Reader Query: This Just In & After an Hour look

Amrutha from Banglore had a query: 


As you had mentioned about the 'make-up' culture of your workplace, the place I work is just not into any kind of makeup, and sometimes I feel I am doing too much even though the max I do is: matte moisturizer followed with compact + light pink lipstick, a touch of blush and rarely a purple or blue eye pencil.

My problem is the immediate result as soon as i put on these products. I love it after an hour, but till then I feel it looks too prominent on my skin. 

The products I use are :


1. Pond's Flawless White Day Cream
2. Bourjois Organic Compact in Dark Beige (Alternatively I also use Maxfactor Compact Powder in Nouveau Beige or sometimes the Pond's Age Miracle Tinted Moisturizer)
3. Bourjois #33 Blush
4. Revlon Velvet Rose Lipstick
5. Revlon Colorstay Eye Pencil

My Q: How to avoid the 'this-just-in' look that I feel when I put these on and how to achieve the after-an-hour look immediately? My skin is rather oily, though in winters oiliness goes away. 



Amrutha!


I loved the way you framed the question - This Just In Look & After An Hour Look - I was laughing hard for a good 10 minutes after reading your question. You have a delightful sense of humor :)


I deal with your problem bit by bit, so hang in there. 

There are a couple of reasons why makeup seems too prominent or the "This Just In" Look 

1. Day cream: Does your cream take some time to sink in? Because if it does it may be interfering with the blending of your makeup. But once it sinks in maybe it makes things ok. Also if the cream tends to leave behind a whitish film on the face - it may be making the products seem much brighter than they are. But once it is gone and the products are now against the color of your skin, they seem normal?

2. Lighting: Some homes have bright, white neon tube light lighting - which isn't the most flattering for makeup and makes it seem obvious. Worse, it makes mistakes seem like 10 times more obvious. The only solution for this is to do makeup in a place where you get plenty of sun & tube light. 

3. It's in your head: A freshly scrubbed and clean face in the morning always looks better than after piling on the makeup. So maybe you are comparing it to that and feeling like it is too much, but as the day progresses you become ok with it and start linking it 

4. Blending: Another issue maybe that you are not blending in the edges properly, so it seems obvious. For this I suggest you arm yourself with a good bunch of brushes & watch Lisa Eldridge videos a few times over. 

5. Maybe you are applying too much: And with time it wears off a bit and looks more settled?

My Suggestion: 

Long & Money Saving Method: 

I'm not sure which of the above is true for you. In case you have no clue either. I suggest you scale down your makeup for a while - which means practice bit by bit and then move on. 

So first just practice getting your base right. Every morning, just spend time doing it slowly & right. Then in order to avoid looking washed out, add a nice lippie and go to work. Do this for a few days / weeks till you feel you have mastered it and can do it quickly. Next add the eyeliner & use a blending brush or smudger to remove all the harsh lines. Practice this very well. And now finally add your blush to the routine. 

In the mean time watch a lot of Lisa Eldridge videos to get tips on application & blending.

Quick Fix: 

  • Get yourself a bottle of MAC Fix +. It is widely known for helping makeup settle and look less powdery & makeup-y. Before you get it I suggest you try it a few times, wear your makeup, go to their store & try it. (If you don't have MAC there, you can duplicate this at home with glycerine & water in 1:3 ration. I have never tried it - so I don't know what to make of either)
  • Replace the day cream with a primer. I like Loreal primer, but you get what suits you. 

This is all I could think of, right now. Amrutha, do bear in mind that I am not a professional. This is just my experience. 

Fellow bloggers & readers - any suggestions for Amrutha?



Comments

  1. I have a similar problem... not that make-up is frowned upon but the IT industry cannot seem to see a link between a made-up woman and a technically sound woman :( Sigghhhh.. anyways, I have switched to a new company and I seem to be the only one doing make-up here :P so generally i dont use a base, only liner+kajal and a nude lippy. And I don't use the blush... not using a blush makes a lot of diff! try it out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was conducting a training yesterday and there were around 8 women in that batch of 16 - none of them was wearing any makeup. I don't think it has anything to do with any work sector. As a society, we tend to shun makeup and treat it as a sign of vanity. But yes, media & advertising do tend to be ok with makeup. And I feel it is changing now, in my last post on Makeup@home a number of girls said they wear makeup every single day, even at home!

