As you know (because I've been waffling on about it a lot these days), I got a new job! Whereas at my old job I had no qualms piling on whatever makeup I felt like, in the lab environment of my new job I don't feel so comfortable with that. The result is that I've fallen into a routine for a minimal makeup look that still makes me look awake and not all haggard from getting up at 6am and driving 40 minutes to get there.
There's no better base for a minimal look than the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint (I wear the shade Light). It gives such a light amount of coverage that you can't feel it on the skin, and yet it perfectly glosses over any imperfections and gives the skin a really healthy glow. It's better skin in a bottle for sure.
I've also been going for a bit of Glossier in my brows with their Boy Brow in Brown. I hope they restock this soon because I'm about to run out and am afraid of the withdrawals I'll experience without it. It effortlessly fluffs up my brows so they look a little fuller in a really natural way. I'll fill in any remaining sparse areas with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and the result is a nice, feathery brow.
I haven't been going for eyeshadow all that much, but I have been using a quick smudge of eyeliner along my top lashline. The one I've been reaching for most lately is the Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Brown - these are such great eyeliners, really comparable to the Urban Decay ones in my opinion. It doesn't smudge on even my super watery eyes. For mascara, I've got a new love: the Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara. I picked this up with a Sephora giftcard I got for Christmas, and ever since then, I've been hooked. I was wary at first that it's not waterproof, but it lasts even better throughout the day than my waterproof drugstore mascaras. It really fans out and volumizes my lashes, making them look ultra fluttery. I think I'm converted back to high-end mascaras now.
I've been getting to bed at a reasonable hour most of the time, but if I wake up with dark circles, I'll quickly brush on some of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter. It's just super brightening and makes me look really awake with minimal effort. On my cheekbones I'll dab on a bit of the rms beauty Living Luminizer, the ultimate low-maintenance product. It gives the most natural sheen to the skin that pulls the whole look together. To set everything without diminishing any of that glow, I use a dusting of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light.
I'll usually just run out the door with some lip balm on, but once I'm at work I'll top up with one of the products I keep in my bag (see those here), like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal or the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfector in Rosewood.
What are your makeup picks for a work day?