We gave celebrity makeup artist and beauty brand founder Napoleon Perdis a challenge: create six gorgeous makeup looks that can be done in four minutes or less. He accepted our challenge, which may not seem like a difficult one, but for a man who spends hours beautifying faces for magazine covers, music videos and the red carpet, it's no small feat. He created beautiful face charts of makeup looks, then Total Beauty editors tried and tested them (while the clock was ticking) in order to prove that they do, in fact, take less than four minutes (and are doable for non-makeup artist types). But before we reveal the looks to you -- and the products you'll need to recreate them, here are a few general makeup tips from Mr. Perdis:
Tip 1: "Not to prime is a crime," says Perdis. He recommends applying primer every day before your makeup to "promote smoother application and longer wear of your makeup," he says.
Tip 2: "Start your [makeup] regimen with at least one coat of mascara," says Perdis. He recommends this because it will instantly wake up your face and you'll often need less makeup to feel pulled-together. You should also finish your look with an additional few swipes.
Tip 3: "The secret to fast and easy makeup is to utilize multi-use products as much as possible," says Perdis. This will save you time and cash.
Tip 4: Don't get caught up in trying to figure out what colors you should wear and instead wear the colors you want to wear. If you wear them confidently you can wear any color.
Now onto the makeup looks -- ladies start your timers �
How-to: Smooth the creamy blush over your entire eyelid and then blend the same product onto your cheeks for a natural flushed look. Finish the look with a dab of the same color on your lips.
What she thought:
This is an effortless, natural look that takes no time to create. It's probably best on fair-skinned gals like myself since the peachy cream blush pops more on the lips, lids and cheeks of a paler palette. I already had on powder (Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Face Powder, $12.95), mascara (L'Oreal Paris Extra Volume Hydra Collagen Plumping Mascara, $5) and brow filler (Benefit Brow Zings, $30), but I dusted on a little more powder for a quick touch up. Then, I followed Perdis' instructions. I also finished off the look by applying a dab of lip gloss over the lip color to make it a tad glossier.
How-to: Line your top lashlines with liquid eyeliner -- choose one with a fine point for ease of application or use a gel liner and brush. Wing out the ends for a more dramatic eye-opening effect. Finish your look with a swipe of richly-colored lip gloss. "A gloss with a built-in brush will have you out the door in minutes," says Perdis.
What she thought:
Throwing on black liquid eyeliner and red lipstick is an easy way to make your look go from daytime to nighttime. I had on barely-there makeup when I started (just Peter Thomas Roth Oily Problem Skin Instant Mineral SPF 30, $30 and DiorShow Extase Mascara, $28), so I first added a little color to my cheeks, as well as a beige eyeshadow to my eyelids, before adding liner and lip color. The hardest part was making a straight line with the liquid liner, but I fixed the jagged line by making it a bit thicker. Next, I dabbed on some red lipstick (just to get a hint of color) and topped it with lip gloss. The finished look was elegant (yet bold enough to wear in dim lighting), and I achieved it using only a few products.
We gave celebrity makeup artist and beauty brand founder Napoleon Perdis a challenge: create six gorgeous makeup looks that can be done in four minutes or less. He accepted our challenge, which may not seem like a difficult one, but for a man who spends hours beautifying faces for magazine covers, music videos and the red carpet, it's no small feat. He created beautiful face charts of makeup looks, then Total Beauty editors tried and tested them (while the clock was ticking) in order to prove that they do, in fact, take less than four minutes (and are doable for non-makeup artist types). But before we reveal the looks to you -- and the products you'll need to recreate them, here are a few general makeup tips from Mr. Perdis:
Tip 1: "Not to prime is a crime," says Perdis. He recommends applying primer every day before your makeup to "promote smoother application and longer wear of your makeup," he says.
Tip 2: "Start your [makeup] regimen with at least one coat of mascara," says Perdis. He recommends this because it will instantly wake up your face and you'll often need less makeup to feel pulled-together. You should also finish your look with an additional few swipes.
Tip 3: "The secret to fast and easy makeup is to utilize multi-use products as much as possible," says Perdis. This will save you time and cash.
Tip 4: Don't get caught up in trying to figure out what colors you should wear and instead wear the colors you want to wear. If you wear them confidently you can wear any color.
Now onto the makeup looks -- ladies start your timers �
