Make-Up Moves: Morning Make-Up Must Haves

Today’s post comes from our make-up contributor, and my personal make-up inspiration, Torrey from Leah Renae Make-up Artistry. Today, she’s covering the morning basics that we need to get out the door with our faces beat (look it up, I promise it’s not violent!). I know I could take some notes!!

Your Chic is Showing,

I am not a morning person. At all. I mean, not at all. I struggle most mornings keep the time it takes me to get dressed reasonable; but, some days I refuse to leave the house looking how I feel. Tired. If you have a family, or are like me and wake up, at most, an hour before you need to be out of the house, you don’t have much time to get dressed every morning. But you never want to go to work looking like last night’s bottle of wine you accidentally consumed.

So here are a few must haves that will ensure a brightened, focused face for the day that’ll take no longer than 15 minutes in the morning. No one will ever know about your enthusiasm for wine 😉

Concealer
Powder
Blush
Eyeliner
Mascara
Lipliner
Lipstick/lipgloss

Skin care is the most important key to great, flawless looking makeup. Be sure to always cleanse, tone (although this is not totally necessary for some skin types), and moisturize with SPF. Even if you have oily skin moisturizing is vital! If you don’t, then your skin will overproduce oil and you’ll be looking like a grease ball. We don’t want that!

First…to brighten your eyes, start off with a concealer. For under your eyes, you want to choose a concealer that is about a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone. By applying a thin, or generous (depending on your amount of sleep the night before) layer, you will instantly brighten up your face. That area of your face tends to be the focal point. By brightening and bringing more light to this area, you will look awake and ready for the day’s boring productive meetings.

If you have blemishes, small patches of uneven skin, or an occasional pimple, use a concealer that is about the same color as your skin. Dab a light layer and blend. If you are not comfortable with concealer alone, you can always apply foundation, this is completely optional.

Second…”set” your concealer. You can use either a loose or pressed powder and gently dap your brush over top the areas where you applied your concealer. This will ensure it’s longevity and your makeup will last throughout the day. Also, to bring an even tone to your entire face, you can apply the powder all over.

Third…blush. I. Love. Blush. Some people have their opinion on how to apply blusher, but here’s mine. Apply it to the “apples” of your cheeks. “But where are the ‘apples?'” you ask. Smile. That part of your cheeks that stick out are the apples. So when you apply your blush, just smile, gently swipe your brush in the direction from your nose toward your ear. You shouldn’t have blush on your nose or ears, however. Or, you can apply by using circular motions on your apples and bringing it back slightly toward your ears. This will add a nice flush of color to your face. Be sure to choose a color that compliments your skin tone and apply lightly. Some blushes are very pigmented and it’s easy to over do it.

Next…apply a thin line of eyeliner. You can choose gel, cream, liquid, or pencil. If you’re a beginner, pencil is easiest. Get as close to your lash line as possible. This can give the illusion of fuller lashes. In a corporate environment, I would forego the “wing.” This is the part that extends past the eyelid. Keep your liner on your lid area only. After liner, apply your fave mascara. The more coats, the fuller and longer your lashes will look. One trick to avoid getting mascara on your lid, look down while applying.

Lastly…lips! If you want to give the illusion of fuller lips, trace around the perimeter of your mouth, going just a tiny bit outside your natural lip line. If you want your lips to appear less full, fill in your lips a little with the liner before applying your gloss or lipstick. Once that’s done apply your gloss, lipstick, or both! If you choose both, apply the lipstick first, then apply a gloss that is of a similar color. This is just provide a nice sheen/shine and will help your color stay for a little bit longer. Remember, with all lippies, you’ll need to reapply at some point in the day.

Those items are your beauty must-haves. You can never go wrong with these items, but there are other honorable mentions.

• Blot powder/papers (to combat those oilies throughout the day)
• Eyeshadow (if you have the time, there will be a separate post on acceptable shadows)
• Bronzer
• Brow powder (eyeshadow or a pencil is just as good, if you don’t normally maintain your brows with wax, razor, or threading)

These are the basic beauty must haves, especially for you newbies. Also, never worry about brand, there are TONS of great, affordable makeup brands out there. Don’t be afraid to try them 🙂