When it comes to making first impressions, your goal should be to make the right ones. It’s not just about dressing well, it’s about looking presentable. If you constantly look tired, messy and unkempt, people might have a hard time trusting you, both personally and professionally.

Looking your best is made possible by enhancing your natural beauty through the use of the right make-up.

If you’re like most women, you’re probably asking yourself right now, “who has the luxury of time these days?” In between making breakfast, doing your household chores, juggling kids, bringing them to day-care and rushing to work, finding time to improve yourself can be nearly impossible.

This is one of the great perils of a modern woman’s life, especially for working mothers. You never have the time to simply stay put and beautify. Well, the following top ten make-up tips are sure-fire ways of helping you find the time to look good—all it will take is just a few minutes before you can go back to your normal, busy routine.

Top Ten Time-Saving Make-Up Tips:

Tip 1: Pick the Right Make-Up

Yes, we are aware that there are many different make-up types on the market. What we mean is that you should pick the right make-up color and shade according to your complexion. This doesn’t just apply to foundations and face powder; picking the right make-up shade also applies to lipsticks, eyeliners and eye shadows.

For your foundation and powder, pick the shade that is closest to your natural skin tone. Picking the right concealer shade means finding one that is one to two shades lighter than your complexion.

When picking eyeliners, light eyes are well-contrasted by colorful and light eyeliners, while dark eyes can be made more dramatic with black eyeliner. For red lipstick, which is a staple for all women, you can draw attention to your pucker and pout with the right red lipstick shade. Thin lips require a vibrant and light red, while thicker puckers look their sexiest with deep, rich red shades.

How does picking the right make-up save you time? Simple. With the right make-up color, you won’t have to worry about “unflattering” mistakes and spending time in the loo trying to rub your make-up off.

Tip 2: For Everyday Make-up, Don’t Go Overboard

Unless you’re a company bigwig or a celebrity, both cases meaning you will have the luxury of time and your own make-up assistants to do the work for you, you won’t have to worry about looking "photo-op spectacular" everyday. You don’t have to go overboard with make-up if you’re just heading to the office.

In fact, in the business world, the “natural look” or using minimal amounts of make-up is highly advisable. You want to look professional, and not eye-catching and reminiscent of a sideshow clown. The less makeup you have to apply, the less time you have to spend blending and perfecting each stroke. Remember, for everyday make-up, learn to keep it simple.

Tip 3: Own and Use Just the Basics

You don’t need to have an entire closet of make-up and other cosmetic products. In fact, it’s highly advisable to simply buy what you can use. There are some make-up items with relatively short shelf-lives. Mascara, for example, should be replaced once every three months.

Own the basics and expand your collection only up to how much you can use within the next few months. The basics include the right moisturizer, foundation, powder, eye shadow, concealer, lipstick, blush and mascara.

There’s nothing wrong with owning various shades of lipstick and different concealers, but just make sure that you only use your “basics” for everyday. Once again, keep your everyday make-up rituals simple.

Tip 4: Skip What You Don’t Need

You probably encounter various tips on how to “properly apply” make-up or how to apply make-up like a pro. When you’re rushing, you don’t have the time to go through every single step. You can still attain a flawless finish even when you skip some steps.

For example, some women can cover unsightly blemishes with just foundation. If you can skip your concealer, then by all means, do so. For effective wrinkle coverage, smooth your foundation upwards. Going upwards will help mask wrinkles, creating a super-smooth finish.

Some women also skip lipstick in favor of quick-to-apply roll-on lip gloss. Find what works best for you and if it can save you time, stick with it.

Tip 5: Powder and Concealer vs. Foundation

Out of all your make-up paraphernalia, foundation can be the toughest to apply. It requires a lot of time when it comes to blending and smoothing it out. If you’re running late, then simply use powder and concealer as your quick-fix. Once you get to the office, or your time frees up, you can simply wash your face and reapply your make-up, this time with foundation.

You can also simply apply lip gloss instead of lipstick and wait until you reach the office to hole up in the restroom for a longer make-up application period. Applying make-up requires concentration and effort, and rushing through your make-up application can just lead to unsatisfactory results.

Tip 6: Skip the Three Eye Shadow Shades

Although three different eye shadow shades are recommended when it comes to defining, accentuating and highlighting your set of peepers, going through each one can be pretty time-consuming. Instead of going for three, use just one shade of eye shadow .

You can also forgo the use of eyeliner and use your eye shadow to help define and accentuate the shape of your eyes. Apply the eye shadow on your eyelid near the base of your lashes. Also put some eye shadow under the eyes, lining the base of your lashes.

Tip 7: Remove Make-Up Before Sleeping

This may not be an obvious time-saving make-up tip, but it actually helps you save time indirectly. Removing your make-up before you sleep lessens the chances of clogged pores that can result in blackheads, whiteheads and pimples. Banishing these blemishes means that you won’t need so much time applying concealer or foundation.

Once you have clearer skin, you can easily settle for less gunk on your face. Taking great care of your skin has its rewards.

Tip 8: Go For Easy-to-Apply Make-Up

Why settle for long struggles with your make-up when you can save time with easy-to-apply cosmetic products instead? Concealers in particular can be pretty tricky when it comes to application. You’ll need to dab or smear before you can blend. Instead of going for cream concealers, why not go for a stick or solid concealer instead?

You can apply the solid concealer directly on your skin—in small dots, mind you. Solid concealers are great for stubborn bumps and bruises, but if you have dry skin, you can also go for liquid concealers instead.

Tip 9: Don’t Apply Make-Up In A Moving Vehicle

When we said find the time to apply make-up, we didn’t mean apply your make-up while on the road. Whether you’re driving or not, you should never apply your make-up in a moving vehicle. This could lead to accidents, and could also mean disastrous make-up. Since your mirror space is limited, you might just end up with numerous smears and smudges that are totally unflattering.

If you really want to apply your make-up on your way to work, and your driving time is all you have, apply your make-up before driving or once you get to your usual parking space. Instead of having to redo all your make-up once you get to the office, you now just have to do “finishing touch-ups” from your parking stall.

Tip 10: Carry a “Retouch” Kit in your Purse

You don’t have to bring your entire makeup kit everyday. In fact, just bring your make-up essentials for possible touch-ups and retouches during the day. If you’re using liquid foundation, one of your primary concerns may be that this type of foundation can only last for up to four hours. This problem can easily be remedied by applying powder to avoid having shiny and oily skin.

Another way to save time with your “retouch” kit is by applying only the basics before stepping out of the house and slowly adding to your make-up as your time frees up.

Looking your best shouldn’t have to take you hours. With the right make-up application and the right choice of make-up, you can fit in some “me-time” no matter how hectic your schedule is.