By: Jenn Ortiz, {iStyle} Editor

I am not a morning person. As much as I love getting dolled up, I can be a bit lazy. Okay, more than a bit. I’m an absolute bum, but I refuse to look like it. I’ve been told I look high maintenance, but the truth is I’m pretty low maintenance. I cut my hair every 4-6 months, wash it every few days, hate to touch-up my makeup, and have a huge snooze button habit. Most days, I roll out of bed, brush teeth, dry shampoo hair, do something with my face, dress, and run. Somewhere in there, I feed and clothe a sleepy small child, take out the dog {which frequently takes up way more time than it should because I swear Lola has A.D.D.}, and deal with any “surprises” that spring up on me at 7 o’clock in the morning {like: “BTW mommy, it’s make your own silly sock day.”}

You’ve heard of the 5-minute face? Right, so start the clock.

Nothing on my face except for a smile. I must love you guys to do this.

Moisturize – Get a moisturizer with SPF 30 to save time. I don’t splurge here, Olay works just fine. Get about a dime size squirt and just rub it all over your face and neck. Time: 30 seconds

Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer – Some can skip this step, but most of us shouldn’t. I use my fingers, not a brush or sponge. I put dots all over my face and quickly blend them in. Splurge on your foundation. This is one place you don’t want to be cheap; the wrong color or bad quality can make your face look chalky, greasy, or cakey. If your face looks a different color in person or in a photograph than your neck, you’ve got the wrong foundation. May I recommend Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk? Time: 30 seconds

Concealer – Cover any darkness under your eye and in the inner corner of your eye. Laura Mercier’s Under Cover is hands down the best concealer in my book. The compact comes with one concealer for under-eye and one for the rest of the spots on your face. MAC had a chubby pencil concealer, but I’m not sure if they carry it still.  (Note: When I did this, I did not have concealer. Airhead that I am, I had left my concealer at work. The “Done” photo at the end shows concealer applied and was taken when I arrived at work.) Time: 22 seconds

Blush & Bronzer – Swipe the brush over the blush once or twice. Look straight in the mirror and imagine a straight line down from your pupil to your cheek. You want to apply the color on the outer side of that line. Many ladies put color to far in on their face, looking for the “apples” of their cheek by smiling. The line trick should help you avoid that. I use quick up and down dusting motions while moving outward. Bronzer should be dusted on the face in a figure 3 from temple to cheek to jaw. You also need a good blush brush; nothing wimpy. Try Lorac in a color that makes you look flush or Nars Orgasm/Laguna combo, because it looks good on anyone. Time: 18 seconds

Eyeliner – With black or brown liner, line eye as close to the lash-line on the top lid as possible. I use MAC Fluidline. It comes in a pot and must be applied with a flat eyeliner brush. This stuff does not budge, even after a workout or the pool. Time: 45 seconds

Mascara -I prefer DiorShow waterproof or DiorShow Iconic. First swipe, I make sure the brush is deep in my lashes a the base and gently wiggle on up. Second swipe, I look down or close my eyes and again wiggle and spin the brush while going up the lash. Touch the tip of the lashes with the tip of the brush while your eye is closed. That’s it, no more unless your idol is Tammy Faye. Time: 1 minute

Highlight – Get a flat eyeshadow brush and dip it into the highlighter. Make a C shape around the inner corner of your eye, by until your lashes begin. On the outer corner of your eye, swipe a line from corner of your eye to the outside tip of your brow and blend. Now, take the brush and apply highlighter all along the underside of your eybrow. Add a tiny bit above the arch of the brow. If you want, you can add a bit on the bow of your lip. Lorac Perfectly Lit in Spotlight or Stila’s Kitten. Time: 48 seconds

Lip - I suggest you swipe on something natural looking. My lips have good color naturally, so for me it might be C.O. Bigelow’s Mentha or a lip balm with SPF 15-30. If you’d like to add some color to your lip get a lipstick with a light consistency, like MAC’s lipstick in Glaze or Satin finish. Time: 12 seconds

Done! All in under 5 minutes.

A few tips:

Don’t ever use a red lipstick without flawless looking skin.
Don’t overdo the concealer. The point is to minimize flaws and even out skin.
Don’t cake on the powder. I didn’t even use any in these pictures.
Don’t use a tiny blush brush. It will make you look streaky.

Do get the right brushes and clean them weekly.
Do remove your makeup before bed.
Do use good quality makeup. Makeup is meant to enhance. It shouldn’t look or feel like a mask.

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Jenn Ortiz is a graduate of the University of Florida with degrees in History and Latin American Studies with hopes to pursue a PhD in Child Development. She believes there is beauty in everything around us; from the inside out, outside in. She currently runs {Bits of Beauty}, a place you just feel good about.