Morning Must-Haves for Teens

By Makeup Morsels, Teen Contributor

Makeup Morsels is a pseudonym, and if that seems a little bulky, just call her MM! She resides in California and on her last year of high school. She has black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin (think NC15), and often has people tell her she looks like a corpse! She’s guilty of having a slight obsession for both sunscreen and lipstick (both of which she says she needs to stop hoarding). You’ll typically find her stalking drugstore aisles for bargains or lurking around high-end makeup counters to window shop. MM also enjoys cooking (and eating), food photography, reading, and exploring the world of makeup. Check out her blog, Makeup Morsels!

While my youthful days may seem like the perfect time to experiment with crazy, colorful makeup, the fact of the matter is that I rarely have more than five minutes to get ready for school. I’m out the door by 7:00 AM (still woozy from the paper I cranked out the night before), so I need my routine to be as streamlined as possible. I’ve spent many mornings throughout high school trying to find the perfect, low-effort system, and the products I’ve settled on are some of my favorites.

My first weapon of choice is Liz Earle’s Skin Repair Moisturizer ($31.00), which sports a light texture and a ton of hydration. I then apply my sunscreen, Bioré Aqua Rich Water Base ($19.99). Sun exposure can do a lot of damage to your skin over time, so SPF is something I wear all year round. Bioré’s version has a whipped, lighter-than-air texture that dries quicker than you can say, “poof.” As for that giant bottle of yellow stuff? Well, there are days when I don’t even have time to brush my hair. To smooth out any frizz, I run a pump of Lierac Sensorielle ($34.00) through my hair as I race out the door. It also doubles as perfume, which saves me a whole 5 seconds of spritzing time. Score!

Post-skincare, I start tackling the color cosmetics. I begin by banishing my panda eyes with Skin Food’s Salmon Concealer ($12.99). If you’re like me, and have lovely purple shadows under your eyes, concealers with salmon undertones work well to balance those out. The second pot of concealer is Maybelline Dream Mousse ($6.48), which I use for spot coverage on days when my skin is acting up.

Have you ever heard people throw around the phrase, “Brows frame your face?” Well, they say it because it’s true. Taking a minute to fill in your brows can make you look much more put-together. I have black hair, so I look for neutral browns that will define my eyebrows without making them look drawn-on. I use MAC Brun Eyeshadow ($14.50) from the beginning of my brow to the arch, and Milani Easybrow ($5.99) in Natural Taupe for the rest.

Assuming I have the time, I’ll curl my lashes and add some mascara. As far as curlers go, my advice is to find one with a soft, rounded pad. My favorite is the Koji No.73 ($6.51), since it fits my lash line like a glove. I’m actually out of my Holy Grail mascara (d.j.v. Volume Lash) at the moment, but I’ve been getting on well with Urban Decay’s Supercurl Curling Mascara ($20.00).

Finally, I like to swipe on a coat of lipstick. I’ve noticed that many of my classmates prefer to wear lipgloss, but I actually find lipstick to be much more low-maintenance than gloss (for one, your hair won’t get stuck in it unless you have 10 coats on). Lately, I’ve been favoring my Dior Addict Lipstick ($28.00) in Diorkiss (a bright pink with a dewy finish), but you don’t have to go high-end to get a good lipstick. One of my favorite drugstore lipstick brands is Revlon, which stocks a huge color range.

And that wraps it up for my early morning must-haves! What are your favorite products to use when you’re short on time?

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