Office Makeup in 10 Minutes: Smokey Eyes

In an earlier post I had promised to share with you guys a quick 10 minute smokey look for office.

Here it goes

1. Wash and moisturize face. Use a oil-free moisturizer. (I use Neutrogena Oil Free for Combination Skin)

2. Apply concealer to under eye areas and any other area if  need coverage

3. Lightly dust with loose powder

4. Apply a  light shade of brown as a soft wash over your entire eyelid (you can use the light brown lid color in Maybelline Chai Latte Quad)

5. Line your upper lid right above your lashes with a dark brown pencil. (Colorbar Truffle Eyeliner or Chambor Eye Art Pencil shade #02 Soft Smudge Brown - just bought this two weeks ago, & liking it)

6. Line the lower lash line with the same pencil or a lighter shade. 

7.  This is an optional step: Take a darker shadow (similar color as the pencil) and apply on top of your liner, then smudge the liner upwards and slightly outwards up to the eyelid's crease. The eye pencil and the dark eyeshadow will blend to make your eyes smoky and sexy. (You can use the dark brown outer V color in the Maybelline Chai Latte quad)

8.  Finish it off with your favorite mascara. I like Maybelline's Collosial Volume Mascara

9.  Apply a tinted lip color that matches your natural lip color. If you have naturally pink lips – use a soft pink. Basically just match your lip color. I personally don’t like using matt nude shades that are skin colored, I think they just sap out the natural beauty of the lips and hence the face. 

10.  Sweep a neutral blush on the cheeks – very little just to create a definition around your cheekbones. Do this at the end so that you know exactly how much blush to apply without going overboard. If unsure then just skip this.

That’s it you are done. You can even do this look with a 

• soft grey and charcoal grey color 
• dark blue and midnight blue 

I avoid black for office, (also it doesn't suit me) but if it works in your office, go ahead. 


You need more convincing that wearing makeup to office is good for you? 



Many women believe the myth they need not wear makeup to work as it will make them look frivolous. But study has shown that women who wear makeup earn 20 to 30 per cent higher incomes. This startling statistic comes from the 2007 Hamermesh-Biddle study (read here) revealing that attractive people have higher incomes, in general. 


Makeup adds a finishing touch to a woman's image. If tastefully applied, the appropriate cosmetics make any woman more attractive. Our culture has a long tradition of Shringar, and makeup is not a frivolous or foreign concept as a lot of women believe. 

It is important to project a nonverbal image of competence, before you speak a word. Tastefully applied makeup conveys that you

• have confidence,  
• pay attention to detail,
• care about your professionalism,
• and that you take time to put your best foot forward.

On the nonverbal, this often translates into others perceiving you as bringing those same qualities to your work. 


Ironically, women who wear no makeup and women who wear too much makeup both communicate low self-esteem to others. 


If you feel that makeup looks fake on you, you may be trying products that are too heavy or just not well suited for your coloring and skin type, or you may not be applying them properly.  


If you are new to makeup, I would recommend that you learn a few makeup tricks from the internet and practice at home first before wearing makeup to office for the first time. You don't want to leave a lasting bad impression on your boss and peers. Perfection in makeup takes a little bit of time and practice.


In case you are still wary of makeup start off with some simple black or brown mascara and a lipstick that matches the natural color of your lips/tinted lip balm. This by it self adds some professional polish that is desirable in a business setting. 


Also, make certain that your eyebrows are well groomed. Don't get your eyebrows tweezed into thin lines. It looks unnatural.


In my experience, stick with neutral shades of eyeshadow (browns are the best bet, followed by pinks - if you can carry them off) and  a blush that compliments your skin tone with a glow rather than one that dominates. 

Mascara can help you look wide awake even though you may be wanting just get on with the day and hit the bed. 

Avoid wearing Red lipstick to office, it may be too much for certain sectors, unless you are in advertising or media  - where people are allowed a lot of leeway for experimentation. 

In case you travel in local trains and are worried about the makeup getting smudged, carry it with you to office and apply in office. 

If you have an on-site job like sales and travel a lot everyday, but also meet clients and need to look presentable - just use some loose powder to set your skin and absorb excess oil, apply waterproof mascara and a tinted lip balm, and you are set to go. Carry the compact and the lip balm with you for touch ups on the go, along with a comb, an extra hair band and tissues. 

And of course take adequate steps for protecting your skin from the sun and pollution.