Sloppy or Successful: Makeup

Sloppy or Successful?

I promise I will post videos of bangs being styled but until then I am going to address makeup! I've seen several of my friends, who have professional jobs, walk out the door wearing only lip gloss and mascara on their face. This is not okay. Your face is important when it comes to daily interaction with people and it is the one thing they consistently look at when interacting with you and is the second biggest way you communicate yourself (I'd argue that over-all body language ranks first). I am completely a proponent of natural beauty. Many women want to be natural beauties and it's okay to aspire to that level of aesthetics. However, you're making a statement even if you aren't trying to make a statement and that statement is-I don't really care.

For some of you, if I could read your inner dialogue right now it would say:

But I don't know how to wear makeup and don't want to walk in my office looking like a drag queen.

For some of you it reads more like this:

I don't have time in the morning to put on any makeup unless it's while driving to work or sitting in the parking lot before going inside.

And there are those of you whose dialogue reads something like this:

If I wear makeup they're going to think I'm trying too hard and I don't want to stand out. I'd rather they notice my brilliant writing skills or my creative problem solving skills but not my face.

If I've missed any inner dialogues please feel free to append them in the comment area. Regardless of your excuse, it is just that-an excuse. We spend time and energy on the things we want to do or people we want to see. It's simple. I'm here to tell you that at least four, if not five, days out of the week it's worth it to put in the time and energy doing your makeup.

So what does this business/corporate makeup look like? Annalise Kaylor says:

Keep It Simple
Work the Entire Face
and my personal favorite:
Seen and Not Heard

Keep it Simple means: You could fit what you need in a pouch that will fit in your desk or car easily and discreetly. A typical, simple collection would include:

*foundation
*blush
*lip-gloss or lipstick close to your natural lip hue but with a bit more pizazz
*mascara
*one or two eyeshadow colors
*eyeliner neutral eyeliner (most likely brown)
*concealer (as needed)



Eyeshadow trick: If you apply concealer on your eyelids before putting on the the eyeshadow it will make it stay longer. If you apply the eyeshadow with a brush it will stay on longer because the oils on your fingers will not cause the shadow to disintegrate.

Annalise's advice is to: opt for neutrals like browns, grays and soft plums.

You can never go wrong with neutrals. Watch out for dark browns and grays. If they are dusty they have a tendency to fall and will make you look like you have circles under your eyes which looks particularly harsh beneath the typical florescent lighting in most offices.

If you have an allergy to red dye watch out for the warmer colors: rich brown and warm plum tones tend to have more red dye in them, especially if they have a higher pigment content.

While most of you tend towards the "less is more" end of the spectrum, there are those of you who appreciate the bolder, more fashion-forward, looks and I applaud you. However, it would behoove you too to tone it down for a corporate environment. Dark smokey eyeliner is awesome, but not when you're in a 10 a.m. meeting with the boss.