Mecca’s Jo Horgan Reveals Her Simple Beauty Routine For The Time Poor

If I read another beauty column guaranteeing me a “five-minute make-up routine’, I’ll throw a bottle of overpriced serum at the author. Unfortunately, I’ve only got myself to blame.  I always get suckered in by the promise of such articles. I want to look polished and put together each day. I want my skin to be clean and clear, my make-up soft and pretty and yes indeed, I want that to magically happen in the stolen spare seconds I actually have before work each day.

There’s a simple business rule, which is: You only get to pick two. That is for every product you might need there is one that can be delivered faster, another that can be delivered cheaper and one that delivers higher quality. You can’t have it all though. You can only pick two of those three options. No one product does everything and if it says it will, that’s just clever (and misleading) advertising.

Jo Horgan’s morning and evening skincare routine includes Darphin Hydraskin Intensive Moisturising Serum (yes, a serum). She says it’s like giving her skin a drink of water, making it feel hydrated and refreshed, and looking plump and full. In the morning, Jo follows the serum up with Darphin Hydraskin Rich Cream and – sun safety first – Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Superscreen SPF +.  In the evenings, she switches the cream for an oil, the Darphin 8-Flower Nectar Oil (Jo recommends rubbing 4-5 drops between your palms before applying) and on days when you skin needs a little extra self-care, the Mecca Cosmetica Fresh Faced face mask.

When it comes to her beauty look, Jo Horgan recommends brush-and-foundation-in-one options if you’re someone without a lot of time on your hands. Her favourites are By Terry Light Expert Click Brush foundation and Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Foundation Wand. “I love both of these foundations because they self-load and the product buffs onto the skin,” says Jo. “The quick application and no need for fingers makes them a winner in my eyes”.