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Daytime Makeup Tricks Tips

Read these 11 Daytime Makeup Tricks Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Make-Up tips and hundreds of other topics.

Daytime Makeup Tricks Tips has been rated 4.6 out of 5 based on 475 ratings and 5 user reviews.
What are some quick ways to get ready faster?

Speed Up Your Makeup Routine

Here are some easy, time-saving tips that will help you do your makeup in a flash on those busy mornings when you just can't linger over your lovely face in the mirror.

  • Keep liner and mascara to the top upper lash line and lashes. Skip the bottom. It's more natural looking for daytime wear, too.
  • Anything that can be applied quickly with your fingers will save the time of pulling out your makeup brushes. That goes for cream blush and eye shadows in particular.
  • With neutral and medium intensity colors you don't have to be as precise. Darker colors take more time. For example, it's much easier to swipe on a quick coat of pale pink nail polish than to do a deep red.
  • Dual products are your friend. If you can use it on more than one feature, it's one less product you have to use.
  • Foundation products that dry to a powder finish also mean you don't have to set with powder, eliminating that extra step.

   
How much shimmery makeup can I get away with during the day?

Go Easy on the Day Shimmer

Many makeup items today have a certain radiance or light reflective pigment in them, otherwise known as shimmer or by the old-fashioned term “frost.” You want to go easy on the shimmer for daytime wear. In the harsh glare of the sun, light just bounces off those shimmery pigments and can look kind of garish. A little shimmer is fine in a lip gloss, and a touch of it works well in your neutral base eye shadow to brighten up the eye area, too. Avoid shimmery blushes, highlighters, and dark eye shadows when going for a softer daytime look. The general rule of thumb with shimmer is to keep it to one feature. You can always up the shimmer ante a bit for nighttime wear!

   
What kind of makeup can I carry-on an airplane?

Travel-friendly Makeup - Don't Leave Home Without It!

If you are jetting somewhere for a quick weekend, or going on a business trip, make sure you know what items you are allowed to take in your carry-on bag. The Transportation Security Administration came up with this catchy phrase to help passengers remember what they can bring. It's called the “3-1-1”.

3 –1–1 on air travel = 3 ounce bottle or less; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.

Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening.

Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience.

3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put your liquids in checked luggage.

Declare larger liquids. Prescription medications, baby formula and milk are allowed in quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.

Come early and be patient. Heavy holiday travel volumes and the enhanced security processes may mean longer lines at security checkpoints.

The TSA is not fooling around. Don't try to sneak anything past them. They will confiscate your 3.4 oz. bottle of LaMer hand cream, even though it cost you $70 and you beg on your hands and knees for them to give it back. Make sure you have your travel sizes ready to go. Many companies are catering to the jet-setting crowd and making convenient makeup palettes and products that now comply with these regulations.

   
How can I make the switch from day to nighttime makeup?

From Day to Night

During the workday, you want your makeup to look polished and professional, but not overdone. There are many times, however, when you need to transition from a day look to an evening look without going home to freshen up. Whether it's a holiday party or just getting together after work with some friends, it only takes a couple of quick steps to get ready.

A great look that is more appropriate for night takes only two additional products that you can easily toss into your purse in the morning and then apply when needed. The first would be a great smoky eyeliner that is easy to apply and smudge, like Prescriptives Deluxe Eyeliners ($18.50) in Amethyst (blackened violet) or Charcoal (steel grey). These gel-based eyeliners go on smoothly without any tugging or pulling on the eyelid. You can smudge them easily with the other end of the liner because it has a sponge tip, so your line doesn't have to be too precise.

Then, top it off with a shiny, sheer lip gloss that is neutral and you can apply quickly. With a quick, dramatic eye look and glossy lips, you will be ready to party the night away… or at least until happy hour is over!

   
How can I tell if my makeup is going to look right in different lighting?

The Right Lighting for Better Looking Makeup

Have you ever done your makeup in the mirror of your bathroom, left the house, and then double-checked your look once you were outside? Notice how different your makeup looks in natural lighting? You can easily tell where you might not have blended enough, or where the color is too much or even too little.

Great lighting makes a huge difference in the way your makeup looks. Nighttime lighting is much more forgiving than sunlight. You have candles and softer lights at night. To solve this problem, you can invest in a specialty makeup mirror. Companies make lighted makeup mirrors that come with up to four light settings—day, office, evening and home. Conair makes a beautiful “Winged Oval Lighted” Makeup Mirror that looks perfectly glamorous on any vanity or table. This way, you can always tell how your made up face will look in any lighting situation. What a bright idea!

   
What should I have in my makeup bag to easily get ready in the morning?

The Essential Makeup Bag

When getting ready in the morning, it's important to have all your key makeup items in one easily accessible place. Invest in a great makeup bag or train case to hold everything you need. A bunch of loose makeup floating around in a bathroom drawer isn't easy to find or use.

There are five basic items you need for your “everyday” face. And, with a little organization, you can get your makeup done for the workday in five minutes flat!

