The question: After my Saturday visit to the gym, I often go out with friends and don't make it home until the evening. Can you suggest a makeup routine that will carry me through?
The answer: My best advice is to keep it simple and use multitasking products whenever possible.
Here's a short list of items to get you from workout to brunch in five minutes: a tinted face balm with SPF to even the skin tone (BB or CC creams work well here), a dual lip-and-cheek product like Sonia Kashuk's Dewy Luxe Lip & Cheek Balm for a flush of natural-looking colour, a clear mascara to define the brows and hold them in place, a good-quality lash curler like Tweezerman's ProCurl to make your eyes pop (with or without mascara) and a shine-reducing powder that travels well like Benefit's The Porefessional Agent Zero Shine loose powder.
Once you've got your basic face on, concentrate on one key feature such as bold lips, big lashes, full brows or lit-from-within cheekbones.
Before you do any of this, don't forget skin care! Cleansing your skin properly after working up a sweat is paramount to healthy skin, which in turn will cut down on the need to apply a lot of makeup.
Bahar Niramwalla is a celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert who has appeared on CTV, Global TV and City. Follow her on Twitter: @baharniramwalla. Have a beauty question? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.