December is the month of parties, catching up with friends and drinks after work, many of which are planned at 4.45pm… so I’ve pulled together 10 products that will add a little drama to your day-time look and help you go from desk to dancefloor. Obviously you don’t have to use all 10, these are just little ideas you can pick and choose from depending on the look you’re going for! I’ve tried to find products that are small enough to fit in a desk drawer or handbag and can be applied quickly and easily… because who wants to be applying tons of make up when you could be taking full advantage of happy hour on the company credit card?
Here’s the (very natural and low-key for me!) make up I started with. The foundation is L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect foundation, the mascara is Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye*, and the lipstick is a Sephora Wonderful Cushion Matte Lip Cream.
// REFRESH // If I had all the time (and energy) in the world I would re-do my entire face of make up between a working day and going out for the evening, but often that’s not realistic. In those moments I reach for the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray*. This is a wonderful finishing spray designed to help your make up last, but it is also great for freshening up hours-old make up. Spritz across your face, pat into skin and smudge away any make up that may have settled into creases (*glares at under-eyes*). If I have time I’ll add a little extra concealer where I need it – a great one for coverage and hydration is the BareMinerals Bareskin concealer or, if you want an affordable option, the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer.
// GLOW UP // Instead of packing a blusher and a highlighter, find a product that can do both. The Pixi Glow-y Powder in ‘Rome Rose’* gives a very pretty healthy colour on my pale skin and also has a gorgeous shimmer that will have you shining bright all night long.
// GIVE THEM SOME LIP // If I have no time, a bold lipstick is always my go-to look if I need to appear like I’ve made an effort! You can apply the Collection Velvet Kiss cream lipsticks in the back of a taxi, in a lift, or in a dark bathroom and they will always look great. They don’t set to a full matte finish so are a good option for those of you who find the ‘proper’ mattes a bit drying. My favourite shades are ‘Mulberry’ and ‘Rosie’. In the pictures below I kept all of my make up the same, but just added in the bold lipstick and I think it looks great!
// SMOKE THEM OUT // One of the easiest ways to add drama to a make up look is to go a bit smudgey and dark around your eyes. The degree to which you do this totally depends on you and your comfort zone but I’ve shown two ways below. The first is more natural and softer: using my finger I applied a shimmery beige to the lid and then a warm taupe colour to the outer third of my eye.
If you want a little bit more oomph to your eye make up, just keep building up that outer third with darker eyeshadow and run a little bit of the shadow under the eyes to define them.
If you haven’t come across the PÜR brand before I really recommend having a look at their products as everything I’ve tried from them has been brilliant. The products I’ve used here are so clever because they’ve been designed to save space and time. The PÜR Vanity Palette in ‘Goal Digger’* not only contains eyeshadow, blush, highlighter but it also has an in-built mirror that can be propped up so you have both hands free to do your face (so simple but so pleasing!)
The PÜR Quick Pro Portables* are also great: each palette contains 6 pans – one with eyeshadows and the other with lip colours – and are designed to be about the size of a credit card: perfect for the desk drawer or for throwing in your clutch bag! The colours are really pigmented and have nice mix of mattes a and metallics.
// SPARKLE // It wouldn’t be a festive look without a little glitter! This amount of make up may be a intense for some, but I can’t get enough of the Glo & Ray Pure Galaxy Eye Pigments, especially this one in ‘Dazzle Dazzle’*. These little pots contain loose eyeshadow that has the most beautiful duochrome shimmer to it. They can be used sparingly for a subtle glow or built up for a really eye-catching look. Change your lipstick and line your eyes with a black eyeliner for even more drama.
// NAILED IT // Obviously I was going to include a nail varnish in this round up! Glittery nails are a low-effort/high-impact way to add sparkle to your look, especially if you’re not a make up fan or want to keep your look more low-key. Essie ‘Glow Your Own Way’ is the perfect gold glitter that can be applied all over for a sparse sprinkle of shimmer, or built up for a more powerful statement. If you don’t have time to wait for it to set, grab a fast-drying topcoat like Seche Vite (also helpful to have in your drawer for ladders in tights!).
// SHAKE YOUR TASSELS // And finally, throw on some statement earrings to distract everyone! The H&M Tassel earrings have become a big of a blogger cliche but I love them and own a few different colours. They make any outfit look luxe and considered even if you are wearing whichever mismatching clothes you found in your floor-drobe that morning…
I really hope you enjoyed this post. Which look would you choose to take you from desk to dancefloor? Do you tend to play up your eyes, lips, or nails when you go out? Or are you like me and just go for all three…!
Lex
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