Make up for interviews

Make up Perfection

There are two common mistakes people make when applying make up for an interview situation. The first is wearing too much make up, and the second is wearing too little. Depending on your relationship with make up, you may have several questions when it comes to how to apply make up for a job interview situation.

Why wear make up?

In a workplace situation, make up is worn to make you look fresh and lively. It is used simply to create a polished look and cover up minor blemishes. Even people with fantastic, blemish free skin can benefit from a minimal amount of makeup to emphasize their best attributes. However most of us are not fortunate enough to have perfect skin and our minor imperfections can be smoothed and our best traits enhanced with a simple make up application that should take less than 5 minutes.

What is the difference between a day and night look in make up?

There are times when you might like to use make up to not only help you look fresh but to actually make you look different. Fake eyelashes, bright colors, red lipstick, and the smokey eye are all fun to play around with, however they should all be reserved for night time looks. They would send entirely the wrong message if you were to wear them during the day. In the workplace, we want to keep things simple.

What does your make up say about you?

By applying a little bit of make up, you show potential employers that you take pride in your appearance, that you pay attention to details, and that you know the value of image (which is equally as important to companies as individuals). And you manage to do all that before you even say a word!

So now that we know why it is important, how do we achieve this fresh look?

Natural Makeup by Sunee LaClaire on Polyvore.com

1. Start with a color palate that matches your skin tone. If you are not sure about what colors those are, go to a make up counter and seek assistance. You don't always need to feel obligated to buy all the products. You just need to get a better sense of what suits you.

2. Apply concealer that matches the color of your foundation to the under-eye area.

3. Apply a lightweight foundation. A tinted moisturizer with SPF protection is a safe alternative to traditional foundation formulas.

4. Use a powder to set (especially important if you have oily skin).

5. Eye shadow colors should be matte and all in a similar color range. Apply a lighter color just under the eye brow. As an option you can also apply soft toned hue to the eye lid.

6. Use a subtle brown or grey eyeliner as thin as possible to give definition to the eyes.

7. Curl your eyelashes and apply a thin formula mascara. By making sure your eyelashes are not in front of your eyes, you make it easier for your interviewer to establish eye contact with you. Brown or clear mascara is a great alternative to black if you have lighter eyelashes.

8. Brush on a blush or bronzer to give some definition to the cheeks. It should be lightly applied and the color should stay in line with your tone.

9. Apply lip gloss or lipstick as your last step. If you prefer gloss, make sure it is a neutral color and not too shiny. Avoid glitter. If lipstick is more your style, use a color which is close the color of your lips.

10. Smile! You are ready to step into your interview looking confident and well put together.

Written by

Sunee LaClaire, AICI