TikTok’s “5-Minute Face” Is For Those Who Don’t Do Makeup In Summer

There's plenty to love about summer: Aperol spritz on tap, likely a wardrobe refresh, endless hours of daylight. Wearing makeup typically isn't one of them. Though beauty products have come a long way from the heavy, skin-clogging formulas of yesteryear, primer or setting spray can only do so much to stop your foundation sliding around in a heatwave. Add in the sweaty visuals of pulling together a full face in a steamy bathroom, or sunglasses slipping down your nose, and it's enough to make you want to ditch makeup altogether.

Don't get me wrong — full coverage has its place and as someone with lots of skin texture, wearing makeup makes me feel a little more confident to face the day. But TikTokers are slowly weaning themselves off foundation this summer and the results have gone viral. Take the latest concealer hack, which involves a few strategically applied swipes of product to give the illusion of full coverage without the heavy feel. This month, TikTok is obsessed with the "five-minute face". Not only is it speedy (as the name suggests), it's also being touted as a great foundation alternative.

A video posted by influencer Lana Jenkins, captioned "5 minute summer skin no-makeup makeup hack", has amassed 273k views (and climbing). It's simple: Start with a generous layer of sunscreen (dermatologists recommend two finger lengths' worth of product) and then take a cream or liquid bronzer. Lana uses the tip of their nail to pick up the smallest amount, mixes this with Too Faced Hangover Primer, £24, in the palm of their hand and applies it like a moisturiser. Lana follows this with just a dot of concealer where they think they need it (namely Merit Perfecting Complexion Stick, £40) and some cream blush for a believable "sun-kissed" finish.

Though TikTokers have pointed out in the comments that cocktailing makeup products in this way isn't exactly new, it does work. "I tried it for the first time yesterday and it was spot on," wrote one of Lana's followers, while another said, "Simple and quick, thank you!" Lana's skin appears brighter and dewier but is this hack really as fast and lightweight as everyone says it is?

Sunscreen is non-negotiable, not just in the summer months but all year round, so I applied a liberal layer of Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF50+ Hydrating Skinscreen, £34 (considered to be one of Australia's best SPF imports). My skin can become very oily throughout the day so rather than a cream bronzer, I opted for one with a featherweight gel texture (Jones Road Gel Bronzer, £32) and a similar primer (e.l.f. Power Grip Primer + Niacinamide, £10).

The mixture appeared patchy at first but it soon warmed up on my skin and melted in quickly. The finish is meant to be natural but you could go over any tricky areas, such as around your mouth and nose, with a dense makeup brush to help the blending process along. One minute down (yes, I timed myself), I reached for Dior Forever Skin Correct Full-Coverage Concealer, £31, to tuck away some skin staining left behind by breakouts and minimise the appearance of dark under-eye circles, then applied & Other Stories Blissful Rose Cheek & Lip Tint, £17, over my cheeks and down the bridge of my nose where the sun tends to hit the face naturally.

One thing I've noticed lately is that lots of TikTok makeup trends are anti-mascara — including this one. If you want to avoid inevitable smudges, ditch the eye makeup entirely and give your lashes a press with a lash curler like Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler, £24.60, or MASQD The Eyelash Curler, £8, if you'd rather spend less. I finished off with a slick of Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Delight, £20, brushed up my brows with a spoolie and spritzed a little Urban Decay All Nighter Vitamin C Make Up Setting Spray, £28, for good measure.

In four minutes and 19 seconds, the look was complete. Sure enough, it felt like wearing nothing at all, even though my skin was glowing. That's how I encountered my first (and only) problem. When I'm makeup-free, I tend to touch my face a lot more and I ended up making a few holes in my barely there base by rubbing my eyes (thank you, hay fever) and resting my face on my palm at my desk. To boost the staying power, I'd recommend a very light veil of translucent powder like NYX Professional Makeup Studio Finishing Powder, £9, or Lottie London Translucent Setting Powder, £6.95, over the top. This has helped keep my lightweight summer makeup in place for longer.

If you can keep your fingers away from your face, this is a quick and effective hack, especially if you can't stand the feel of makeup on your skin in the heat. I've actually put aside the products I used for an upcoming holiday because I know they'll come in handy when I have just a few moments to get ready for dinner after spending all day at the beach. I do have one last tip for those among us with acne-prone skin, who find that warm weather exacerbates breakouts. Where you can, look for skincare and makeup with an "oil-free" or "non-comedogenic" label, which means it's less likely to clog your pores. It's helped me immensely.