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5-Minute Beauty Look Essentials

The 5-Minute Beauty Look: 10 Beloved Makeup Products Guaranteed To Make Your Morning Easier

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Welcome to Shop The Look, a content series where we highlight current trends and the products worth buying to pull them off.

Makeup's ability to transform a face is pretty incredible. Take a great cream contour, for example, which can help fake flawless bone structure, or some strategic lip lining, which can give the appearance of the fullest pout. However, on the subtler side of things, makeup's ability to simply awaken and brighten a face (especially when one is feeling particularly not awake or bright), is pretty impressive too. Appearing fresh-faced and makeup-free when you are indeed not? It's the beauty goal of all beauty goals.

While graphic liner and bold lip colors certainly have their time and place, the five-minute beauty look does too. Ideal for the office, errands, and regular old days, all it takes is a few staples to pull it off—think a moisturizing skin tint, a dab of concealer, an illuminating gloss, or a touch of brow gel. Ahead, we're highlighting 10 skin-perfecting, feature-enhancing products perfect for pulling off the look, ranging from first steps (Bobbi Brown's dreamy priming moisturizer) to final ones (Caudalie's makeup-locking beauty elixir). Keep scrolling to shop the full collection.

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September 16, 2022

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Collections feature quick, easy-to-shop roundups of data-backed products in trending categories. We are reader-supported and may earn a commission when you shop through our links.

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Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer

$66

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BEST MOISTURIZING MAKEUP PRIMER

WHY YOU NEED IT: She may be known for her makeup, but Bobbi Brown also offers some of the best moisturizers on the market. This genius skincare-makeup hybrid is a product you won't want to pass up.

WHAT IT DOES: Shea butter and vitamins B, C, and E ensure that this never-greasy formula delivers smooth, crease-free makeup application every time. 

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

$48

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WHY IT MADE THE LIST
This vegan formula looks as clean as it feels and prioritizes skincare above all else. The standout ingredients are plant-based squalane for moisture, niacinamide for brightening and smoothing, and varying types of hyaluronic acid for added moisture and plumping.

USER REVIEW
“This is the best skin tint on the market! I have gone through like eight bottles of this, and I LOVE IT. It's very dewy, melts right into the skin, and covers discoloration. It's also super easy to reapply throughout the day, and it doesn’t look cakey or separate when you do!”

Make Up For Ever 158 Double Ended Sculpting Brush

$53

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Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

$32

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WHY PEOPLE LOVE IT
The radiant finish of Nars’s concealer is why all these years later, it still tops best-of lists. The blend of botanicals hydrates and reduces redness while mineral and light-diffusing powders blur fine lines and keep the skin from looking greasy. You won’t find a more perfect combo of ingredients.

HELPFUL TIP
Apply this with the applicator or your fingers. Just be sure to go up three shades from your normal concealer shade if you want to use it as a highlighter.

Jouer Cosmetics Bloom, Bronze & Glow Bronzer & Highlighter Duo

$32

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Nars The Multiple Stick

$39

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WHO IT'S FOR: This ultra-nourishing stick is ideal for dry skin in need of a shine boost. The creamy formula contains beneficial antioxidants like vitamin E and açai oil which protect skin while leaving a radiant flush. Bonus points for the shimmery finish.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW: Love the brand’s iconic “Orgasm” blush? We have good news: you can get that exact shade in this stick formula. 

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow+ Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

$24

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BEST OVERALL 

WHO IT'S FOR: If your brows have yet to recover from a bygone era of overplucking, don't fret. This volumizing eyebrow gel is perfect for adding a bit of body to those sparse brows.

WHY YOU NEED IT: If you prefer low-maintenance makeup looks, consider this product a must-have. Gimme Brow delivers the perfect volumizing fluff in seconds. 

Lancôme Lash Idole Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara

$30

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WHAT IT DOES
With an extended lasting power of up to 24 hours, this mascara has a curved wand that fans out lashes that brightens your eyes.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST
This mascara has 360 micro-sized bristles that grab and lengthen every lash (even the tiniest ones), while the lightweight gel formula leaves lashes feather-soft without flaking, clumping, or smudging.

Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

$21

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THE DETAILS: If you're afraid lip gloss will turn your pout into a sticky mess, Rihanna has you covered. Fenty's beloved Gloss Bomb is made with shea butter, so it moisturizes lips without the stick.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW: Once you get a whiff of the peach vanilla scent, you'll never go back.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

$49

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WHY IT MADE THE LIST
Formulated from grapes, mint and lemon oils, and orange flower water, Caudalie's beauty elixir has so many skin-friendly benefits. From reducing redness to tightening pores, the natural formula sets makeup while giving your skin a radiant glow.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW
This gentle mist doubles as a toner—just apply it before serums to prep and tone the skin.

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