Aisling on Beauty: The five-minute face is unrealistic

There is never enough time in the morning. Putting on make-up at 7am is not something many of us relish, even though it’s a confidence-boosting ritual for many women.

If you don’t wear any make-up that’s obviously fine, but if you do, you need to be fast in applying it.

This is why the idea of the five-minute face is so appealing. The problem is that it is not entirely realistic. Even make-up artist Carmindy, who quite literally wrote the book on the five-minute face, can't manage it. Watch her on YouTube and you'll see that her five-minute look takes almost 10 minutes; she only begins to start the five-minute clock after she has applied her foundation and concealer.

I thought I had it down pat and could easily do my make-up in less than 10 minutes. Unfortunately I made this boast on the morning my husband and I were going away for the weekend.

“We have to leave soon,” he warned.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “I just have to do my make-up and then we’ll be gone.”

Foundation went on, quickly followed by Mac Perfect Topping and bronzer. "Five minutes are up," came the unwelcome announcement. I brushed on eyeshadow and then whipped out liquid liner. The left eye was perfect, but when it was time for the right eye, everything went haywire. The line was wonky and ended up at Amy Winehouse levels.

By this stage he was pacing like a bad-tempered zoo animal. Mascara smeared when I applied it too quickly. Lipstick was abandoned; I could do that in the car.

“Fifteen minutes,” he said. “And your eyes look weird.”

What I've learned from this is that the trick to saving time but still looking good is to reduce the number of products you apply. Choose reliables that won't be fiddly to put on. Pick a light liquid foundation or BB cream that will blend effortlessly, leaving time to dot on concealer if you need it. A kohl pencil will define eyes neatly and easily. Multiples are great and will work over cheeks, eyes and lips to add colour quickly (try Nars Multiple in Orgasm). Skip mascara on your bottom lashes, as it can cause smudging.

Don’t take risks when you’re in a hurry; keep it very simple and forget about the five-minute myth. It’s going to take closer to 10, so don’t keep hitting that snooze button.

• amcdermott@irishtimes.com
• Twitter @aismcdermott