I almost fell over when I saw a photo in a major magazine showing a model next to an article proclaiming that her look was a “5-Minute No Makeup-Makeup” and could be achieved in just a few simple steps.

Total B.S.!

While I can’t show that model here because of copyright, I can tell you that she had at least 35 minutes of makeup done on her by multiple top makeup artists before that shot was taken at a big fashion week show.

I know, because I was one of the makeup artists at that specific show.

No-Makeup Makeup can take a long time, and often does

The model pictured here, by comparison, is a beautiful teenager who I photographed after discovering her at a park.

At the time Natali was 17 years old with unbelievable skin!

Even with her flawless skin our makeup and hair session took about 1.5 hours to prep her for these photos.

Why?

Not everything beautiful and well-crafted can happen in 5 minutes.

Also, I was taking my time getting to know her, helping her feel at ease and I wasn’t in a hurry.

Natural makeup is one of the hardest looks to pull off

Every single makeup artist I know cringes when a client calls saying what they want is “simple” — just “a natural look that shouldn’t take too long.” Often they use that as a way to talk down our rates too. [insert massive eye roll]

Unless the model comes in already in pretty great condition (and most don’t), it takes serious skill, precision and an ability to work with the details of the face to create a natural effect.

Doing natural makeup well is much harder than paint-rolling on a thick layer of foundation, ten pounds of contour, over drawn lips and sticking on a pile of eyelashes.

I promise you.

What’s really possible in 5 minutes?

It depends. What kind of canvas (AKA skin) are you starting with and what is your skill level?

What I can do as a professional artist, with over 20 years of experience, in 5 minutes is far more efficient because I know where and how to spend my time to achieve maximum results, and which mixture of products I should use based on the individual face I’m working on.

Don’t get down on yourself

Take any anything that requires a special skill…then give a professional in that area 5 minutes to show what they can achieve. Yes, the results will be amazing, but you shouldn’t expect them for yourself.

For example, if you’re not running a 5-minute mile and someone tells you it’s possible because many others can do it, then do you instantly feel inadequate because you are slower?

Probably you’d rationalize that these “5-minute mile people” (unlike you) train for many hours a week and have finely tuned their bodies to be able to achieve that goal.

The same is true with makeup. It’s a skill one must practice to be good at.

So next time you feel down on yourself because you can’t manage to achieve some “flawless face of no-makeup-makeup in under 5 minutes using 3 things,” just know it’s not your fault. You were simply lied to about the reality of what went into creating the image.

If you want more of the truth, keep in touch with me here as I put out more makeup articles and videos.

And if you’d like a personal consultation to teach you how to get the most out of the time you put into doing your makeup, I offer amazing virtual and in-person makeup lessons that are really worth the investment to save yourself a lot of frustration being spun in circles by lies.

Learn More About Makeup Lessons

So what do you think? Did this article help you? Tell me in the comments below!

Makeup, Hair and Photography © Kristen Arnett