With a third national lockdown confirmed, it’s fair to say that we’ll be spending a bit more time on Zoom calls.

With the darker days and colder temperatures, it can be difficult to muster the energy to put in any effort, which is completely OK, of course. But if you prefer to get ready for the day as normal, there’s one thing you can do which will make you look awake and pulled together in an instant.

During a Zoom call with Katie Jane Hughes, the make-up artist talked Stylist.co.uk through her quick and easy steps to looking like you’ve made an effort without putting much in at all (leading us to quickly screenshot her every step).

“I think the one thing that will make the biggest difference is a red lipstick,” Hughes tells us. “Because once the lipstick is on my lips, I can take a make-up brush, touch the bristles on the red lipstick and then sweep the brush on my cheeks to throw on the colour. Then I’ve done two steps in one.”

Genius, right? Of course, the thought of applying red lipstick to your cheeks may seem terrifying but the key is selecting the right formula.

“I would definitely go for something between a satin and a matte,” says Hughes. “Because if it’s too shiny, then it can mess around with the other make-up textures that you have on the face.”

Hughes’ ideal formula comes in the form of Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick The Luscious Mattes, £8.99 each.

As for selecting the best shade for your skin tone, it’s all down to personal preference. However, most make-up artists tend to recommend red lipsticks with a blue undertone for those with deep and fair skin tones. For olive and medium skin, try an orange-based red.

“That’s my two-minute cheat out-the-door look when I want to feel and look like I’ve done more than what I’ve actually done,” she says.

Don’t mind us, just off to find some lipstick…

Main image: Stylist.co.uk