Just because you have to do your makeup under the clock and stick to a strict schedule doesn’t mean it has to be a slapdash situation with, like, BAM! — a little eyeshadow here, some eyeshadow there. You can still do looks that are elegant, refined and pretty. You just have to find ways to move the whole process along.
If you’re always looking to save a little time like I am, using multitasking products can help.
But aha! — not all multitasking products are equal, right? Dusty rose NUDESTIX Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in Purity ($24) works as both a matte blush and a matte lipstick, but in the vast sea of multitasking makeup, its smooth formula makes it exceptional.
What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.
I’ve noticed that the smoother and creamier a multitasking pencil is, especially a matte like this one, the easier it is to push across the skin and manipulate, so when something is creamy like this is and doesn’t skip or tug when you apply it, then it also means that it won’t fight you when you feather it. In the end, you won’t have to spend more time blending than you need to.
This is one of those products where the hardest part of using it is drawing a few stripes on your cheeks. Let’s just do it right now…
BAM! Now take a finger… And look at that. A few strokes, and it seamlessly becomes part of my cheeks.
You can also use this to easily fill in your lips, like I’m doing here, although it’s quite difficult to talk and type while you do this…but hey, we’re gonna try anyway!
I like to pat down the edges after I’m done to purposefully blur the line a bit and make it look more “lived in.” That way I don’t have to be too precise about it.
And that’s all you do.
I love this dusty rose, by the way, because I think it’s both elegant and polished, but it’s also still casual-ish and goes with pretty much any nude/neutral eye palette you can throw at it. If I’m traveling, I like to take this and whichever nude eyeshadow palette I’m currently into (right now I’m all about the MAC Jade Jagger Burning Nights Quad), and a couple of pencil liners (normally basics like black and bronze, along with a fun color like purple), and that’s enough for my color products.
For me it lasts about six hours as a blush or as a lipstick (it doesn’t taste or smell funny, either), so, if I apply my makeup right after breakfast, I’ll touch up after lunch.
The soft matte finish is also easy on vertical lip lines, so your lips won’t look like a cat butt after a few hours.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
