The Beauty Counter: Multitasking products for those busy and on a budget

With each passing year I feel my life flies past me faster than a speeding bullet. The hours in a day get shorter and shorter while my responsibilities as a wife, mother and business owner become greater and greater, leaving me so frazzled and desperate at the end of the day wishing I had an extra 15 hours to get everything I needed to do that day completed. But instead I spend the next 24 hours trying to finish the previous day's work plus try to catch up on the things I needed to get done that same day, once again putting me in that never-ending vicious cycle.

This all being said, I have been on a mission in attempt to minimize my duties so that by the end of the day, I can actually have a moment to relax with my family rather than lock myself in my walk-in closet only to start crying again because it suddenly dawns on me that I needed to clean that as well. As a makeup artist, I have, however, managed to find multitasking products that can reduce application time as well as minimize the amount of products I take with me on a job. So, if any of you are in the same boat where you may not have a countless amount of hours to get ready, or even the space in your makeup bag to carry everything, or if you are just someone who wants minimal things, my goal is to provide you with a list of items to help simplify your makeup routine.

The first area that I want to discuss is the skin. It is the body's biggest organ after all, so why shouldn't it deserve the most attention? While I am still on the search for that holy grail of foundations, I think serum foundations come pretty close as they provide key nutrients, vitamins and other benefits that we would otherwise look for in skin-care products. I have two personal favorites. The first is the Perricone MD No Foundation Serum (approximately $55). While it is more on the pricier side, you really only need about a nickel size amount to cover your face (this depends on how much coverage you are looking to achieve). What I love most about this foundation is that its formula contains neuropeptides that help repair the look and feel of your skin by producing more collagen (YES! for youthful-looking skin). The second foundation is the L'Oreal Visible Life Serum Age-Reversing Foundation (approximately $15). This foundation is a medium coverage, which contains glycerin as well as retinol and vitamin C that gives your skin both a more hydrated and brighter appearance over time.

Next, it's hard to talk about items that are multitasking without discussing this product. The Nars The Multiple (approximately $39) in the shade Orgasm (yes, you read that correctly) is definitely one of my favorite multipurpose cosmetic items on the market today. It provides a subtle yet gorgeous wash of color over your eyes, lips and cheeks. It also provides a nice highlight to those areas as well without the necessity of adding a highlighter.

The last product I wanted to find was one that would work as both an eyeliner and brow pencil. The biggest challenge I had was trying to find an eyeliner that was matte enough in texture so I could use it on my brows and didn't make them look like a shimmery Nike swoosh. And most brow pencils were either too sharp and didn't offer a smooth application or didn't blend well, or the color payoff wasn't intense enough. Finally, after trying my hand at a few different types, I managed to find a brand that seemed to offer both proper color payoff as an eyeliner and easy glide-on application, but also matte enough to use as a brow pencil and have it last and not wear off every time I would go to touch my brows. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes (approximately $19) has a range of colors (my personal favorite was Taupe 24L) can offer your eyes a gorgeous pop of color as well as work as a brow filler in any sparse areas.

We are always in a hurry and feel like we never have enough time to do anything, but I know how important it is for us to look our best when we walk out of our house. And while time may not always be on our side, I hope that I can provide my readers some useful products that can not only be easy on our budgets, but also can offer you a little extra time so you can use it where and when it matters most.