Day to night: Makeup edition

This is a look that I actually wore the other week to a nighttime barbecue. A little over the top for a casual event, perhaps, but any excuse to put on some makeup and get out of my loungewear is a good excuse. During the day I was doing some shopping around my local shops, so I kept everything quite simple and weekend appropriate. A layer of BB cream, a little winged liner, dramatic lashes and a pink gloss. To amp it up for night I decided not to take off all my makeup and start over, not out of complete laziness but a lack of time. These next steps will take you from day to night very quickly. It may look like a lot of products, but a quick sweep here, a swipe there and you’re ready to own the night. 

Step 1: Concealer is your ultimate weapon. To avoid plastering on another layer of foundation, apply concealer to any blemishes or areas where foundation has worn off from the day. I always find that I end up coming home with a completely bare nose, where for some reason my BB cream has just disappeared. Perhaps a makeup phenomenon? If your concealer is light enough you can also sweep it under the eye area, highlighting and disguising any fatigue from earlier on in the day.

Product: Maybelline Fit Me concealer in 10 

 Step 2: Intensify the base. As we are not adding any foundation we can do with a little facial enhancement. Apply bronzer under the cheekbones with a contour brush, achieving ultimate cheekbones. Add a beautiful glow to the face with a highlighter, applying on the tops of the cheekbones to further accentuate them, the bridge of the nose and the cupid’s bow. This will definitely take the look from sweet to sultry. 

Products: Revlon Photoready Bronzer in Bronzed&Chic, Real Techniques contour brush (part of set), theBalm Mary Lumanizer

Step 3: Control the shine. If, like me, you can get a little shiny from being out all day, then this is a crucial step. Using a large fluffy brush, swipe over the T-zone to keep the greasiness away. A big beauty mistake is having a shiny looking face, so use a translucent powder to make sure you look dewy, not oily. 

Product: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent

Step 4: Give those lashes a pick-me-up. If you cannot bear the thought of curling your lashes post-mascara application, feel free to skip this step. For girls like me whose lashes have a tendency to flop throughout the day, curling them will give you a false-lash looking appearance without the fuss. 

Product: Shu Uemura eyelash curlers

Step 5: Perfect that pout. In an attempt to clean my lips from the remnants of my lipgloss, I gave them a rub with a makeup remover wipe. This worked out even better than I expected; rubbing them gently will not only remove the residual lip product, but will subtly scrub them. What you’re left with are perfectly primed lips ready for lipstick application. This is a gorgeous night appropriate lipstick that not only looks beautiful, but the proceeds got to the Centre for Women’s Mental Health and Lifeline. This product is available from Priceline for the Liptember campaign, but hopefully it will still be in stock. 

Products: Simple Kind to Skin cleansing facial wipes, Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Liptember mauve