My five minute face

I'm not exactly a make-up magician who can transform her face into something completely different through face paint, but I have managed to figure out what I call my five minute glam face.

This skill has been honed through four years of having to work long hours in an office and then rushing off to attend one chi chi event or another. I think it is just good manners to at least bother to look like you've made an effort to look presentable at an event that someone has kindly invited you to. (And also not look like something the cat dragged in when taking photographs with the beautiful people at these events).

So, here's the bare minimum that I do to get by - at the least your complexion should look brighter and evened out and you will look less tired. Which in turn will do wonders at boosting your confidence at sometimes tricky social events.

Here's my ten staples for the recent Audi Fashion Festival.

Before I go into specifics, I'd like to clarify that the items I use are sometimes switched around depending on what I'm testing at the moment or new discoveries that I just can't get enough of. These ten are what I'm currently using and loving.

Base
1. Absolution La Solution + Eclat Radiant Booster Serum, $123, from Escentials
After a quick spritz of facial mist or simply splashing my face with water, I use this serum to give my skin a bit of hydration and to brighten up my complexion. Because it's light and quickly absorbed, I find it also works pretty well as a make-up base so I can cut out an extra step.

2. Shu Uemura Face Architect Smooth Fit Fluid Foundation, $65
Then I spread a very thin layer of liquid foundation over my whole face with my fingers, concentrating on blending the foundation to even out my skin tone. I like light-to-medium coverage foundations like this one so that I don't look too covered up and cakey. This one feels slightly cool when applied and spreads easily.  It's also long wearing and won't streak.
Also, Shu Uemura recently adjusted the price of this foundation down to $65, so all the more reason to check this baby out.

3. Lancome Teint Miracle Corrector, $56
This one's been a favourite for quite a long time. I dab this onto blemishes and dark eye circles after foundation and I find it blends in quite flawlessly.

Eyes
4. By Terry Powder Eye Shadow in Rose Macaroon, $60, from Escentials
Next its a quick wash of this pretty pink champagne eyeshadow all over my lids to make my eyes look brighter.

5. Topshop Eye Crayon in Rock Chick, price tbc but I believe it cost something between $15 and $20
For some definition and depth, I apply this purple-grey eye pencil to my lashline up to the eye crease and smudge with my finger.

6. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx, $32
Then I line my upper and lower lash line with a black liner. I really like Estee Lauder's kohl pencil because it is so soft and easy to draw on and does not smudge my undereye area.

7. Blinc Mascara in Black, $30, from Argly Duckling
Gotta have black mascara to create the illusion of thick, lush lashes. This is the original "tubes" mascara where the mascara coats each lash like a tube to thicken and lengthen them. I really like how this one stays smudgeproof and won't come off until you rinse it with a little bit of warm water. No need to use eye make-up remover and tug your lashes to get the mascara off.
It's now available at this cute new online beauty store Argly Duckling, which brings in cult brands that are hard to find or not available here. Do note that the store is currently in its soft launch and improvements to the website are expected very soon.

Cheeks
8. Maybelline Jelly Glow Blush in 04, $15.90
Because my cheeks tend to get quite flushed, I try not to apply too much blush so that I don't look like I'm allergic to alcohol haha. I like this orange-pink blush because it goes on very sheer and can be gradually built up to your desired colour intensity. I usually rub on two to three layers onto the apples of my cheeks for a subtle glow and let my cheeks get flushed naturally as the event goes on.

Lips
9. Laqa & Co Fat Lip Pencil in Fairyblood, $26, from Argly Duckling
I'm moving away a little bit from bold bright lips to something more neutral so that I can play up my eyes more. I got to test out this new brand that Argly Duckling is bringing in and I really like the soft natural pink of this fat lip pencil. It's got a refreshing spearmint flavour and looks and feels like a cross between a lip balm and gloss. Just right for effortlessly pretty lips!

Finish
10. M.A.C Fix+ Skin Refresher/Finishing Mist, $25
Finally, to set everything and as insurance against the make-up smudging or running in this humid climate, I like to spritz on a fixing spray. This one is a sample bottle, hence it's small size.