Make-up on the go

Last-minute doesn't have to mean slapdash. Edel Coffey discovers the best tips for quick slicks and the products that will help you save face — and time.

We live in a time-poor culture. Whatever sleep deprivation does to your skin, it can play even more havoc with your skincare regime.

Hit the snooze button one time too many and you’ll find yourself trying to apply make-up in a tiny compact mirror as the bus lurches towards the office.

We’ve all done it, adjusted our under-eye concealer in the rear-view mirror while waiting for the lights to change, applied a quick slick of lip gloss as we walk into a bar or restaurant. Making up on the move is par for the course these days.

It’s always struck me as vaguely unsanitary, not to mention downright dangerous, if a mascara wand meets a bouncy bus, but Clinique’s Global Colour Artist Jenna Menard, says it’s all about getting the right balance of products, application techniques, and speed.

If you can, apply your foundation base at home. At least that will be perfect but bring concealer in your bag for quick fixes. Forget about your perfect eyeliner.

You just can’t do that perfect swoosh piecemeal between train stops. Instead, use a crayon with a smudgie tip on one end (Quickliner For Eyes, €17.50).

“Don’t overthink the line,” says Menard. “Just apply it close to your lash line and smudge with the tool on the other end.”

For lips, cheeks and eyes try to use a cream-based product. They’re just less messy if the bus comes to a sudden halt, meaning you can happily blend away any mistakes.

I like Blushwear Cream Stick (€28.50), but Menard recommends the pre-loaded Quick Blush (€32.50). Keep the lips simple with a tinted balm or gloss (see our cult club product this week).

If you can only have one or two products in your handbag, take a concealer and a highlighter. “Instant Lift for Brows (€17) houses a miracle product that is a must for on-the-go makeup application,” says Menard.

“The highlight end of this pencil can be used for many different areas of the face. Of course, under the brow as a highlight, but also blended on the high cheekbones, over the whole lid, bow of the lip, etc.

The fact that it is in a pencil form and a soft blendable formula makes it easy for many different purposes.” But what do you do if the inevitable happens and your lipstick does a joker-style streak across your face?

“Have some cotton buds and tissue on hand. Also, make-up remover pads can come in handy even if you tear off a small corner to clean up areas around the lips if the line isn’t as straight as you would like.”