      Honestly I think it is OK to wear makeup even if others around you don't. It is your life, why do you want to deprive yourself of something just because others around you are not passionate. And trust me, if you do your job well, no one is going to take away from your performance just because you wear makeup. I have worked with 7 - 8 different bosses and I have never faced any problem because I wear makeup. I conduct training's all the time and no participant has ever thought less of me because I wear makeup.

      But yes, I don't wear glittery eye-shadow or sticky lip glosses to work. I also wear only beige eyeshadows, and matt blushes. I don't wear bronzers.

      Thank you for your response and suggestion Samyukta! I'm sure Amrutha will find it useful :D

      Delete
    2. wow Tanveer! Seriously now that you mention i guess its an issue which is not sector based. SOmehow people just don't take u seriously if you are in makeup! Siigggghhhh... How Sad that is!!! :(
      But yeah not putting makeup just because someone else expects is way wrong... totally right you are! :)

      Delete
  2. I would bet on the lighting, I learnt to look in a mirror right in front of a window before leaving home, but not till I looked like a joker a couple of times, especially the amount of compact, these neon lights just eat it up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know!! One needs to check the makeup in tube as well as sun light :)

      Delete
  3. Tanveer you are right. It is in fact sector based. My cousin has a degree in fashion communication and works with a glossy mag and there they are perfectly ok if you come dolled up to work, shimmer et al. But am in software and probably 0.5% of the girls on my floor even wear kajal, let alone other things.

    Over time I've just learnt to wear whatever I want (as long as it is not gaudy) and I've see people dont care about the makeup aspect as long as your work is great.

    Hope that helps.

    -Preeti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so glad you agree Preeti :).. I also feel one can express one's individuality and style even in office as long as it is not distracting others from their work.. LOL :D

      Delete
  4. Ppl with makeup are seen as aliens in Chennai!! :( So I wear My mahogany usually or lipstick as a tint and skip kajal/liner and use a Natural blush like Cosmic rose or nyx Tea rose :) And I skip the TM wit these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raaga, I have heard a lot of Chennai girls complaining about this & it always baffles me. I was always under the assumption that there is a rich tradition of Sringar (dressing up) in the south - the beautiful weaves in saris & the gold jewellery are such a strong part of the culture. I hope things will change for better soon :D

      Delete
  5. This is a great post! My suggestion would be to do the makeup in natural lighting and then use a face mist like MAC Fix+ or The Body Shop Vit E face mist (cheaper alternative to MAC Fix+) for a more settled look. No one in my college wears makeup either and I feel sometimes that I stand out too much but I;m used to it now, I love wearing makeup and I wear it no matter whether anyone else wears it or not!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! :)

      I completely forgot about the TBS mist - thanks for adding that one :D

      I'm glad you are doing what you enjoy - there is a limit till which one shd let society dictate one's choices.:D

      Delete
  6. Ya my office is pretty serious and it has white neon tube lights on it wich is aweful for makeup so I keep it minimal .c.
    Tanzania can u do me a favour ..... Remove me from your blog roll and add me back again ... I moved to Wordpress and somehow the links r not updating themselves

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those neon lights really make mistakes seem super obvious :P

      LOL - I have done the updating bit :D

      Delete
  7. Oh and I meant tanz not Tanzania ..... Damn autocorrect

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh wow!! I loved ur suggestions..U really decoded the problem well..I used to hav the same prob with my lippie- I wld love the color tht came after an hr. I then realized tht I shld blot it to get the look immediately..ofcourse the general prob I face is fading out..but I guess a primer is the only solution for tht..
    Great post!!!
    Keep it up :)

    ReplyDelete

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