For me, the ideal party make-up is like Cheryl’s on Marie Claire December’s cover. Perfect glowing skin, beautiful big eyes, absolutely immaculate eyebrows and of course red lipstick.
Can we look like this having only 15 min. to get ready? Maybe not quite as polished Cheryl, but we can get pretty close if we’re efficient and have a plan of action.
5 minutes for hair
5 minutes to put your heels and dress on
That leaves you 5 minutes for make-up.
Festive season is fast approaching and more and more we are going out from the office straight to the party, changing in the toilet at work…
Today’s blog is about a few simple ideas, how to invest your time and make the best use of your precious 5 minutes for make-up.
It is not a big secret; if you do your make-up in just 5 minutes from scratch it will look just like a 5 minute morning look and your Facebook photos will probably will look a bit pale; not the glamorous party look we are looking for.
The secret is to apply your full long lasting makeup for the face and waterproof eye make-up in the morning. Here are the must do steps to achieve your long lasting look. The key is the right combination of products and of course preparation of the skin the evening before.
1. Super exfoliated skin is the perfect base for successful foundation application. (Have a look at our earlier blog about exfoliating the skin with bicarbonate of soda on a budget) If you are a little pushed in time in the mornings then these 2 vital steps, exfoliation and great moisturizing, can be done the evening before. Once your skin is perfectly prepared allocate 30-40 minutes just for make-up application. (20 minutes for eyes and eyebrows and 20 minutes for the base).
2. Chanel Primer. You squeeze some into the palm of your hand, work it into the palm, then apply by tapping gently into the skin, and it will leave your skin gleaming!
3. The question with foundation is not when shall I apply it, (how long before the event) but how to apply it. And it’s always better to apply in thin layers, one on top of the other if you need to, rather than one thick layer. Foundation should be applied in an up-ward pushing motion, pressing it into the skin, and suing two shades, lighter in the center of the face and darkers at the sides, creating luminosity and has an anti-aging effect. It is important to follow your cheek-bone when applying foundation.
Take your time when applying your foundation, use the sponge and press the product in, blending it well. Build up thin layers to create the beautiful base and coverage, following the angle of your cheekbones and your foundation will be beautifully long-lasting ready for your event in the evening.
As I am a young 35, I have to balance very carefully. If I have to create flawless, super long lasting look I always make sure that I use Double Wear Estee Lauder on my T-zone. On the area under my eye and around the top part of the cheekbone I use By Terry Touche Veloutee, as if I used Double wear all over my face it can look like a mask and not realistic.
4. Lift your skin with a soft touch of colour. I love to use cream blusher to contour the face. A little touch of colour applied over the hollow, on the side of the forehead, neck and decoltage area and blend it all well with the sponge. Any crème blusher will work.
5. And here is the BIG MAIN TIP. Once your cream layer is applied, set your make-up with your Setting Powder. It just makes sense. Spend all that time creating your beautiful base and make your skin look incredible, then make sure it will stay in place all day. My top choice of powder for setting the make-up on the T-zone is shu uemura face powder matt in colourless.
6. Waterproof eyes are especially helpful. If you normally use non waterproof mascara invest in waterproof one like Maybelline Great Lash.
And to give your eyeshadow extra long lasting effect use Nars pro-prime smudge proof eyeshadow base (please see my earlier blog). Waterproof eyeliner is great too, and my favourite is Nars Larger Than Life eyeliner ,which comes in a variety of colours.
If you usually do not use waterproof make-up because it just annoys you, and the waterproof mascara stays on your lashes for days after a party, the key is to remove waterproof make-up using oil based make- up remover, not your usual water base remover. The simplest product to use (which is also a bargain) is Johnson’s Baby Oil, that always works for me and is perfect to remove waterproof make-up.
Then I use Oskia cleanser as well. I LOVE this product. It smells absolutely amazing. The aroma of the natural oils used in it brings a sense of calm, which is exactly what I need at the end of a long day, or indeed after a party!
In the evening after work – The 5 minute transformation.
Take your MAC cotton touch up buds and remove the smudges of make -up from under your eyes. Use By Terry Touch veloute to refresh the look.
Curl your lashes with eyelash curler. Yes, you can use eyelash curlers on lashes with mascara on them. Surratt eye lash curler.
If you want to look glam fast – matt red lipstick is always the best choice.
Here my top 3 shades that will look great on every one and they are from Bourjois, Rouge Edition. I take a cool shade and warm shade and mix them together. 1st apply a warm layer, then the 2nd layer is a cooler one. To top up I like to use Chanel.
And don’t forget to take your powder from Hourglass to touch up. You will never go wrong with it. It is the perfect combination of matt and glow – amazing!!! Hourglass Ambient lighting powder “Ethereal Light”, and Hourglass Lighting Palette “Dim Light”, “Incandescent” and “Radiant Light”
And the final tip. Toilet paper is the best blotting paper which is available and free at work!
5 minutes done – you are party ready!
