Collage: Jemeria Davison / Images: Courtesy of Amazon and UltaSave this storySave this story
If you’re a mom, you’re probably familiar with doing a lot of things on the go: eating breakfast, firing off emails, scheduling doctor’s appointments—and yes, doing your makeup. We’ve mastered the art of lining our lips without a mirror, one hand on a stroller (what a flex). While I don’t recommend doing a full face of makeup mid-chaos, we also know that 10 minutes at home is often all you have to get your “glam” done before rushing out the door.
As a mom of two, on-camera beauty expert, and podcast cohost, I’m intimately familiar with getting ready in a pinch (because let’s face it—I’m already late). And while I’ve gotten better at it over the years—thanks to plenty of practice, plus tips and tricks from my favorite makeup-artist friends—the products have gotten better, too. It’s easier than ever to fake an almost full beat, thanks to a new generation of easy-to-apply, multitasking, and long-lasting makeup products designed for exactly this kind of time crunch. Here are the ones I rely on when I need to get camera-ready (whether for the news or a Zoom) in under 10 minutes.
Set it Up: Kelly Zhang Lifting & Firming Face Primer
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Kelly Zhang
Lifting & Firming Face Primer
Kelly Zhang
I don’t love wearing a heavy moisturizer during the day, especially if I’m layering makeup, but my skin still needs a little extra love—particularly after a sleepless night spent being held hostage by a tiny toddler. This Lifting & Firming Face Primer from Kelly Zhang is packed with peptides, soothing aloe, and brightening orange peel extract to help smooth, firm, and illuminate skin, all while creating an ideal base for makeup. Massage it in, and it’s almost as if your skin just did a quick Barry’s Bootcamp class—lifted, firmed, and ready to go in seconds.
Work of Art: m.ph by Mary Phillips Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette
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m.ph by Mary Phillips
Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette
Sephora
Contouring can feel intimidating—and not necessarily like an everyday step—but I’ve found it makes a noticeable difference in how polished my makeup looks. Makeup artist Mary Phillips has a way of making it feel approachable, which might explain why she never skips this step on clients like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner. This cream-based Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette includes two contour shades, two highlighters, and a color-correcting shade, making it easy to customize your sculpt. I simply “paint” where I want definition, blend it out, and instantly look more defined.
Balm Dot Com: IT Cosmetics Do-It-All Sheer Tint Face Balm
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IT Cosmetics
Do-It-All Sheer Tint Face Balm
Ulta Beauty
This new skin-tint-meets-balm from IT Cosmetics has quickly become a staple in my routine, especially as a woman inching closer to her 40s. The lightweight formula wears like skin care (it’s infused with hyaluronic acid and collagen peptides) while delivering just the right amount of coverage for everyday wear, helping to blur redness, dark spots, and fine lines. The Do-It-All Sheer Tint Face Balm is sheer but buildable, and one of my favorite things about it is how easy it is to touch up throughout the day. I keep one in my purse so I can tap it on with my fingers as needed. It gives me a naturally glowy, radiant finish that tends to earn compliments wherever I go.
Focus on Me: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed
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Danessa Myricks Beauty
Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed
Sephora
Leave it to Danessa Myricks (beauty mogul and busy mom herself) to create a truly multitasking cheek-and-lip product that brings instant life to the face. The Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed has a unique blurring texture, delivering a soft, Paris-filter effect on skin. This creamy balm-powder hybrid blends seamlessly, wears beautifully throughout the day, and comes in a range of flattering shades. I’m especially drawn to Jubilee, a soft terracotta that works both as a blush and a lip.
Seeing the Light: Chanel Baume Essential
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Chanel
Baume Essential
Chanel
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Chanel’s Baume Essential might be the longest-running product in my entire routine—and there’s truly no highlighter quite like it. It’s nothing like the blinding, stripey highlights of the 2016 era. Instead, it melts seamlessly into my complexion, looking elegant and natural while delivering just the right amount of glow exactly where I want it. Best of all, the stick format makes application effortless: You can swipe it directly onto the skin or tap it in with your fingertips. And while it is an investment, the stick lasts forever, making it well worth the splurge.
