everyday beauty

I had the nerve to be shocked recently when I came across the following on stylelist in a post by Grace Gold:

 "According to a study of 3,000 women conducted by U.K. chain store Superdrug, one in three refuses to leave home without first putting on makeup -- even if she's just running errands or making a quick stop at the grocery store."

And it doesn't end there:  The same study found that 1 in 6 won't go to work bare faced, concerned that it could damage their reputation and career.

"What?! Say it ain't so," lamented the purist deep down in me,  "Has it come to this?  Are we this fical?"  I mean yes, I work as a makeup artist, and yes, there is a lot of fun to be had in that realm, but I have never crossed over to the zone where folks think makeup is some kind of requirement. 

And then I slowly remembered, as I sat pondering the state of womanhood in light of all this, that even with no plans to leave my apartment that day (mounds of dirty snow everywhere, icy sidewalks, no real reason to...) I had 5 products on my face.  Quick somebody cue the Thanks-For-Playing-This-Round-of-Misguided-Righteousness music.

See, what had happened was...Over time, my 'basic everyday face', a look that takes me less than 5 minutes to achieve,  has come to feel more like an extension of washing my face every morning than an application of makeup.  My hands move naturally and without pause into this routine - concealer, a light dusting of powder, subtle brow pencil, mascara, and lip balm and/or lipstick.  And I come away, I think, looking like the grown woman that I am, as opposed to the child I think I look like in bare face (not complaining, just saying).  That's my excuse.

Now beauties, tell me I'm not the only one.  What does your everyday face encompass?
And for those of you who are looking to shave time off your beauty routine, check out makeup artist Carmindy's 5-minute face tutorial below.  Enjoy!