  1. Invest in a great long-wearing foundation, preferably one that dries to a powder finish. Not only will this last flawlessly the entire day, but you won't need the extra step of using a powder to set it.
  2. After foundation, your next step is concealer. Use it under the eyes and on the lids as a shadow base. Products that have a dual use are especially timesaving.
  3. Don't forget blush in a soft tone to help perk up your face! Go with a pink-based blush if you are fair, and a brownish plum for darker or olive skin tones.
  4. Next, it's on to a quick eye. Sweep a lighter, cream-colored shadow all over the lid from lash to brow, and a slightly deeper shade pressed into the lower lid. Finish with a soft plum, khaki or brown eyeliner for daytime along with a few coats of mascara. Don't overdo the eye area; soft is best for daytime when you want to present a polished, professional face.
  5. The last item you need should go into your handbag. Lipstick or lip gloss is the one thing you should carry with you at all times. Lastly, if you have an evening function, your essential makeup bag can be taken with you for a late day touch-up, and it's a definite must-have.

   
I am tired of basic lipstick, what else can I experiment with?

Lip Products That "Dual" More

Getting tired of basic, boring lipstick or lip gloss? Now there are many products available that go beyond just an ordinary tube of lipstick. Investigate some that “dual” more! There are plumpers, stains and even products you can use on cheeks and lips to save you time and money.

If you are after fuller lips, try a plumping lip duo like Tarte's Rise & Shine Plumping Lip Stain ($21) in Cherry or Pink. One side has a water-resistant stain, and the other has a sheer gloss that feels slightly tingly with Vitamin E, aloe and coconut oil to lock in moisture. Or, if you're more of a lipstick kind of gal, try Lipstick Queen's Oxymoron, which is described by its famous lipstick creator, Poppy King, as a matte gloss. You can also dab a little on your cheeks too for a complimentary glow. Investing in dual products will cut the time it takes to do your makeup and help streamline your routine.

   
How can I make sure my makeup lasts all day?

Layer for Longer Wear

Who doesn't get extremely frustrated when you take the time to do your makeup in the morning and by mid-day you notice that it has almost completely vanished from your face? Where does the makeup go? You want your makeup to last—hopefully all day if possible. And it truly is possible if you know how to layer for longer wear.

To make any kind of foundation last, you must dust your face with loose, translucent powder. The powder sets the foundation, and also any concealer you have used. Layer a cream blush underneath a powder blush for twice the wearability. The same goes for shadow. If you apply a cream shadow or eye shadow base underneath your shadow, it will adhere and show up much better than just eye shadow alone.

How do you know if your eyeliner will smudge or budge later in the day? Test it on your hand by drawing a line on the back of your hand. Let it sit for five minutes and then try to wipe it away. If it wipes away easily with your fingers, it is not going to last on your eye, either. If you have to rub vigorously or break out the makeup remover to get it off of your hand, you know you have a long-wearing winner on your hands, and it will stay all day on your eyes, too!

Lip color is another story. Heavy lipstick will last longer than gloss, but if you layer lip liner all over the lips and then coat with lipstick or gloss, you will increase the wear time by hours and hours. If you don't have a problem with dry lips, you can try a semi-permanent lip formula that lasts up to 12 hours. The ingredient to look for is Permatone, which was introduced in 2000, and is a revolutionary silicone-based polymer that makes lipstick resist “lipstick wreckers” like food and liquids.

   
I have to run out the door right now, what can I do to look presentable?

Fake a Chic Look

If you are running late and you really needed to be out the door five minutes ago, here is a quick trick to looking chic: two items are all you need. This works especially well if you just have to run out quick to grab something at the store or drop your kids off at school. Throw on a pair of sunglasses, and swipe on some lipstick or gloss. That's it. No one will be able to tell that you don't have any other makeup on. Keep an extra set of sunglasses and lip color in the glove compartment of your car. Apply if necessary before you start up and go—never apply makeup while you are driving. If you do these two things, it only takes five seconds to fake looking great!

   
How can I put myself together easily while caring for a newborn?

New Mom Makeup

Taking care of yourself is hard to do when you're the mom of a newborn. Even though you may be completely exhausted, there are going to be people--lots of people--coming to see you and your new baby. You don't have time to even shower let alone apply a complicated makeup routine. But there are a few quick steps that can help any new mom feel more like her old self again. Plus, it can be done in as little as a minute! The key is having these three items handy in the medicine cabinet or cosmetic bag so you don't spend time digging for them :

First, use concealer to disguise those dark under-eye circles from lack of sleep, and to cover up any broken capillaries from those numerous hours of pushing to bring your new bundle of joy into the world.

Second, swipe on some great mascara. It opens up the eyes and always makes you look more "together."

Lastly, sweep on some rosy lip gloss, preferably one with a wand for easy application.

Even if you're feeling like a complete mom blob, these three easy steps will make you look radiant and polished—ready to face the world and the mirror in just 60 seconds!

   
How should my makeup look for a job interview?

Job Interview Makeup

No future employer wants to interview someone who doesn't have a stitch of makeup on, especially for an office, retail or service industry position. Obviously, what kind of makeup you wear to a job interview is a little less important or more flexible if you are going to work, let's say, as a nurse or teacher. You want to present the most professional looking face possible. The key word is polished, and not too showy with your makeup. Unless you're auditioning to be a Vegas showgirl, and then bring on the false lashes!

You want to keep most of your tones neutral. No shimmer or bronzer which screams “playtime”. Pay attention to how your skin looks, too. A good foundation does wonders to improve your overall appearance. Cover up under eye circles with a good concealer. You want to appear fresh, rested, professional and reliable.

   
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Sherril Steele-Carlin