> Skip to content

Article  •  16 June 2016

 

Real quick beauty routine

A sub-10-minute routine from Zoë Foster Blake’s Amazinger Face.

For women who have a ‘severe lack of time’ or are ‘more honest’ and admit they may be ‘slightly lazy’, here is a simple daily beauty routine you can learn and do with flair and ease. First, gently cleanse your face to get rid of any residue oil and prep the skin. Next, apply a moisturiser with SPF 30 every single day, right down to the boobs.

1. Use a BB or CC cream all over the face and apply a little loose powder on top to set it so it lasts. If you prefer more coverage, apply a liquid foundation. (Liquid and cream products are generally faster and easier to apply than powders.) But do use some base – even if it is just a tint: it does wonders for making your face look alive and even-toned. Apply concealer under the eyes and on the eyelids to brighten, and conceal any blemishes/veins.

2. The fastest makeup route to looking ‘done’, in my opinion, is using some colour and simple items that give big results, so that you look like you expended more effort than you did. (If you have oily skin, you will probably prefer to use powders over creams.)

Here’s the most basic makeup routine I can come up with, and it looks great! It does! It really does:

  • Mascara. (More is better if you’re wearing little else on the face.) Curl your lashes first.
  • Blush on the apples of the cheeks.
  • Lipstick or gloss.

If you want to add a little more:

  • Wash of taupe cream eye shadow over the eyelid
  • Brown or black eyeliner along the upper lash line
  • Bronzer

3. Add perfume, pull your hair back loosely into a low bun and add some spangly ear candy. I buy earrings from Topshop, ASOS or Zara and they always make me look like I’ve spent more time on my outfit than I have.

4. Check the time. It should be around 5–7 minutes after you started this routine. Which, you will note, is less than 10 minutes. Which, you will also note, means A) my heading wasn't a lie, and B) you walloped it. Well done!

Feature Title

Amazinger Face
All the answers are here, in this top-to-toe beauty extravaganza. Former Cosmopolitan and Harper's BAZAAR beauty director, and the founder of Go-To skin care, Zoë Foster Blake suggests makeup colours and brands for every occasion; useful, practical skin care routines and products for every age; and step-by-step instructions for winged eyeliner, arresting red lips, foolproof tanning, simple updos, sexy-second-day hair, and much, much more . . .
Read more

More features

See all
Article
Booker Prize shortlist 2025

The shortlist for the 2025 Booker Prize has been announced, with four Penguin Random House titles named this year.

Article
QUIZ: What kind of mullet are you?

Take this quiz to find out what type of mullet you are, in honour of Nick Sharratt’s book, Mullets.

Article
Your guide to Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series

Here’s what you need to know about Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series – including which order to read the books!

Article
10 of the best fantasy books you don't want to miss

Check out some of the best fantasy books with unique magic systems.

Article
Books we’d recommend to Conrad Fisher

8 books Conrad Fisher would love (or learn from).

Article
10 black cat boyfriends from must-read books

It’s official: the internet has dubbed Conrad Fisher a ‘black cat boyfriend’. Here are a few other black cat book boyfriends to keep you swooning.

Article
Penguin Fantasy Fest 2025 – a magical four-state adventure!

Four states, four sold out crowds, seven authors and over 850 fans made for an incredible two weeks that we will never forget!

Article
QUIZ: Which Hawthorne brother is your soulmate?

Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.

Article
Abbey’s bookshop in Sydney is celebrating 90 years of Penguin books

Learn about the 4-day Penguin pop-up hosted by Abbey’s bookshop, including special release editions, bookmarks and limited-edition tote bags.

Article
Write It Fellowship Shortlist 2025

We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the Write It Fellowship 2025.

Article
Your guide to pre-ordering Alchemised

Learn how to pre-order Alchemised by SenLin Yu and join the thousands of readers who will start reading it on 23 September 2025.

Article
How to make Book Week less stressful

5 tips to help you plan now and avoid Book Week stress later.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles