Little Beauty Upgrades That Make Five Minutes Feel Like a Makeover

Start with the routine you already like. Choose one detail to make it feel a little more festive: a deeper lip color, a touch of shimmer, or your favorite silver earrings.

Choose your finishing touch

• The lip: Try a familiar red or berry shade blotted softly, rather than changing every part of your makeup.
• The eyes: A small amount of a shimmer you already enjoy can be enough for an evening look.
• The accessory: Earrings and a polished hairstyle can change the mood without buying another product.

A little preparation

Try the look before the event, in the light where you usually get ready. Keep the rest of the routine comfortable and familiar.

A five-minute version

1. Brush your hair into a shape you like and check your face in ordinary light.
2. Use the familiar base or concealer step you actually need, rather than adding a full new routine.
3. Choose one finishing detail: a softly tinted lip, defined lashes with a product you already use, or an accessory.
4. Put the finishing product where you can reach it on your way out.

This is about making your routine easier, not promising a different face in five minutes.

One option to compare

Researched shopping examples, not the exact items in our illustrative photographs. Choose your size, color and budget on the retailer’s page; stock and prices can change.

e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine

A sheer tinted lip balm is an easy finishing option. Compare the shades of e.l.f. Hydrating Core Lip Shine.

View at e.l.f. Cosmetics ↗

These are ordinary retailer links. We have not personally tested these products. No celebrity endorsement is implied.

Review the current ingredients if you avoid particular ingredients. The linked balm includes fragrance; it is not presented as fragrance-free, universally suitable or a treatment.