Beauty On The Run With The Beauty Buff-"5 Minute Face"

Welcome to another Working Wednesdays column! My weekly series in collaboration with Makeover Momma that discusses speedy ways to feel gorgeous on the run and combat a mid-week slump by looking like the best version of you! I'll give you fast, fabulous tips and portable products for the best primping on the go techniques and tools. 

We can't always waste time getting gussied up but still want to walk out the door looking presentable and confident. How dreadful is it when you decide to brave the outside world with a bare face (hoping no one notices the blaring Rudolph the Red Nose Zit you have or tired eyes and absolutely gorgeous under eye circles) and run into someone you know all too well. It's miserable! Never again people! Never again!

So how does one dash out the door in minimum time with maximum results? You need to create the perfect "5 Minute Face". Celebrity makeup artist, Troy Surratt, dishes out his five (and a half) easy steps to creating a fast, fresh looking face.

Surratt says, half the time women spend more time rummaging through their purses for the cosmetics they want to use rather than having a few basic go-to products set aside for "work face", or "errand face".  He likes to target the "lashes, lids, and lips" when tackling a bare canvas. By filling in those areas of the face, the eye will be instantly drawn to your best features.

                                                           Step 1: Conceal It!

Add a touch of concealer under the eyes to cover darkness and shadows. Concealer also helps keep your makeup in place. Surratt recommends a "makeup artist favorite",  Cle de Peau Beaute because it's a "great, quick, concealer". Don't forget to add concealer around the nostrils to cover redness and broken capillaries and on the tip of your nose and chin to even out discolored skin.

Step 2: Lid Love.

Draw attention to your pupils by adding some color above the eyes. Try Shiseido The Makeup-Hydro Powder Eye Shadow, a cream shadow made with a silicone formula that stays on for hours and won't smudge or crease. This "goof-proof" shadow is easy to apply, water resistant and great for any occasion, even beach outings. Surratt says to burnish the color onto your eyelids with your finger tips to give your skin a twinkly refreshed looking glint.

Step 3: Get Curl Crazy.

Without fail, curl your lashes! Your entire eye will open up and look brighter. It's a fool-proof way to fake a good nights sleep. Use a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (available online).

Step 4: Lash Out.

Swipe on a basic mascara like Lancome Définicils or Maybelline Great Lash. Make mascara a must-have and must-do in your getting ready regime.

Step 5: Get Your Glow On

"Bronzer looks great on everyone. It warms your complexion, makes everyone look healthy and has a brightening, teeth whitening effect on your entire face.", says Surratt.  Find a bronzer that compliments your skin and isn't too orangey or red. Take a stroke of bronzer onto your brush, tapping off the excess powder and then lightly trace an invisible "3" shape. Start from the middle of your forehead, to the base of your nose and then out again till you reach the middle of your chin. Reverse the "3" for the left side of your face. This creates the most natural sun-kissed look. There's nothing worse than over-bronzing. I should know. I was a bronze-aholic for most of high school! Surratt loves Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer, but says bronzer isn't a one size fits all product. There are plenty of great ones out there that are both cheap and effective. Guerlain, however, has the widest and best range of colors that suites all complexions. "They kind of invented the category of bronzer", he says. So if you're looking for the Rolls Royce of bronzers invest in them.

Step 5 1/2:  Tint Your Lip

Walk out the door with a tinted lip balm in your bag. Apply as needed. I love Labello Tinted Lip Balm in Cherry. Surratt recommends Clark's Botanical's Lip Tint in Madge Mauve. Find a tinted lip balm that's natural looking and gives you a just-bitten look. It's another way to brighten your face without the effort.

For more with Troy follow him on Twitter: @TroySurratt.

See my weekly column on the fabulous Makeover Momma website. Check out Bailey's other weekly series and columns too! Follow Makeover Momma on Twitter: @makeovermomma and me on Twitter: @beautybuffblog.