THE MINIMAL-EFFORT MORNING BEAUTY ROUTINE

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I feel like those days when you want to do a little something with your appearance, but going through your full routine seems like overkill for a Zoom get-together and a trip to the supermarket, are plenty at the moment! This is the morning routine I go with on those sorts of days...

I start with my much-loved the Ordinary Squalane Cleanser | £5.50 | full review. I'm almost done with this, but I've already got the supersized version ready and waiting in my drawer, because it's a 'can't live without' product for me. It starts as a creamy balm but melts down into something more oily, then emulsifies on contact with water so it can easily be removed. I wouldn't recommend it for oily skin (though you can still use this in evening to remove makeup) but for my normal / dehydrated skin, this gentle formula makes the perfect non-drying cleanse. After that, I like to use a face mist, because they were kind of invented for when you're short on time! My current favourite is the Sioris Time is Running Out Mist | £17 (10% off with code JASMINETALKSBEAUTY) | which is a dual-phase fruit water and moisturising oil mist. Just give it a good shake to mix those two elements together and mist onto the skin for an amazing moisture boost and lovely, soft skin.

When I'm being brutally minimalist with my routine, there are only two more skincare products I reach for. The first is the Typology Hyaluronic Acid 3% + B5 2%* | £11.80 | full review coming soon. I love hyaluronic acid; it plumps and hydrates parched skin like mine and this serum is a quick way to restore that bounce first thing in the morning. This formula has such a lovely texture; it's not sticky or tacky at all, so I can just slap it on and go. I then finish off my streamlined morning skincare routine with the Omorovicza Elemental Emulsion* | £87 (for full size) | which is a lovely, lightweight option for the summer months. This cream is formulated with hyaluronic acid to pull water in and also a derivative of Vitamin C to make the skin glow. Overall, it really helps soften, smooth and plump the skin with minimal effort.

So, in my books, I just don't really 'believe' in relying on the SPF in your makeup (except perhaps in the dead of winter) however this product is actually the exception. It's more of a skincare-makeup hybrid and the SPF is probably it's primary purpose over the coverage, as opposed to being an add-on. So, on work days when I'm not spending much time outside; this is what I use. The product I'm talking about is the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint Broad Spectrum SPF30 (Matira) £43 | full review coming soon. This is a really light coverage option, which is personally what I like during the summer months; sometimes you want to look polished but also don't want to suffocate your skin under a layer of heavy foundation that's going to be sweated off throughout the day. This gives the skin a gorgeous dewy glow and does enough to make my skin tone look more even, though I still pop concealer on any problem areas. I love that it's really long-wearing too throughout the day because, if I can't be bothered with doing much makeup, you can bet I'm not touching it up! Just a word of warning; given this is really an SPF product, be sure to give it a proper shake before use. Recently, I've really been enjoying the Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer (05) | £27 | full review. This concealer is refreshing and hydrating without creasing easily and nicely brightens my under-eye area in one step. It's pretty long-wearing, but given it. has quite a creamy formula, I set it (and my t-zone) with my go-to quick and easy powder: the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (02 Medium) | £35. This is a powder that does the job without taking away all your glow. It's impossible to go overboard with this formula so you can be really quick and imprecise when applying it and you won't have to worry about it looking heavy, cakey or drying.

On the cheeks, I've been reaching for cream products recently, by and large. It's just a great way to quickly add some fresh colour to the face and most of the time, you can just dab the product on and go. For highlighter and blusher; I absolutely love the Kosas Colour + Light Creme in Helios | £28. This dewy-look cream formula stays put for hours, it's easy to apply without patchiness and has that perfect level of colour payoff. You just dab it on with the fingers and it doesn't really need much blending. This particular duo has a warm gold highlighter and a reddish-orange blusher tone. Bronzer has actually become an unskippable step in my routine, so when I want to add a bit of warmth to my skin with minimal effort, I go in with a dense synthetic brush and the Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in Hunnie Glaze | £28 | full review. This is the perfect warm-but-not-orange shade and the formula is so easy to work with. It's neither too dewy nor too matte and blends across the skin like a dream. It also lasts really well on me.

On the eyes, my perfect all-over lid colour always tends to be the Nudestix Magnetic Luminous Eye Colour in Copper Foil | £20. This gives a dewy, liquid-metal finish in a beautiful warm-toned gold colour. You can just swipe it on, blend out the edges with your fingers and take it along the lower lash line in a matter of seconds. And, once it's set down, it lasts really well. For definition around the eyes, my go-to product is always the Stila Smudge Stick Liner in Smoky Quartz | £16. This is a warm, deep brown that's less harsh than black but still makes my lashes look thicker and my eyes pop a bit more. It doesn't transfer or wear away throughout the day and the twist-up mechanism means there's minimal faff when you're applying it. I recently repurchased the Glossier Lash Slick Mascara | £14 | full review | and remembered why it's great! This gives amazing length and curl to the lashes, with great separation, and is one of the most transfer-proof formulas I've ever tried. It's definitely not going to give you 'full glam' lashes, but for this sort of a look, that would probably be a bit out-of-place anyway. To finish off the eye, running some of the Milk Makeup Kush Fibre Brow Gel (Grind) | £15 | through my eyebrows usually does the trick. This really volumises and darkens the brows, as well as gently holding them in place. It's a great one-step product when you just want your brows to look better without going to the trouble of spending ages shaping them.

Finally, to tie it all together, I go for the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Spice | £19.50. This warm, rosy brown nude colour is so moisturising and also contains SPF15 to protect the lips. It gives a natural, glossy wash of colour and you don't even need a mirror to apply it!

What are your go-to products when you want to spruce up a bit without spending too much time on your routine?

 

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