Chapter Two: Jenna Bellhouse on Brown Lip Liner, Korean Skin, and Why Less Is Actually More
If you've ever watched a makeup artist get ready and wondered how they make it look so effortless, Jenna Bellhouse is the answer to that question. Based on the Gold Coast, Jenna works across commercial makeup, campaign shoots, content creation, brand partnerships and education. No two weeks look the same, and right now she is somewhere in Korea discovering that everything you've heard about Korean skin is completely true.
We caught up with her to talk quick routines, her non-negotiables, and what she would tell every busy girl who thinks she needs more time than she actually does.
Life right now looks like...
Chaotic, in the best possible way.
Jenna is juggling client work, content creation, brand partnerships, travel, and running a business behind the scenes, all at the same time. It is the kind of full that most of us know well.
"No two weeks ever look the same, which is why I love it. Makeup has taken me to some incredible places and I feel very lucky."
Her actual 10-minute routine
Fresh and awake. That is the brief.
Jenna starts with a Korean hydrating essence, a good moisturiser and SPF. From there it is a luminous skin tint placed only where she needs it, concealer around the eyes and any redness, cream bronzer, cream blush, brows brushed up, mascara, and a lip liner. Always.
"No matter how rushed I am you will never see me without a brown lip liner on."
And the biggest thing she has learned as a makeup artist?
"You don't need makeup everywhere. Choosing the right formulas and placing products strategically makes the biggest difference when you're short on time."
Travelling changes everything
Here is something most people would not expect. Jenna actually does more with her beauty routine when she is travelling, not less.
At home, the routine becomes about efficiency. When she is away, it becomes a moment.
"I love setting up my products, sitting by the mirror with a takeaway coffee and really romanticising my beauty routine. It feels less like something I have to do and more like a moment of self-care before the day starts."
We are taking notes.
What Korea taught her about skin
As a makeup artist, Jenna is constantly analysing skin. And seeing Korean skin up close stopped her in her tracks.
"It's incredible how much emphasis there is here on skincare and prevention rather than correction. Everyone seems to prioritise maintaining healthy skin long term and you can really see the difference."
Her standout beauty moment from the trip was a visit to Areuke Spa in Hong Dae, a facial experience unlike anything she has had before.
"It's not just a treatment, they're educating you throughout the entire process. The level of care and attention to detail is unlike anything I've experienced elsewhere."
The three things that make the biggest difference fast
If Jenna had to pick just three:
Good skincare for healthy, hydrated skin. A cream bronzer or blush to bring dimension and life to the face. And lip liner, because the lips are one of the first things we notice when we see someone.
But she also wants you to know that product is only half of it.
"You can have amazing products but if you're applying too much too quickly, makeup can look heavy. Thin layers, strategic placement and taking an extra 30 seconds to blend properly will always give a better result than adding more product."
Her everyday base
Skin-like. Natural. Healthy looking skin that still looks like skin.
"The most beautiful complexion isn't necessarily the one with the most product. It's the one that's applied strategically."
Thin layers, minimal concealing, and products that enhance radiance rather than mask it. That is the whole philosophy.
Brows, her way
Soft. Fluffy. Nothing too structured or overly perfected.
Jenna brushes up with the CBH Brow Sculpt to create lift and shape, then fills any sparse areas with the CBH Brow Blade around the arch, straightening the tail to help lift the eye.
"The best brows are the ones that make your whole face look balanced without looking overdone."
Her advice for the busy girl
Stop trying to do everything.
"Most women don't need a full face of makeup every day to look polished. Focus on the things that make the biggest impact: healthy skin, groomed brows, a little colour in the cheeks and defining the lip."
Her formula is simple. Master a 10-minute routine you can do consistently rather than chasing a 45-minute one you will never keep up with.
"The women who always look effortlessly put together usually aren't doing more. They're just doing the right things well."
Jenna Bellhouse is a Gold Coast based makeup artist and beauty content creator. Find her at @facesbyjenn
The CBH Brow Sculpt and Brow Blade, Jenna's go-to brow duo, are available at completebeautyhaus.com
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