Tips on how to do your office makeup

Apr 24

Makeup for the office need not be overly complicated or fancy. It only needs to do these things for you: to make you look professional and polished, to mirror your competence and the effort you pour in your job. Now it depends on the office environment, but as a rule, a bare face can make you look lazy and ungroomed. A bit of makeup to liven up your complexion can do wonders to get you and your work noticed!

That's not to say that you should go all out and pile on the products. It's best to keep eyes subtle and soft, with just a hint of healthy glow on your cheeks. As for the lips, you can't go wrong with brown-based colors mixed with plum or pink - they are always flattering but never overbearing.

Here's a list of dos and don'ts when wearing office makeup!

Keep your skin well-hydrated to make sure that it won't dry out with unusually cold office airconditioning. To moisturize during the day without removing your makeup, spritz on a face mist! The humectants in your moisturizer and makeup will trap the moisture of the water in your skin.

Evian is a nice facial spray. It's mineral water and has a minimum amount of chemicals.

Invest in good makeup that are fool-proof and will get you out of the door in under 15 minutes. That means getting multi-purpose products like cheek and lip tints, BB creams, eyeliners that can double as cream eyeshadows - the likes. But of course it ultimately depends on your preferences.

The Majolica Majorca Blood On Cheek Tint can be your lip and cheek color. It's also quite moisturizing on the lips.

The Colour Collection Gluta-White BB Cream has nice coverage and has SPF 27

If you're going to be out for more than 10 hours a day, it's best to use a proper primer on your face and eyes. This will help your makeup stay put all day.

The Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation Primer is a nice oil-free product to keep your foundation from melting or fading.

The UDPP is the best eye primer, ever

Save the matte makeup for photo-heavy events. In a place where you need to interact with people, it's best to have natural-looking skin, that is, not matte. If you have good skin already, just use tinted moisturizer and BB cream. If you need heavier coverage on blemishes and uneven tones, use a liquid foundation (focus only where you need the coverage). Always remember to set with a translucent (not opaque) powder to avoid the chalky look.

The Lancome Teint Miracle is a nice heavy-coverage, brightening foundation. If you prefer a more natural, lighter coverage, go for the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup.

You know how in offices, the lights can leave a gray, dull cast on faces? If you work in a place with bad lighting, illuminizers can really help you fake a glow. Pick the right one and you won't look oily or shiny! Illuminizers are also useful when you're stressed out a lot and it shows in your skin.

The Shu Uemura Whitefficient UV Under Base Brightening Mousse isn't a luminizer per se, but it's a brightening base for your makeup.

Benefit Watt's Up! allows you to highlight strategic areas in your face, to achieve maximum glow

Your eyes should look soft and just subtly enhanced, so avoid glittery eyeshadows and just stick to satin or matte textures. Keep it simple and muted - you're not trying to paint the Sistine Chapel here! Brown eyeliner is a great choice, but black is okay too as long as you use a thin line. Choose a clean, natural mascara, as well.

This is a nice colour palette for the office - flattering, muted browns. Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Palette in Sand

The Beauty PRO Cosmetics Palette in Sweet and Smoky is a nice day to night piece

The IN2IT Eye Colour Palette in Island Sands is nice to keep in your kikay kit. Really flattering set of browns.

Shu Uemura Eye Crayon in Misty Brown and Soft Brown

Your eyebrows, femstache, and nails should always be well-groomed. Look at it this way. If you can't keep these things clean and in perfect condition - in plain sight - then how can other people trust you to do a good job without supervision? Go to a salon once or twice a month to have them taken care of, or DIY if you know how.

Orly nail polish in Gilded Coral

As with your eye makeup, your lipstick should flatter but not mesmerize unsuspecting co-workers. Brown-based pinks, reds, and plums look good on Pinay skintone! Avoid the hot pinks, bright reds, fuchsias, and what not. Of course, it depends on what kind of workplace you're in.