I’ll never forget the day that I had to make a major presentation to the Board of Directors of the non-profit organization where I worked. I was so anxious about it that I – not surprisingly – had difficulty falling asleep the night before.

And then I managed to sleep through my alarm the next morning which, as you might imagine, detonated all of my stress hormones. I realized very quickly that every part of my morning routine would have to go into overdrive, especially my makeup routine.

I imagine we’ve all had a similar type of experience! So, it’s always a good idea to have a “Plan B” faster makeup routine at the ready just for those days when life happens and disrupts our normal makeup process. A quicker makeup routine can also be helpful on those days when we’re heading out of the house and just want to look at least a little polished.

In an earlier video called “How to Do Your Makeup Faster and Still Look Fabulous” I focused on all the different types of products, tools and techniques we can use to streamline our makeup routine without sacrificing the end result.

Today, I’ll demonstrate my Plan B 8-minute makeup routine in the accompanying video and using a timer to keep track of how I do. So, let’s now go ahead and see how we can pare down the minutes of our makeup routine without sacrificing the outcome!

The First Step

The most important thing to do first is to determine which makeup products help us look our best. This is, obviously, a totally personal decision. Do you want to take a few extra minutes to focus on and emphasize your eyes? Or are your lips and skin your biggest priority? Knowing what makeup is most important to you will help you pare down other steps that aren’t as crucial.

So, for instance, a friend of mine told me that her skin has definitely gotten paler, and she’s also lost a lot of color in her lips, which happens to most of us as the years roll by. So, blush and lipstick are really important focal points for her in a faster makeup routine. Since my eyes are quite small, in my Plan B faster makeup routine, I’ll take a few extra steps to help my eyes look bigger.

What Types of Products and Tools Will Help You Speed Up Your Routine the Most?

After this first step of determining what makeup products are most important to us for our Plan B routine, we need to focus on what products and tools will help us speed up our routine the most. For instance, my favorite blush color, which is a cream blush from RMS Beauty, is in a small jar which is very hard to unscrew.

So, as much as I love this blush, I’ll bypass it in a quick makeup routine and use either a stick blush like one from Makeup by Mario or a handy little cream blush from the brand Merit which opens easily and glides across the skin quickly and beautifully.

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And instead of using my beloved powder eyeshadow palettes, I’ll ditch them for Tarte’s Quicksticks because it’s far quicker and easier to apply cream eyeshadow rather than powder eyeshadow. And, these Quicksticks also make eye makeup application quicker because there’s an eyeshadow on one end and an eyeliner on the other.

The Other Products I’ll Be Using… and Why

Before I demonstrate my fastest makeup routine, let me share with you the other products I’ll be using in addition to the blush, eyeshadow and eyeliner I just mentioned. I’m sharing these with you now because if I don’t, I know I’ll be tempted to talk about them as I apply them which will mean I definitely won’t complete my makeup in eight minutes!

The Eye Products

For brows, I’ll be using my ABH Brow Powder Duo because I find it quicker to apply a powder eyebrow product than use a pencil. And then I’ll do a quick swipe with my ABH Dip Brow Gel to cover up my grey and white brow hairs.

On the eyes, I’ll first be applying my Sigma stick eye primer to brighten my eyes and keep my cream eyeshadow in place. This stick formula makes the application far faster than my other eye primer product which is in a tube. This eye primer also serves to cover up the discoloration on my eyelids and brighten them. And I need that brightening to help my eyes look bigger.

Then I’ll use my Tarte Quickstick eyeshadow only in the crease and slightly above it because of my hooded eyes. This application technique will help make my eyes look bigger.

For eyeliner, if I have time, I’m going to use the brown eyeliner from Makeup by Mario for two reasons: first, it’s a gel eyeliner which glides on more easily than any other eyeliner I’ve ever used, and second, it has a brush on the other end so I can quickly and easily smudge the eyeliner so it looks softer and more natural.

Curling my lashes and applying mascara will be the final eye step and for this I’ll be using my Tarte “Lights, Camera, Lashes” mascara. If I had time, I’d also use a lash primer, but that’s for another day when I’m not in a rush.

The Face Products

Then I’ll use a stick foundation from Merit since stick foundations are far faster to apply and blend in than liquid foundations. Next, I’ll apply my blush, also from Merit, because it applies so easily. And the highlighter I’ll be using is a stick highlighter from Merit called “Cava” which glides on easily and provides a lovely, subtle glow.

Lipstick is my last step. I’m going to apply a little concealer quickly first around the edge of my lips to help keep the lipstick from feathering, then I’ll apply a matte lipstick and lip gloss. At the very end, if I have any time left, I’ll use a sponge to apply Elf Hydrating Camo Concealer under my eyes as well as Laura Mercier Loose Powder and Em Cosmetics’ Contour Stick in “Terra.”  

The Tools

The tools I’ll be using are also very important in a quicker than usual makeup routine. To spread my foundation, I’ll use this big buffing brush (201 Dual Blender Brush) from makeup artist Eve Pearl. The large brush will let me cover more ground more quickly than a smaller brush would.

The other important tool is my dampened makeup sponge which I’ll use to blend in my blush, highlight and contour if I have time to use contour.

In the video, I’ll actually apply this makeup. It’s definitely going to be hard not to talk much. But since I may get distracted if I do start talking – which will definitely slow me down – you’ll hear some music during the actual application.

It’s a bit anxiety producing to pull out a timer, but here goes. Will I do it? Check out the accompanying video to find out!

Do you have a “Plan B” quick makeup routine? What are your best features that you’d like to emphasize? What makeup products would be essential in your quick makeup routine?