The importance of being made up
Make up is meant to enhance your face, so make sure it is not overstated. A step-by-step guide to make sure you look just right for work
WHY is it that when I’m wearing make-up people treat me differently? Is it that I feel more confident and come across as such? I don’t think so, because I’m not the type of woman who only feels confident or important when I wear make-up. I don’t need to wear my make-up to face the world, I can be a scruffy slob with the best of them, and often am! Whatever your opinion on the matter, it is a fact that people seem to warm up and regard you more highly if you are wearing make up. This is especially true in work environments. In a professional situation, someone who is suitably dressed with a good haircut, clean and evenly shaped nails and an understated make up is in a much stronger position to win a client’s or boss’ trust, because they look organised and well informed. Dated or tacky colours on the face and nails give the impression that one’s ideas and information may also be out of date.
The real mark of a well-groomed person is attention to details. Wearing tailored and expensive clothes simply won’t work if your face, hair and nails don’t also look healthy and taken care of. If you really want to make an impact, think about matching your hairstyle, make up and nails with the style of your outfit. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in front of the mirror or spend a fortune on hairdos and make up. If, for instance, you are considering wearing a Chinese influenced top or shirt with a mandarin collar to work then you could draw a little bit of black eyeliner to the outer corner of your eyes to give that oriental look and pull your hair back into a bun so it’s not wild or curly. Then you could maybe remove that pink varnish you’ve had on for ages and paint on a natural clear varnish or even a red one. With just a few touches, your image is co-ordinated. I’m a firm believer in the motto ‘Less is More’. Understated is the way to go for general everyday situations, including the way you appear at work.
So, how to achieve a natural make up that will match most outfits for everyday wear or work? Whether you prefer a make up look that’s directional or natural and clean depends on your character and tastes, and of course what clothes and hairstyle you are wearing. If your clothes and hair are very casual, go for very natural make up. There is nothing attractive about a heavily painted face, which overshadows the hair and clothes. Similarly, if you’re smartly dressed with a tailored look, heavier fabrics or an elegant winter coat, then by all means, if you like heavier eye make up or lipstick, go for it!
Often when I’m shopping, banking etc., I notice otherwise attractive women wearing very casual clothes, with their hair left hanging down and either no make up or heavily applied eye shadows in gaudy colours and lipsticks which do not flatter their features or skin tones. These women would look great if they just whipped that straggly hair up and out of their face in either a ponytail, a loose bun at the back of their necks, or with a sophisticated hair clip to pull back the side sections of hair. A light application of base or powder (that matches their skin tone) will liven up the complexion. Finally, I would eliminate the loud eye colours and stick to neutral browns and beige, adding a touch of eye pencil and mascara.
For a can’t-go-wrong work make up:
1. Cleanse and tone (or wash), then moisturise your face. Make sure your eyebrows are tidy and let your moisturiser sink in for 15 minutes before applying your base.
2. If you are lazy, like me, purchase a base that is quick to use, something in a compact with a sponge in it, or a tube. Apply very lightly and sparingly all over your face, under the eyes and jaw, making sure you blend the lower cheek and jaw areas with your fingers or the clean side of the sponge, so that you are almost removing the foundation and you can see your skin through it. This way you make sure that you won’t have two distinct areas of colour between your face and neck. Apply concealer to spots or dark marks on the face and a little under the eyes if necessary. Powder only if you tend to get shiny, and do so lightly, using a brush not a puff.
2. Apply only neutral colours like browns, beige, taupe, peach or ivory to the eyes – you can never go wrong with them. Apply only on the lid, very lightly, from the inner to the outer corner of the eye. If you have big eyes or lids, go for medium to darker browns. If you have small, deep-set, or close-set eyes go for lighter beige, ivory, or peach shadows. Do not apply highlighter to brow bones; it’s unnecessary and outdated.
3. If you wish to enhance the eyes a little more, apply a brown or black pencil line to the outer third of your upper lid, very close to the lashes, making sure it looks subtle. If necessary, blend edges with a cotton bud. If your eyes are small, apply a very small amount of pencil on the outer lower corners of eyes, very close to the roots of the lashes and apply a little brown eye shadow powder over this to stop it smudging later on.
4. Eyelashes are important. Even if you loathe make up and are of the au naturel school, you must wear a little mascara. Black looks good on everyone but if you want a natural effect and you are medium or fair in colouring, go for brown mascara. Apply to upper lashes and brush out cloggy lashes with a clean lash comb or on an old mascara wand, which has been washed with liquid detergent and hot water (rinsed and dried). Brush lashes before mascara has dried on them to separate clogs. Apply to lower lashes very sparingly or not at all.
5. Brush your eyebrows to tidy. If they are a bit sparse use a very sharp eyebrow pencil (not an eye-pencil – it’s too soft) and very subtly feather in little strokes as if painting little hairs where necessary, then check that the general shape of the brow is balanced. Only use a colour that matches the hairs, or, to be safer, go for half a tone lighter. If you are blond choose half to one tone darker to define them.
6. If you have very fair skin or hair choose a lipstick that does not look dark, for example peach, camel, light brown-pink, pale maroon-brown. If you have mid to dark colouring go for brown tones, which have a pink-maroon hue to them or subtle reflections (slight pink-gold shimmer). If you can’t find a lipstick like this, go ahead and mix two lipsticks to get just the right tone. Refrain from using thick gloss over lipstick. Apart from the fact that it is passé, it doesn’t look professional for work.
7. Use a minimal amount of powder or cream blusher and apply on the apple of cheeks, sweeping upwards onto cheekbones. Be very subtle with blusher; for work choose soft peachy/russet tones and for a general everyday look you could use a light pink tone for a natural sun-kissed flush. Blusher should give you a natural healthy glow, which the foundation tends to drain from the face. Even if you like the under the cheekbone, sculpted, thinning effect, never make it look obvious, unless you like looking like a 1980’s time warp victim.
