Simplifying The Holidays: Wicked Easy Makeup
One of the great things about BlogHer Boston was that it gave me the opportunity to emerge out of my blogging cave and meet fabulous local bloggers in real life. And one of those bloggers was Roxanna of Miguelina. Roxanna is a lovely person; smart, kind, and funny, and mysteriously, she always manages to look perfectly assembled despite tweets that might otherwise suggest she’s unraveling (to her credit, she’s allowed some unraveling…she just delivered her third son in October). Perhaps that’s why she’s so adept at blogging beauty. I’m thrilled that today, for the ninth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, Roxanna shares a wicked easy makeup routine so you can spend less time fussing in the bathroom and more time enjoying time with family and friends.
From Roxanna:
Everyone is busy around the holidays and there is very little time to worry about something as frivolous as beauty -- except that everywhere you turn there's someone with a camera ready to save the way you look (post-holiday stress and with very little sleep) for posterity.
They do this out of love, of course.
The best way to look your best in pictures is to get plenty of rest, drink water, and eat healthy. But when you're talking about the period between Halloween and New Year's that's the exact opposite of what you're doing (if you're doing it right!).
I'm here to help. Here is a very simple makeup routine that will see you through the holidays and beyond. Because life is too short to hide from the camera.
1. Eyes
A little concealer will go a long way to making you look more polished and rested. Don't listen to the old advice and buy a concealer that's too light for your skin tone -- it'll only turn your dark circles gray. Concealer should be a shade lighter than your foundation at most. My favorite concealer is by Bobbi Brown (their site has a shopping guide to help you choose your shade).
After applying concealer, swipe some light eyeshadow over your lids and add some black mascara for a simple eye, or line your top lid as close to your lash line as possible for more polished results.
2. Cheeks
Apply blush to the parts of your face that would be more sun kissed in the summer. How do you find that? Smile. Highlight what stands out. Don't suck in your cheeks to "sculpt" your face, unless you want to look like one of the girls in that Robert Palmer video.
3. Lips
Since your eyes will be very simple, this is where you can have fun! I know everyone loves gloss these days, but if you're truly pressed for time lipstick is a better bet. Gloss needs to be reapplied over and over, so if you want to look polished in candid pictures and videos, go for an old-school tube of lipstick. Wear a darker color than you normally would -- maybe even red! -- to add a little excitement, but don't wear something that will make you self-conscious. Real Beauty offers an excellent roundup on how universally flattering red, brown, and deep berry lipstick can be.
That's it! Now get out of that bathroom and enjoy the holidays!
Roxanna lives in the Boston area and blogs at Miguelina and Everyday Treats. She's currently a contributing editor for BlogHer, writing about lipstick and bubble bath at BeautyHacks. You can follow Roxanna on Twitter at @Miguelina.
Image credit: Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit