Beauty on the clock: Expert tips for a five-minute morning routine

Let’s face it: mornings move fast, and so do the people you adore. Mums smoothing last night’s sleep lines, teens balancing school stress and selfie prep, it’s the survival of the prettiest on a tight clock. Here’s how to nail your look in five minutes flat, with expert-backed tricks that feel luxe, not lazy.

Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell (pictured), who’s embraced motherhood and efficiency, streamlined her previously elaborate 58 step skincare routine, “focusing on key products for efficiency,” she said. Her go to? OGX Bond Protein Repair 3 in 1 Oil Mist, because hair conditioning and styling can happen in one step. Her slicked back bun wasn’t just stylish; it doubled as conditioning time, “a multitasking move that made routine a shared, playful moment with her daughters.”

Tip for teens and mums: Spritz that mist, twist into a bun, and call it done. Shine and style in one.

Julia Roberts, yes, that Julia Roberts, keeps mornings ridiculously simple. Her three step routine? Wash with Lancôme’s self foaming Mousse Radiance, swipe on SPF 30+, and you’re ready. When she can, she adds Lancôme’s Hydra Intense Masque, but it’s all about minimalism and consistency. “Simplicity and consistency in skincare can lead to excellent results,” confirmed Rhiannon Derbyshire, Woman & Home’s senior beauty editor.

Hack for everyone: Cleanse, protect, go. Clean skin, and sun shield, in under a minute.

Makeup artists are obsessed with multi taskers. Katie Mellinger, a celebrity makeup artist, began her five minute look with a sheer foundation or BB cream, “just enough coverage,” she said, slapped on with fingers and gone. She added gloss to cheeks and lips, mascara, and brow gel, and poof: polished.

Carolina Gonzalez, part of the Giorgio Armani Beauty Collective, layered Luminous Silk Concealer, bronzed lightly, then popped on setting powder and lip colour from the same line for an all in one perk-up.

And on days where time’s really a beast, a 5 5 5 beauty hack works — five minutes, five products, five steps. It starts with tinted SPF, then BB/CC cream or concealer, one coat of mascara (bonus: use the wand to lift brows too), a cheek and lip tint, and finish with setting spray or powder for staying power.

Real talk: Stick to one pump of tint, one swipe of mascara, one dot of colour, and you’re out the door looking fresh.

A recent InStyle article laid it out cleanly: school mornings are chaos, and your beauty routine needs to live where the action is. The solution? A compact edit of four power products stashed not in your vanity but the downstairs bathroom (or next to the kettle, no judgement).

They recommended a lightweight tinted sunscreen (SPF included), a rosy Jones Road blush, gelled brows by Surratt, and a swipe of Sephora highlighter to fake the eight hours you absolutely didn’t get. Quick, glowy, and just polished enough to say “I’ve got this,” even when you don’t.