Please help me get ready faster

[DukeOfEarlGrey]

I take far too long to get ready and need to speed it up! I’ve been the same since I was a teenager - it takes me the best part of an hour to do my makeup. It’s not elaborate - no false eyelashes or anything! - but I am very pale, with blonde eyebrows/lashes and incredibly dark circles under my eyes (can’t be shifted) and without full make up I look ill, to the extent that people comment. On top of that my hair is really thick and takes ages to dry.

I’ve tried all sorts - brow and lash tint, just bought a Dyson hairdryer - but still can’t get out of the door in the morning in under 2hrs. It’s never been great but I recently got a new job with a longer commute and the lack of sleep is killing me.

Can anyone help with new ideas to speed up my makeup and hair drying??

Do you drink enough water - my dark circles worse if i don't.

I do very similar to OhTheRoses

@OhTheRoses - no, I don’t drink enough water and should drink more. The circles do sometimes fade a bit in the holidays etc when I eat better, sleep better etc. but they are basically a permanent fixture because of my pallor. Ironically I had flu last year, spent a week in bed and my mum came to visit and marvelled at how well I looked! But until I have a massive lifestyle overhaul (not dismissing the value of this!) the circles are here to stay.

Honestly, I’m so pleased with all the ideas. Am off to sleep now (not helping the circles!) butvwill come back tomorrow to check in. Thanks so much for the suggestions - feels ridiculous that I’ve spent years doing this

Reduce the different types of makeup and become comfortable less than perfect brows and eyeliner.

My makeup is done in about 10 minutes:
BB cream around eyes
One shade of eyeshadow on lids
Sparkly purple eyeliner on top lid lash line
Purple kohl on lower lash line
Mascara
Blot or wipe off any mascara marks
BB on rest of face touch up under eyes if wiped off mascara marks
Blusher
Sprint off to hurry children up

It is not perfect. Doesn't need to be. Covers up what needs to be covered and doesn't have an obvious tide mark. Eyeliner could be rustic bit meh, looks fine.

You'll find a way to speed up.

Have you tried experimenting with different eyeliner and brow products? You might be using products that are too dark for you, if you're finding it so finicky. If they are the right colour it shouldn't take any more than a couple of mins to do brows and eyeliner.

Instead of black eyeliner, you could try brown, bronze or grey (depending on what complements your eyes best). Eyeliner pencils are generally quicker than liquid liners and much more mistake-proof. I really like the Chanel waterproof eyeliner pencils.

What's your routine for undereye circles? I use some eye cream, and then blend in a high coverage concealer with a sponge or brush. It should take seconds. If it's taking you a while, again you may want to look at what tools and products you're using.

Can't remember what it's called but BB corrector and concealer is fab. The corrector often works on its own for me. If your spending most of your time is spent covering dark circles then investing in a product which is really effective should speed things up.

I’ve recommended this before but Urban Decay Brow Blade is the best eyebrow product I’ve ever used - there’s a traditional pencil end which is best when you’re in a hurry and a felt tip style end which needs a little bit more time but gives amazing results - I’ve been asked if my brows have been microbladed several times.

Book into the Bobbi brown counter for a make over and let them teach you.

Honestly I can't imagine what you're doing with that time, I get my brows tinted. Otherwise concealer, foundation, powder, eye shadow, eye liner, eyelash circles, mascara and perfume literally take me less than 5 mins. I predict you either have terrible products, you're too perfectionistic or your technique is terrible.

Maybe it is the products you're using.

Can you use a liner than can be smudged as opposed to having to be too exact maybe. Or use a dark eyeshadow instead of liner applied with an angled brush.

It must be hard with light eyebrows but there has to be a product out there to make things more efficient for you. Glossier boy brow? Anastasia dip brow? Benefit?

Use concealer under your eyes, powder the rest of your face, do your eyebrows, smudged liner to accentuate your eyes, mascara and lipstick.

I won't bore you with the fact I can do my make up in 5 minutes because we have different eyes but a brown taupe type of shadow on the lid does do wonders for most people in a hurry coupled with mascara.

There is always the option of fake tan perhaps, those tan luxe drops added to moisturiser to add a healthy glow the night before. They work really well for paler skin.

I can do my makeup in 5-10 minutes & it lasts all day. I moisturise (Clinique), apply liquid foundation with a sponge (MAC), apply liquid concealer with a sponge (MAC), add a powder blush (MAC) & a liquid lipstick (Mellow, it’s much quicker to apply than normal lipstick). That’s it. I wear lash extensions which really open my eyes so I don’t need mascara/eyeliner

Oh & I was my hair twice a week & tailor my style accordingly. I never wash my hair in the morning, I love my sleep too much

I feel your pain with the pale skin my Irish and Scottish ancestors passed on (they could have gifted me the red hair instead of it going to male cousins though). I struggle to get foundation pale enough.

Book in for a make over, most make up counters / shops will do one for free, tell them you need a 10 min routine and let them them show you how it is done.

