STEP 5: HIGHLIGHTER
Highlighters are my secret weapon and the key to the 5-minute face. These pearly shimmers come in fine powders, sheer creams, luminizing liquids, or light-reflecting crayons and bring light to the face, blending into the skin to become almost unnoticeable—except for an ethereal gleam. Powders go on faster, so use one here to save time. After you apply it, tilt your face, you can see the tones of the color prisms, giving your face and eyes that luminous glow.

Application smarts: With an eyeshadow brush (or Q-tip), sweep on a little powder highlighter in three places: under your eyebrows, on the inside corners of your eyes by your tear ducts, and on top of your cheekbones (see box below on cheekbones). And for cream or liquid highlighter, use before powder and tap on a small amount, blending it into your skin with your ring finger. The combination surrounds your eyes with radiance and makes them shimmer—no eye shadow needed! It also draws light to the upper part of your face for an instant lift.

Find your cheekbones!
The tops of your cheekbones are a key place to apply highlighter because it draws the eyes upward, highlights your bone structure, and gives the face more radiance. To find the top of your cheekbones, place two fingers side by side under the outer corner of your eye. That's the top of your cheekbone.

STEP 6: BLUSH  
Application smarts: Apply blush (one that mimics a natural flush) to the apples of your cheeks, which are the rounded areas that stand out when you smile very wide. For powder blush, apply using a brush made for face powder. Its large size will hug your apple and apply the color with a natural, seamless finish. Cream blush should be applied before face powder. It should be dotted on with clean fingers then smoothed in tiny circles until it looks like part of your skin. Add more dabs until you build up to the color intensity you want. No matter whether you use powder or cream, remember that you should look like you're blushing, not like you've been slapped in the face.

Fast fix: BLUSH OVERLOAD! Applied too much blush? This will help: if you're dealing with a cream blush, take a makeup sponge, place a drop of foundation on it, and with tiny upward strokes, buff over your blush to soften the color. If you used powder blush, do the same with a dry sponge.

STEP 7: EYELINER
Application smarts: Aim to apply eyeliner along your upper lash line as close to the roots as possible; wiggle the pencil using little back-and-forth motions to really work the color into the roots, then smudge with a Q-tip to soften the line. This will give the illusion of a thicker lash line, but your eyes won't scream "Eyeliner!" You can use whatever liner is left on the Q-tip to slightly smudge under your lower lashline for just a hint of color. Chocolate brown pencil liner is a universally flattering no-brainer shade. Cheap or pricey doesn't matter as long as it glides across skin without skipping, pulling, or crumbling.

STEP 8: MASCARA  
Application smarts: Tilt your head back slightly and look down to expose your lash root. Target the root as the first place the brush hits (it will deposit the most color there, which is where you want it), then glide the brush through to the tips. Apply one coat to your top lashes only. The bottoms are where smudges happen most and keeping them bare will save you potential cleanup time.

Fast fix: I like black mascara on almost everyone. It makes more of a statement and gives you that extra wow! Keep an eye out for formulas with smaller brushes; they offer control for faster application and fewer clumps.

STEP 9: LIP COLOR  
Application smarts: The quickest way to add color to the lips is to use a tinted lip balm. This is a fast and natural way to add color, moisture, and protection in one easy swipe. Of course you can use your favorite lipstick or gloss. Cover your lips in color, then run a pinky finger over them to help "push" moisture and color into your lips.

Check your look in the mirror and you'll see — you're perfectly polished in five minutes! Enjoy it, master it—and then see where else it can take you. Besides being the ultimate look for every day, my 5-minute face technique is the basis for all of the other (easy) looks covered in this book, such as one that's perfect for a black-tie event or one that makes you feel fantastic on a sexy Saturday-night date. You'll look and feel like a makeup expert, even if you aren't!

Excerpted from “The Five-Minute Face: The Quick & Easy Makeup Guide for Every Woman” by Carmindy. Copyright © 2007 Carmindy. All rights reserved. Published by HarperCollins. No part of this excerpt can be used without permission of the publisher.

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