Women who work in the office know that apart from their skills, looking professional and put-together is a way to stay ahead in the game. In addition to a killer work wardrobe, women need to know how to do their makeup in a professional way that enhances their looks, as studies show that women who wear makeup are more likely to get promoted in the workplace.
However, some ladies tend to overdo their makeup, while others don’t make the effort to do so at all. Too much makeup can look garish and will distract your co-workers, while too little will make you look washed-out and unpolished.
So what’s the appropriate makeup look for the workplace? There’s no need to overdo it with contouring, strobing, and all the tips and tricks that you see from YouTube beauty experts. The goal here is to have an even and matte skin tone, defined eyes, and a hint of color on the cheeks and lips.
Here’s how to do an easy and professional makeup look that works for the office.
Skin
Start with clean, moisturized skin. If you have oily skin, apply a primer as it will help your makeup stay flawless longer. Try Lancome La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer ($20) or N.Y.C. New York Color Smooth Skin Perfecting Primer ($4.99).
Next, apply your base. Choose from a liquid foundation, BB cream, or powder foundation. Make sure that the color matches your skin tone. Apply liquid or creams with your fingers or a sponge, such as the Beauty Blender.
Conceal spots or dark under eye circles with a dab of concealer. Laura Mercier Undercover Pot ($34) has two shades of concealer plus a setting powder, while L’Oreal True Match Super Blendable Crayon Concealer ($8.99) gets points for easy application.
Seal in the primer, base, and concealer with some finishing powder. You can use loose setting powder, such as NYX Cosmetics HD Finishing Powder ($10), then just pop a compact of pressed or translucent powder in your handbag for touch-ups.
Eyes
Every working woman should have beautifully groomed brows, but be careful not to overpluck, as too-thin brows will age you. Fill in sparse spots with a brow pencil or powder that matches your brows. Don’t choose a pencil that’s too dark. If you’re blonde, look for light taupe, dark blond, or wheat-colored brow products, while brunettes should stay one to two shade ranges of their hair color.
For eyeshadow, you don’t need a palette with 70 colors for your professional makeup look. A palette with four eyeshadows in neutral colors and matte finishes will do. The Bobbi Brown Chocolate Eye Palette ($60) has on-point shades, as well as matching liners. Sweep the lightest shade from the lid to the brow bone, then brush a taupe-y shade to the crease and blend well to define the eye. Line the upper lids with a chocolate brown or black eyeliner, and make sure to choose a formula that won’t smear or run. Finish with a coat of lengthening or defining mascara.
Cheeks and Lips
The office is not the place for red lips or glittery cheeks. Go for a hint of color that will give you a healthy glow. For cheeks, choose a powder or cream blush. Nars makes great powder blushes for $30, while Stila rules when it comes to cream blush with its Convertible Color compacts priced at $25.
For lips, opt for a pinky-brown or mauvey shade for the office. Beauty enthusiasts call the ideal everyday shade as the “My Lips But Better” or MLBB lipstick color, and you may have to try on a few before finding your perfect match. You’ll know that you have the right lip color when it makes you look healthy even without makeup. Among the most popular MLBB colors are MAC Twig ($17), Maybelline Touch of Spice ($7.49), Colourpop Echo Park ($6), and Urban Decay Lipstick in Backtalk ($17).
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on the best accessories for the modern working woman.
