Office Pretty- 5 Minute makeup for the office

by Colleen

OFFICE MAKEUP

Do you wake up in the morning early enough to spend an hour perfecting your look? Or are you more like me with literally 10 minutes to slap something on your face and tie your hair in a pony tail? I don’t go to an office and when I work on photo shoots I bring an army bag filled with beauty products, so if I didn’t have time in the morning I can always fix myself later AT my work. So I thought I should devise a makeup look for my clients who do work in an office, with those unfortunately unflattering fluorescent lights and who don’t want to wake up earlier just to look pretty and polished. (although looking pretty is important, sleeping is VITAL!)

A quick 5 minute routine to wake up the face, make it look professional and presentable.

STEP ONE: YOUR SKIN
Time: one minute

I am not one to preach that you should wear foundation to work, but a little concealing and evening out of the skin tone will make you look more rested and polished. Of course if you are blessed with great skin you can skip this step. There are some great foundation formulas out now that even out the skin but don’t look like makeup and are also long lasting like Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua, Revlon’s Photoready makeup and BareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation to name a few favorites.
Start from the center of your face around the sides of the nose and blend outwards. you literally want it to be the thinnest of layers so that there actually is no foundation at the outer sides of the face. You can use a foundation, BB cream or tinted moisturizer. If you are a minimalist, try just using a brightening concealer under the eyes and some powder or mattifying primer in the t-zone. My new favorite under eye brightener is Mister Light from Givenchy, a bit like YSL touche éclat but more covering. (I’ve got dark circles so I’m always on the look out for under eye concealers)

STEP TWO: CHEEKS
Time: one minute or less

To counteract the greenish cast that those wonderful fluorescent lights offer your complexion, I recommend you give yourself some color. A pop of creamy apricot blush or poppy if you are darker complected will make a world of difference. If you are quite pale a little bronzer will go a long way. I’m currently crushing on Bobbi Brown’s pot rouge for lips and cheeks (so you can pop it on your lips too) in Powder Pink and Calypso Coral.

STEP THREE: EYES
Time: 2.5 minutes

A little eye makeup goes a long way to define and enhance your eyes especially if you wear glasses. You want your coworkers to focus on your eyes and of course your ideas so make them the center of attention.
Start with a base for your eyelids. A beautiful pale rose gold or a beige with a hint of shimmer is the way to go. There are some great eyeshadow sticks like Clinique’s Chubby Shadow tint in Bountiful Beige and Ample Amber that make this step super quick. Go for a shade that has a bit of shimmer because flat beige shades will look well…boring.
Lining your upper lash line is the key step for a defined eye without looking too made up. Try a plummy color or a dark brown which is softer than black. Make sure you keep as close to the lashes as possible, you can even wiggle the liner in between the lashes. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you are going to smudge it with a q-tip or eyeliner brush anyway to soften the line. I love the Long Wear gel eyeliners from Bobbi Brown in Sepia ink and Black Mauve Shimmer. They can be smudged before they dry and then they stay in place all day.
Apply mascara ( curling lashes is optional but does make a huge difference, with practice you can do this really quickly) And brush your eyebrows into place.

STEP FOUR: LIPS
Time: 30 seconds

This is entirely your choice, but a natural lip is pretty with a defined eye. Use a nude lip liner all over your lips and top with a pretty gloss. Or go for BOLD and show them you mean business with a classic red lip, just keep it a creamy but matte formulation. Shiny red lips are not for the boardroom. ( but the bedroom yes!)

Five minutes and you are out the door. Just please do this at home and not in the car on the way to work……