The five-minute beauty routine by Fancy Face

You’ve heard of a capsule wardrobe, right? A limited selection of interchangeable clothing pieces that complement each other.

Well, Brittany Gray, CEO and founder of prestigious Canadian beauty brand, Fancy Face, is here to help you build a capsule make-up routine.

By knowing which products you have, what role they play, and when to use them, you can save time and put your best face forward every day. If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about your beauty routine, this is a good time to reconsider it.

“Many women have pulled their make-up routine with them from high school, and through university and their early work life,” Brittany says.

They haven’t changed anything, but their skin has changed, and their lifestyle has changed so they may have less time every morning for make-up.

Brittany Gray

If this sounds like you, Brittany recommends a daily make-up reset – not to follow trends – but rather “to stay dewy, fresh, youthful, and radiant.”

Laying the foundation: Skincare first

Before talking make-up, Brittany has a few “foundational” tips: “Your make-up will never look as good as you want it to if you don’t pay attention to your skin,” she says.

This means using a non-abrasive exfoliant – an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) like glycolic acid – to clear the dead layer of your skin.

Next comes a serum / moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and squalane. A face oil, which absorbs easily and can lock in moisture for hours, can be a great way to finish off your nighttime skincare routine – you can watch for Fancy Face’s very own face oil, launching any day now.

And, of course, you want to build sun protection into your routine. Brittany calls SPF a “must-have” and a “given,” especially as we move toward the days of longer, stronger daylight.

Speaking of sun – if you like a sun-kissed look without the sun damage take Brittany’s tip, and spritz on NUDA Self-Tanning Water at bedtime a few times a week. “It’s like coming back from a mini-vacation,” she says, giving you just enough colour to make people try to figure out if you took a long weekend somewhere sunny.

Five minutes to fabulous: Your quick-start guide

And now, Brittany’s five-minute, step-by-step morning make-up routine to help you get fancified – within a deadline!

1. Glow your skin up: Age Defying BB Cream

If your BB (beauty balm) cream looks like a second skin, you’re doing it right. A sheer to medium coverage will enhance your glow without caking. It comes in six shades, making it easy to find the one that’s right for you, and Brittany advises when in doubt go one tone deeper, as too-light shades will wash you out. Another tip? Don’t stop at your face. Cover your neck, and your decolletage if it will be showing.

2. Hello Bright Eyes! Perk Up Dark Circle Corrector

Quick, but important! Mitigate dark undereye circles with a speedy application of pink-toned Perk Up – a combo concealer-brightener which Brittany calls, “The make-up equivalent of a daily cup of coffee for your face.”

3. Bright and natural: Cream Blush

If you’re still using powder blush … well … “I don’t like to tell people they’re doing the wrong thing, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you use a powder blush.” Brittany says powder = chalky, cakey, and generally unflattering. Cream = smooth, glowy, and long-lasting. Cream blush goes on quicky, blends easily and – added bonus – it can do double-duty to give a hit of colour on your lips.

4. Frame and tame: Browmance Brow Gel

Frame your face, tame your brows, and enhance their natural shape in one quick swipe. Honestly, this will take you twenty seconds – so let’s keep moving!

5. Love your lips: Lip Liner and Vinyl Lip Lacquer

Brittany always starts with a lip liner – her favourite is Fancy Face’s Graceful shade – followed by the combo lip glaze / lipstick effect of Fancy Face’s lip lacquer. Brittany loves the pink shade of “In the City.” She says you’ll know when you’ve found your perfect shade: “You’ll immediately feel better and you’ll want to wear it all day.”

6. Lash-tastic: Mascara

A don’t-miss step, which is why Fancy Face is currently working on their own mascara. Until it’s ready, Brittany recommends L’Oreal mascara: Telescopic Lift for shorter, thinner lashes, and Lash Paradise for fuller lashes.

7. Light it up: Cream Highlighter

We know, you’re getting close to your time limit, so now it’s just a few quick dabs on the high points of your face with Fancy Face’s Dew U (for a finishing dewy glow), then …

8. Set it and forget it: Flawless Translucent Setting Powder

Just use a small brush, or the Fancy Face heart-shaped powder puff, to put the powder where you want it without taking away from the fresh glow you’ve created elsewhere on your face.

And, you’re done!

A few of you may be wondering about blemishes which, let’s face it, are the one thing we could gladly let go from our younger-skin days, yet they have a way of popping up, uninvited and unwanted.

So, yes, you can use a concealer – chose one close to your skin tone. After you dab it on, you can set it with Flawless powder. However, Brittany says you might be surprised how your skin looks after using the BB cream, “It does a great job of evening and smoothing your skin and you might find the blemish doesn’t bother you any more.”

If you’d still like help creating your own customized quick beauty routine, Fancy Face is happy to assist. Send a selfie, taken in natural daylight, and they’ll provide colour recommendations. Or book a virtual appointment to create your own, personalized routine – they’ll even help you incorporate products you already own, merging the familiar with the fresh in your own bespoke beauty regimen.

by Tudor Robins

Tudor is a journalism grad who has published articles in a range of national newspapers and magazines. She also helps clients bring technical and marketing writing to life with her relatable, creative writing skills. When not writing, you can find Tudor running, horseback riding, or hiking.

Copy link