Do you use primer? A pink one under foundation should get rid of the rings.

Can you embrace the under eye and go for a smokey eye look?

I use the ABH dipbrow gel which can just be combed through (pale redhead here)
Mine takes around 20-25 mins daily

I wear very little makeup, am lazy and have fine hair, but for what it’s worth, my two pennorth:
you don’t mention issues with your skin so I’m guessing it’s good. BB cream or tinted moisturiser can be applied in literally seconds.
Eyebrows. I brush with a toothbrush and apply very light feathery strokes of pencil. Again, takes seconds. There are lots of good, quick products out there (eg Gimme Brow) that can just be brushed on. . I highly recommend you put a recurring eyebrow thread & tint and an eyelash tint in your diary.
Eyes. Try an eyeshadow pencil that can just be smudged on.
All this will save heaps of time. I can understand concealer taking longer but surely not more than five mins or so?
Hair is more difficult but could you wear it up more often?

I still hold to the old rule that other people notice far less than you think they do.

I am pale-skinned with medium brown eyebrows and eyelashes, so I appreciate that I already have quite a bit of definition compared to someone who is blonde. I am moderately attractive, but certainly no beauty!

In the morning of a work day I moisturise and go, then apply lipstick, a bit of eyeliner pencil and a light coat of mascara either on the train or in the loos at work. I am fairly happy with my appearance and no one seems to mind that I don’t wear more makeup! I might start wearing a bit more as I am in my forties, but I don’t think it will make me look better, just different.

Do you wear a lot of black? If you are pale, that could be the reason why people think you look ill without makeup. I wear lots of jewel colours and always colour-coordinate. I find that the colour I wear has a far greater impact on how ‘well’ I look than anything I do to my face.

Just returning to this thread now I’m home from work and am delighted with all these suggestions - thank you so much!

Top takeaways for me are:

1. Clearly I take a bonkers amount of time to get ready. I knew it was a lot but the level of surprise from pp has made me seriously resolve to address this - just imagine what else I could be doing with my life 😮

1. Cutting out the bits I don’t need - covering shadows/defining eyes is what stops me looking ill but a pp is right, my skin is fine and I could replace foundation with tinted moisturiser or even ditch altogether. Ditto highlighter that I like but don’t need.

1. Trying different products. I use a gel eyeliner at the moment and lots of pp saying pencils are easier/quicker. I’ve always found them tricky to use but will try the ones suggested. Also brow gel suggestions, as am currently using a pencil because I like the colour (blond with no red - red looks surprisingly wrong in my brows).

1. Diarising brow and lash tint. I do it and it helps but then I don’t get around to going for ages.

Will keep reading - this is an excellent education!

I have the lovely dark circles of which you speak and find that applying fake tan on my face definitely minimises them.

@MaybeDoctor - no, I only wear black to the gym due to its ability to drain... need to wear twice as much makeup to wear black and not look ill!

@managedmis I really can’t go near fake tan - am so pale it just looks weird, always orange on me!

Have you thought of perhaps using a cream eyeshadow stick? Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier do lovely ones in neutral colours. When I'm in a rush I find them great - I don't need to muck around with eye primer, brushes or different shades of eyeshadow. Just swipe and blend, add a little eyeliner and mascara and that's my eyes done. They're also really long wearing.

Just another thought - when using eyeliner pencil, try smudging it with a pencil brush before it sets (something like a MAC 219 brush but there are many similar brushes from other brands). Again it means you can add some definition but without having to be too precise about it like you do with a liquid or gel liner.

If your skin is decent then put the time into concealer and then maybe a powder foundation? I switched to Mac studio fix instead of foundation recently (I use a really big fluffy brush to put it on) and it is so quick and once I pop on a bit of blusher it looks better than liquid foundation for me (also v pale and I found liquid foundation took way longer to get in evenly and not cakey). Also, my skin has gotten even better from not using liquid foundation every day! I also feel I look ill without eyeliner so I feel you! Have you tried using an thin angled brush and some dark brown/black eyeshadow as eyeliner for day wear? You don't need to be half as precise so it can be much quicker but you still get the eye definition. And then thirdly, defo get gimme brow or boy brow or similar- the ones that are like mascara for your brows are super handy for on the go! Good luck and god speed! For context I'm in my 30s and my mother still says "oh no are you not feeling well?" whenever she's sees me without makeup 😂

They're not for everyone but I find I feel so much more confident being bare faced when I have lash extensions. Can be slightly costly to be fair but all the makeup I need is a light foundation, blusher, eyebrow pencil and a nice lipstick or gloss to top it off, all in all takes 15 mins max

Oh and for hair invest in the Babylon big hair. It's a dryer but does loose curls as it rotates on a brush. Takes me max 20 mins to do all my hair but I'd recommend it the night before, trying your hair in a twisty bun at night and then you'll have perfect curls the next day or forget the bun and have a nice blow dried look