Take a B(r)ow: Colourpop Brow Boss Pencil + Boss 24HR Lifting Brow Gel
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Colourpop
Brow Boss Pencil
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
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Colourpop
Brow Boss 24HR Lifting Brow Gel
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
If there’s one nonnegotiable in my routine, it’s brows that last all day—through meetings, workouts, and right up until I wash my face. Brows frame the face, so it’s important that they stay put and, if I may borrow a bit of 2016 jargon, remain on fleek. ColourPop’s Brow Boss Pencil is thin and precise, making it easy to create natural, hair-like strokes, which I then lock in with the brand’s new brow gel. The result is fluffy, full brows that truly last all day, without any crunchiness or flaking. It’s a truly winning combination.
Flick of the Wrist: Fenty Beauty Fine Linez Lash Line-Enhancing Eyeliner
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Fenty Beauty
Fine Linez Lash Line-Enhancing Eyeliner
Ulta Beauty
Sephora
I don’t love a lot of drama on my eyes during the day, but a touch of eyeliner and a subtle wing instantly makes me look more awake and feel a little cuter, too. Fenty Beauty’s Fine Linez Lash Line-Enhancing Eyeliner is my recent go-to. The gel formula is perfect for tightlining my waterline and adding a precise flick. Once it sets, it truly doesn’t budge, so you’ll want to work quickly if you plan to clean up or sharpen the wing using the other end of the pencil. I love the black (Cuz I’m Black) and brown (In Big Truffle) shades, but if you like to play with color, the navy (The Navy) and burgundy (Riri) can add the perfect subtle pop.
Multitasking Wand: DIBS Double Standard Primer & Mascara Duo
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DIBS Beauty
Double Standard Primer & Mascara Duo
Ulta Beauty
Dibs Beauty
Full disclosure: I don’t wear mascara. I’m a lash-extension apologist and firmly believe they’re a high-maintenance investment that ultimately makes life low-maintenance. But if mascara is more your speed, this mascara is one I consistently recommend. The duo pairs a lengthening tubing brown primer with a volumizing black mascara, which is what makes it so good. My podcast cohost and work wife Kirbie Johnson is a true mascara pro and swears by this formula, especially the brown primer, which many people love wearing on its own for a softer, more natural lash look. Together, the combo adds length and volume, builds easily from everyday to full glam, and stays flake-free and smudge-proof. If I ever gave up my extensions, I’d go straight to this.
Just a Tint: Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stain Slipper
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Summer Fridays
Flushed Lip Stain Slipper
Sephora
Summer Fridays
Even with a full face of makeup, I feel incomplete without a lip, which is why I gravitate toward formulas that last as long as possible between reapplications. Summer Fridays has long dominated the lip balm category, so a lip stain felt like a natural next step. The Flushed Lip Stain Slipper comes in a felt-tip marker, making it easy to outline, fill in, or fully customize your lip shape. What sets it apart is that it isn’t drying like many stains I’ve tried, thanks to soothing ingredients like aloe vera gel and panthenol. It’s lightweight and buildable, and once it sets, it’s completely transfer-proof for hours—I’ve tested it after eating and even showering. While every shade is great, I’m especially partial to Rosette (cool pink) and Mocha (deep neutral brown). I finish with one of the lip balm glosses I keep in my purse, and I’m good to go.
Set and Go: Saie CitySet Setting Spray
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Saie
CitySet Setting Spray
Sephora
Saie
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time on your makeup only to have it disappear a few hours later. I need insurance, especially when I’m chasing after two kids. Saie’s CitySet Setting Spray is my go-to everyday setting spray. It’s alcohol-free and formulated with hydrolyzed corn starch, which helps lock makeup in place without that stiff, traditional setting-spray feel. The mist is incredibly fine, and I often reach for it throughout the day to refresh my skin as well. With wear claims of up to 16 hours, it lasts exactly as long as I need my makeup to hold—through school pickup, errands, workouts, and bedtime routines—before I finally wash my face at night.
