Of course, it helped that I wore glasses, and therefore I don't require dramatic eye makeup. Been wanting to share this with all the 上班一族, so here it goes
(BTW, please remember to start with a clean face and especially your eyes..if you tend to have protein buildup from wearing contact lenses.. you know what I mean *winks*):
Step 1 - Freshen Up!
Can't do without this man! I use the one on the left (Avene). More expensive, but somehow the water is absorbed easier than the one on the right. Usually I buy those huge bottles banded together... its better value for money, and I only use this at home, so really don't mind the size. I only bring them out when I need to wet my sponges for work. Tap water over-wets my sponge and this is good for skin anyways...
Spritz some on ur face (from a distance or you'll end up looking like a windscreen on a rainy day). You may not see the droplets very visibly, but trust me, the water is there.
Step 2 - Whitewash
Another must-have in my makeup pouch: ZA Two-way Foundation cake! Cheap and good. I've tried many two-way cakes before and none compares to this by far. It does not clog my pores and gives my skin a medium coverage - just enough for my panda eyes and veils my red zits when they appear.
Just smear your sponge on the two-way cake and go all over your face! Its that simple! Of course, you need to note the following:
With this method, the sponge carries powder and the powder turns into 'liquid foundation' on your face. Prolonged use of the sponge in this way would cause there to be a lot of residue from foundation to accumulate on your sponge.. a good breeding ground for bacteria and makes for uneven application too. Take care to clean and dry the sponge regularly with facial foam. Or, if you prefer, buy a brand new one.
Step 3 - War Paint!!!
Who can do without black shadow?? I have been faithfully using mine (courtesy of Carmen.. mine came all the way from Hongkong!) and there's a big hole in the middle of my black cake shadow now. Easier to clean than liner, and definitely much easier to do when you're doing makeup in the car!
See that sponge applicator in the picture? Use the thin end and smear a generous amount on your lash line and on the outer edge of the lower lash line. How thick should you go? The edge of the black shadow should be just slightly visible (sort of a black halo over your double / single eyelids) when you look straight into the mirror with your eyes fully open. Blend in the shadow on your lower lash line so that it gradually lightens towards the inner corner.
Step 4 - Finishing Touches
Oh, these are so easy, you can down your coffee at home and do it in the car on the way to work!
Introducing:
A. Blusher!
Love the combination of colours on this one. Of course, you and I know that its only a gimmick - All the colours mush up on the brush to form one solid colour that we can find somewhere in the malls for cheaper, but we still fall for it. You have no need for me to teach you how to do this one. Just don't overdo it and end up looking like a clown. The idea is to create a subtle flush; not a monkey's tush! LOL!
Oh! Selection of colours! I've found that the burnt rose shade (like above) seems to suit most skin tones, except for very dark-skinned pple on whom I'd use more coral / darker mauve shades.
(Worthy mention: Those blushers with powder in the bottle attached to a puff are probably able to give you a good blended colour. Only thing is the risk of infection if you use it for a long time, so do not consider buying it if you're going to keep it for 10 years. Ewww... )
B. Lip Gloss!
Gloss selection - What to choose?
I love the 2-in-1 lip gloss! It conditions my lips and still gives it some colour. I usually opt for a light natural colour that is slightly more intense in colour than my lips. The colour is perfect for daytime and really makes you look made-up (I've got a couple of pictures below for your reference).
I don't usually go for clear gloss because it just looks like you had KFC and didn't wipe your mouth. It also looks stupid on bare lips. Neither do I go for solid-coloured gloss - you can't do those without a lipliner. That's for evenings when you want to do the fire-engine lips look.
My old favourite was the Nivea Gloss: It conditions my lips and gives colour at the same time. Show you how it looks like:
My latest favourite (thanks to Jace's intro) is the Mentholatum Lipice Colour Gloss. Don't know why their lip balm is so bad though. *shrugs* This product comes in many shades and smells really nice! I like it more because the colours are just right in intensity and I get two shades in one tube. The lighter colour bit can be used over your lipstick for more lasting colour.
Slick some lip gloss on - enough to iron out a few wrinkles from your lips but not too much so that it dribbles over your lip line when you talk. Too little will only make your lips look slightly wet and make little impact on the overall look. Couple of things to note here:
Always start with clean lips, ie, no chapped lips pls!! The moving plates (of dry skin) on your lip surface will only create fault lines (read: more lines) on your lips! Plus, who likes to swallow gloss-coated dead skin?
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT lick your lips. With or without gloss! Ever! Rationale (I've explained it to many gals): Ever noticed that your hands get drier when you wash and dry with water alone? That is because our skin's moisture consists of oils. When water evaporates, the molecules carry some of that oil away. That's why you start out without chapped lips and it gets worse and worse when you lick your lips thinking that it adds moisture when it takes away moisture! The solution is to be good and stick with a good lip balm (those containing shear butter is a good choice) for one whole day without licking. Clean it off before bed and your lips would be much better than when you started. I promise.
Do not smack your lips together like you see those female stars do in the movies. Number one, thats so dated and number two.. hey, the outlines of your upper and lower lip are not symmetrical! Just be disciplined in not doing 1 or 2 (above) and you'll be fine.
Step 6 - While Waiting for Hubby to Find His Keys
If you do really have some extra time, curl your lashes and do some mascara.
There you go! Makeup in 4 minutes flat, written in 1 hour! I hope it was informative and helpful!
~joyce~
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