It’s time for the hard truth, ladies: people tend to notice, and question, when you’re totally glammed out for that 8 a.m. class. Don’t get me wrong, looking good is no crime, but daytime makeup should be about looking fresh-faced and clean, not like you’re headed out for a night on the town. The exception: You may actually still be wearing your makeup from last night’s outing in which case, you may want to invest in some facial wipes to keep on your bedside table (might I recommend Garnier Towelettes?). If you’re the kind of person who uses the same makeup routine for all occasions, consider these steps on how to transition between daytime simple and nighttime sassy…
Step 1: The Base
Everyone has a different makeup routine depending on her skin type. I am sure that you know which concealers and foundations work best for you, which is great. In fact, this is the only real area where you night and day routines should be the same. This works especially well if you’re pressed for time and want to simply add to, rather than re-do, your makeup. However, if you get lazy like I do, you might not bother with all of the concealer and bronzer during the day in which case skip to step 2.
Step 2: The Blush
During the day, keep it simple. Go for a light blush on the apples of your cheeks. What I like to do is run my index and middle fingers across my blush pad and then swipe one finger’s worth of blush on each apple. Then I simply rub it in and go.
If you’re headed out somewhere and want to jazz it up a little bit, try adding some bronzer to the outsides of your cheeks, closer to your ears, or in the hollows of your cheeks right below your cheekbones, darkening this area will make your cheekbones look more defined.
Step 3: The Liner
Night is the time to go ahead and line that bottom rim. Also, if you are a fan of liquid liner, save it for those nights out. I’m all about making a statement with one’s makeup, but only when the occasion calls for it. Liquid liner is not always classy in classes.
Step 4: The Shadow
Daywear eye shadow can be tricky since the options are truly infinite. Therefore, my advice to you for the daytime is to keep it simple. If you like a smoky eye look, try using warmer brown tones during the day. Are you a minimalist? A thin line of eye shadow applied right above the lashes goes a long way, again, I suggest a brown or gray.
Night is the time to play up those shadows. Go for the black or gray smoky eye, use the electric blue eye liner (sparingly, please), and take a chance on shadowing underneath the lower lashes, as well. Try something new—if it doesn’t work out, put your remover to the test.
Step 5: The Mascara
Since your eyeliner has already given you a fresh-faced, wide-awake look, there’s no need to go overboard on the mascara. One to two coats on the top lashes should be plenty. You don’t want to look like you’ve got fake eyelashes on when it’s just a regular day.
For night, add another coat (or two!) and give a quick swipe to your lower lashes to make your eyes really pop. I recommend holding the brush vertically when you brush your bottom lashes, which will help minimize clumping.
Step 6: The Lips
During the day I would recommend wearing a light lip-gloss or lip balm (especially in winter) because they will keep your lips moisturized. Plus, they’re easy to re-apply on the run or in class.
At night, lipstick, lipstick, lipstick! I am such a fan of lipstick. First of all, lipstick just makes me feel classy and sophisticated, which always gives me confidence. Furthermore, there are a trillion shades, which means there is one for any and all skin tones. Lastly, lipstick is versatile. It can act as either a great statement (try a bold, red lip) or simply an accent to your ensemble (like a muted pink).
I understand that sometimes you want to glam it up during the day, a.k.a. impress the cute boy in your Econ class, but there is a line (of Kohl black, most likely) between looking good and going all out, so be careful you don’t cross it. At least not too far—after all, I do love a winged eye.
Sources:
Cheekbones (photo): Glamorizedskin.com. 19 Jan 2012. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O92-LcrEErI/TaeKj5umWII/AAAAAAAAAFo/DS3R5YNuaeE/s1600/cheekbones.jpg
Taylor Swift (photo): Kevin Winter, Getty Images. 19 Jan 2012. http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/2010/gallery/102710-Taylor-400.jpg
Tightline (photo): Nessasarymakeup.com. 20 Jan 2012. http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb273/nessasarymakeup/tightline3.jpg
Winged (photo): Soleil Organique. 20 Jan 2012. http://blog.soleilorganique.com/wp-content/uploads/winged.jpg