By Sarah Walsh of Home Sweet Sarah

I’m a big believer that makeup can transform your mood. While I was recently on maternity
leave, I could have been having the worst day, but putting on a little bit of makeup — even if it
wasn’t until 5pm — made me feel so much better. Hello, I am human again! (Who cares if I still
haven’t brushed my teeth!) Here is my quick and easy makeup routine; it takes five minutes and
doesn’t use any fancy-shmancy products or tools.

1. Bend and snap! Or, you know, curl those lashes! Even if you do nothing else to your eyes,
just curling your eyelashes can make them appear longer and separated. If you’re into mascara,
swipe on a coat or two and you’re good to go.

2. Not your grandma’s cold cream. I never thought I needed eye-cream (I am still young and
spry and fresh-faced, aren’t I? AREN’T I?), but once I started using it, I never went back. Just a
dab of eye-cream underneath your eyes gives off a nice cooling effect, plus, it helps under-eye
concealer go on more smoothly.

3. Hide and (don’t) go seek. I have been cursed with big, dark bags under my eyes, as well as
the complexion of a 13-year-old, so it should go without saying concealer is my BFF. A dot here
and a dot there and suddenly I’m not feeling like a terrible cross between my eighth-grade self
and my crabby eighth-grade English teacher.

4. Blush it, blush it real good. Somewhere along the line, I think blush got a bad rap and fell
out of vogue. There’s really no reason for that, though. A light pink or peach tone livens up just
about any complexion and there’s really no technique — just a quick swipe on the apples of the
cheeks is all you need. (I’ve even been known to dab on a bit of pink- or red-hued lip gloss if I’m
in a pinch.)

5. My lips are sealed. Admittedly, I don’t wear a lot of lip product. I own all of zero lipsticks
and my gloss of choice is the giant tub of Aquaphor that sits bedside. However, if I’m feeling
particularly frisky, I’ll put on a little gloss. (And then it immediately comes off when I drink my
nightly glass of wine or kiss on chubby baby thighs, but you know, ‘A’ for effort.)

6. Extra! Extra! I am an eye-liner addict, so black eye-liner always makes it into my daily
repertoire. If you have the time, a thin line on the upper lash-line is a great way to complete the
five minute makeup routine, but it’s definitely not necessary. A little bit of eye-shadow works
just as well and takes a much less-steady hand when you’re working on three hours of sleep.

How do you go from a walking zombie to looking and feeling like a living person again?

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