You might be the kind of girl who spends a decent amount of time in front of the mirror every morning. Or you might be the type to wake up five minutes before class and only be able to swipe on some concealer and mascara. Either way, your face is (sadly) no match for school. After a few hours, makeup inevitably gets dull and you're left looking a little less dewy than when the day started.
That's when it's time to call a bathroom or locker break, pull out a few uncomplicated beauty essentials, and get to work. The key with a makeup touch-up is, of course, minimal product and maximum pay-off. (After all—nobody wants to look cakey.) We consulted a few of our favorite beauty pros to tell us exactly what we need handy to pull off a fresh face at any time of the day (scroll down to shop their picks!).
1. First, get rid of the oil.
Before you add any additional products, you need to make sure that your canvas is taken care of. "You should touch up your complexion by blotting excess oil and shine," says Uzo, international makeup stylist for NARS Cosmetics. "I love using the Tatcha Blotting Papers," adds makeup artist Troy Surratt. "The flat design can be neatly hidden in a notebook or used as a bookmark!"
2. A little concealer goes a long way.
"Concealing darkness, both in the tear trough—the shadowy dent that has the shape of a crescent moon under the tear duct—and any red or purple tones on the eyelid or the lash line will instantly make you look more awake," says Surratt. "Use a concealer with a doe-foot applicator so you can dab some on and blend it in with your fingers," adds celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson. We love the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealers.
3. Don't just use mascara.
When we're tired or dull-looking, we tend to think that more mascara is the right answer. But in reality, adding more coats will only make the eyes look darker and weigh your lashes down. "Instead, tight line!" says Nelson. "Grab a gel liner and draw it into the lash line from underneath the top lashes." It instantly adds depth and drama that's subtle, but makes a big difference. You can also draw flesh-colored liner into your waterline to conceal any redness. For waterproof color that's easy to apply on-the-go, try Marc Jacobs Highliner.
4. Go for the highlight.
Need an instant complexion pick-me-up? "Highlighting the inner corners of the eyes with a light shimmery shadow or a cream will illuminate the entire face," says Uzo. Try Sonia Kashuk's Highlighter Sticks. Nelson also likes to add a pearly shimmer onto the high planes of the cheeks for a fresh look. "I love to swirl a small amount of pinky-peach blush onto the apples, too. It gives a healthy glow that makes skin look alive and radiant," Uzo adds. (Beginners beware: Do not apply blush at your locker if you're not a total pro—you might end up looking like a clown!)
5. Lipstick fis everything.
When in doubt, add a lip. If you have 10 seconds and you feel like you're about to fall asleep, the perfect bold red will instantly make you stand straighter and feel more present. Troy Surratt's Automatique Lip Crayons are genius—the colors are immaculate and the tapered tip makes it easy to get a precise line in a pinch. If, for whatever reason, full-on color is against dress code, "go for a sheer, tinted lip balm," Surratt says. Korres Lip Butters are our current favorites (plus, they're delicious).
Here's the gear our pros recommend for quick, pretty pick-me-ups:
