Makeup quick fixes for your face
Have you ever been on the go all day, without stopping to give a thought to the way you look? Of course you have, almost everyday is like that to many busy women who take multi-tasking to a whole new level.
And then there's that sudden peek you get of yourself in the rear-view mirror when dashing off on the next errand. And oh my god, how did your mascara end up caked all over your cheek bones, and why are your teeth the same color as your lips were this morning?!
Horror of horrors, your hurriedly applied makeup of the morning hasn't stood up to a day's work, and there's no chance to dash home and fix your face. So, in the true sense of a good girl guide, be prepared. Here's a few ideas for those don't-leave-home-without-me essentials for your handbag - or better still, find a permanent home in your glove compartment for these few items, so you'll never be caught out again.
- Gentle cleansing wipes for your face - as you once probably hoisted around a economy size pack of wet wipes for your baby, now you should do the same for yourself. Only the packets are down-sized and fit snugly into your handbag, thank goodness. And the wipes are gentle, made especially for your face and one quick wipe miraculously wipes away mistakes and stale makeup.
- Compact foundation/powder - of course, cleansing wipes will freshen and brighten your skin, but also take away makeup. If you want or need to reapply your makeup, carry a compact. A two-in-one foundation and powder that covers when applied dry with an enclosed applicator, is the fastest way to even out your skin once more. Forget about carrying around loose powder and makeup brushes.
- Lipgloss - my favorite beauty essential. Keep a tightly sealed lipgloss handy. Choose your favorite sheet colored gloss to slick on your lips and change their look instantly. No messing around with messy lipsticks and lip brushes when you're on the go.
- Creamy blush - applied with your fingers is virtually mistake-proof, as if you overdo it you can wipe it away and apply a bit more foundation from your compact. Creamy blush look natural and sheer on your cheeks, rather than bold streaks of powdered blush.
- Q-tips - where would we be without them? They are perfect for cleaning up eye makeup without removing everything.
- Eyebrow brush - kept in a small compact is all you need to brush brows into shape. Your brows should be kept in shape by regularly plucking aways stray hairs anyway, and a quick brush will make them look groomed again. Another trick is to use your stick of lip salve to lightly swipe across them to give them a subtle glossy look.
- Hair brush - keep a small hair brush and a mini pastic tub filled with a selection of your favorite hair scrunchies or bands and slides. A traval-size tube of hair paste or hair spray means that in an instant you can pull back your hair and neaten up stray ends. So even at the end of the day, your hair doesn't look like it's reached the end of it's tether.
- Chewing gum - the dental kind that freshens your breath as it whitens your teeth. Keep a packet handy, it's the next best thing to brushing your teeth. Remember to get rid of it before you get to your next meeting.
- Travel tissues - for everything else besides.
- A new look all in 5 minutes - after applying your quick-fix makeup and re-doing your hair - all of which should take you no more than 5 minutes, you feel elegant and groomed at the end of the day, and not just for those first few hours of the morning.
