Five minute morning makeup? Tell me more, please!
As a mum to an 18-month-old working full time Monday to Friday, mornings are pretty chaotic. Kicking off with a nappy change for a toddler who recently decided that nappies are a major inconvenience and that’s before we even start the getting dressed process, crèche runs, breakfast on the go, dog walks, and all before 8.30am.
I’m back to work six months now and I still haven’t figured out how to make the morning routine quicker which means I’m chasing my tail most of the time, sound familiar anyone?
I find myself reading online content and social posts about productive morning routines and time management but being honest, some of them are far too complex to master when you’re just awake and have a million and one things to do before you even get to your desk to start the workday.
One thing I don’t have any time for is makeup and it’s not that I have to wear it but sometimes I just want to look put together even when I really don’t feel it. The thing that puts me off bothering is the time that it takes (even though you know you’ll feel more like yourself after).
So when I heard about a five minute morning makeup routine, I was very interested to see what’s involved.
Merit, a brand which recently launched in Ireland, has a ‘five minute morning’ make up routine which let’s be honest sounds like a dream to a busy mum.
It’s a vegan brand big on clean beauty but what I love about it is the fact that the products are beyond easy to apply… a dab of blusher, a slick of lip product, a pat of concealer.
All I want to do is to look more alive in the mornings, not like I’m wearing makeup, and this brand personifies that.
If you feel like contour is too complicated, applying blusher makes you feel like a clown or bronzer scares you then Merit is well worth a look.
The brand was born out of the desire to step away from an industry that demands expert level skills and is all about bringing ‘ease to the everyday’.
Think timeless beauty and although the products are expensive, the quality is impeccable.
The five minute morning makeup set includes six products for brows, lips, complexion, and lashes and a brush, but you can pick and choose as you wish.
What’s this ‘five minute morning makeup’ all about?
A core product is the Minimalist, designed for application only in the areas you need it so that you get ‘compliments on your skin, not your makeup’. It is lightweight, hydrating, wears throughout the day and most importantly, doesn’t settle in fine lines the way many base products do. There are 30 shades to choose from and there’s a very useful Shade Finder tool to help you find the best shade for your skin tone.
Next up is the Flush Balm – think a long-lasting glow that is never ‘cakey’. The creamy veil of colour makes your complexion pop but isn’t overpowering in the way that many traditional blush products can be. My skin often looks dull and washed out, and this is an instant fix for the mornings when you’re running on four hours of broken sleep after settling an upset baby or a teething toddler throughout the night. Try shade Fox when wearing tan and Beverly Hills is a pretty pink for ‘no makeup’ makeup days.
Eyes are one of the first place to show tiredness – from dark circles to crepey lids and there’s a reason why sunglasses are our best friend. Another thing that helps is mascara – a product that instantly perks up your complexion and makes you look a little more alive, even on days when you feel anything but.
The brand’s Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara (€29) tints, lengthens, separates and volumises. Most importantly however, it doesn’t smudge and as someone who has looked in the mirror on multiple occasions to see black dots under my eyes, this is a major plus. Frustratingly, it’s budget mascara that I blame for this – streaming down my face particularly in humid conditions or rainy weather is not a good look and started my hunt for a mascara that doesn’t run. So far, so good on this one.
It’s also easy to remove thanks to the conditioning properties of olive oil and fatty acids which means you’re looking after your lashes while making them look good. I don’t know about you but I’m all about multitasking in every aspect of life! That’s definitely the parent in me but any product that is operating on a 2 for 1 basis, I want to know more about it.
The Five Minute Morning makeup set is currently on sale reduced from €225 to €191 and the full set includes the complexion stick, lip blush, flush balm, highlighter, brow pomade, blending brush and mascara.
However, you don’t have to purchase the full Five Minute Morning makeup set but can buy the products that appeal to you. For example, the blush is €29 which is very reasonable and the complexion stick is €42 – a great price for a base product I’m coining as a ‘handbag hero’.
I don’t always have time for mascara even if it makes a huge difference to how awake I feel but a pat of blush (you can also pop this on your lips for a subtle slick of colour) and concealing areas with The Minimalist stick is now a non-negotiable to my mornings.
While I received the products to review, I can safely say that I would repurchase again and can’t see myself cheating on Merit anytime soon.
