or two areas you want to focus on. If you want your eyes to stand out, spend more time on them rather than lining your lips and applying lipstick. After all, it's always easy to apply gloss on the go. I never feel complete without evening out my skin and filling in my brows, so those areas will always be my go-tos.

I also find that a bit of color on the face goes a long way toward making a person look made-up, and a swipe of blush or bronzer can be done in seconds. Curling the lashes and applying mascara also do wonders for making eyes pop. This can take a little bit of time to get right, but if your focus is on highlighting your eyes, don't skip this step.

If you're a makeup lover, then you know that there's nothing more gratifying than adding new products to your collection. However, for the sake of getting ready faster, opt for unexpected beauty product uses for a multipurpose routine. Instead of sifting through piles of makeup, keep around a few products that you can use on several areas of the face. For instance, choose moisturizers that contain SPF so that you're not piling on layers of products. Or, instead of a full-coverage foundation, you can use a tinted moisturizer or CC cream to even out your skin.

What's more, cream blushes can double as a lip stain, and you can use the opportunity to try the trendy pomegranate girl makeup look. Lip crayons are great for lining your mouth and filling them in, so a simple swipe is all you need to get that perfect pout. I also love tinted lip oils, as they hydrate while giving a hint of color. All of this is to say that with some creativity and the proper stash, you'll have just the right amount of tools to get ready in a snap.