photo credit: Spring
Look, most of us don’t have time to get ‘the world is my runway’ ready in the am. There are meetings to take, deals to close, coffee to grab, errands to run… the list goes on. But we know that looking the part, helps fuel your confidence. So how does one put their best face forward when they have so little time and so much to do?
Enter: The Expert. We got the scoop from Laura Mercier’s very own Benjamin Ruiz, LM’s Director of Global Creative Artistry, on how to feel put together while not spending a full two hours in front of the mirror (ain’t nobody got time for that).
So here you are! Your 6 need to know beauty questions answered. (Insert prayer hands here.)
Q: I want to look amazing for an early pitch/investor meeting/interview. What are my go-tos for looking polished, but professional. Amazing, but not over-the-top. How do I achieve this?
Benjamin Ruiz: Focus on your skin and creating a natural look that will look and feel pulled together. Make the skin a priority by selecting either a foundation or Tinted Moisturizer that best complements your skin tone and use it to even out the complexion, rather than adding heavy coverage. The goal is to ensure that your skin looks like skin. If you have any redness or problem areas, apply a concealer, like Secret Camouflage, to conceal these concerns.
To ensure your makeup stays flawless, set your makeup with a translucent powder to lock in your complexion products. Try using a velour puff to press-and-roll the powder onto your face, ensuring contact with the foundation for longevity. For cheeks, select colors that are fresh and resemble good health, like a soft peach, rose or even a neutral brown. Apply to the apples of the cheeks and pull the color outwards, fading as your move to the center of the year. Keep your eyes polished and elegant with a long-wearing eye color, like Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour, which are incredibly quick to use, lasts all day and give a beautiful look with very little effort. Simply swipe them on the eyelid at the last line and blend upwards towards the crease with your fingertips. As you move towards the crease, begin to fade out. Use a contrasting or deeper shade to smudge a soft liner look at the last line for contrast and definition, finishing the eye with mascara. For lips, select a shade that is easy to maintain since you may not have the luxury to touch up during the meeting. Select a color that complements your skin tone and brightens your teeth; you can never go wrong with a shade that is similar or slightly deeper than your natural lip color.
"For lips: Select a color that complements your skin tone and brightens your teeth."
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Q: Are there products I can incorporate into my nighttime routine that will help me in the AM?
BR: The rule of thumb is don’t skip skincare – you don’t have to have a complicated routine but have a routine nonetheless! Commit to removing your makeup every night with a makeup remover and use a moisturizer. These two steps will make your skin thank you and reward you in the morning.
Q: I have been pulling all-nighters getting ready for this presentation, but I want to put my best face forward. How do I best disguise dark circles?
BR: Before concealing, make sure the eye area is well hydrated with an eye cream or serum. When concealing, select a shade that matches your skin tone. Apply a very small amount of concealer with a brush only to the areas of darkness and work in light layers until you’re confident you have the right coverage. Set it and lock it in by applying a light set of powder.
Q: For women who don’t ‘do’ makeup. How can they achieve a very simple, but fresh face in the am that doesn’t require a lot of time?
BR: Keep it simple and use your fingertips to apply everything. Focus your time on the features you want to accentuate, from glowing skin or using natural soft tones for the eyes, lips and cheeks. Start by applying a tinted moisturizer to gently even out the skin. Now, add a cream cheek color to the center of the apple of your cheeks, melting it into the tinted moisturizer, making sure to soften the edges and set entire face with power. Keep eyes and lips simple, you just want to gently enhancing these areas. With fingertips, apply a small amount of eyeshadow to the center of your eyelid at lash line and blend up, it should immediately fade into skin tone as it moves up the eyelid with less intensity. Finish the lips with a lip stain or gloss. For a longer lasting lip, line lips with a lip pencil and fill in and top with your favorite stain, balm or gloss.
Q: If I only have time for three products-- what are my go-tos?
BR: If you're in a pinch for time and need to get out the door quick, use these three products to create a complete look: foundation, lipstick and mascara. Apply foundation with fingertips where needed to even out skin and then come back with a light tapping motion to add extra coverage for spots and under eyes. This works fairly well when time for concealer isn't possible. Next, use a lipstick in a flattering color for you skin to the apple of the cheeks. Finish the look with mascara and since you won't be using a liner, wiggle the mascara wand to the base of the lashes to help define lash line, do the same to the bottom if you wear mascara there. With these three products you can have a fast and rather complete look in record time!
Q: I have meetings that are going to last ALL day. How do I make sure I look as bright-faced in the PM as I did in my AM meeting?
BR: I cannot stress enough how important a foundation primer is to your overall makeup. It creates a smooth, even surface for applying foundation to help your makeup last longer and stay color-true. If you’re able to refresh your makeup, touch up with a finishing powder that adds subtle luminosity, like Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, gently dusting all over the face. Add a bit of highlighting concealer under the eyes to brighten the face.
Have other questions? Add them in the comments below!
