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For many, working from home during Dorscon Orange is like a dream come true – no need to spend time commuting to and fro, and you literally sit around all day in your pyjamas.
And while that’s great, you might have noticed some other not so fab changes too. Perhaps your face feels a tad greasier without makeup and your eyes are looking puffier than before. Why is this happening? We de-code what your skin and hair are going through with the change in your work environment and the beauty tweaks you can make to your daily routine.
Make this makeup tip your SOP for WFH. Skip foundation and all the rest of the works if you have to, and just do this every morning. The brows not only frame the face but can also make your eyes look less tired, so your team won’t think that you woke up just moments before the call. You can get away with it, promise.
TRY: Shiseido Brow Ink Trio, $45.
The ultra-slim matte pencil creates hair-like strokes to fill in sparse areas, the powder adds colour and the built-in spooly brush neatens and defines.
Plus, its sweat-, smudge- and water-resistant formula ensures that your brow makeup really lasts. Comes in four shades.
Available at Shiseido counters.
This lightweight sheer ink allows you to draw precise and hair-like strokes to define your brows, but is also buildable so you can achieve natural or dramatic looking brows with ease.
Best bit? Its long-wearing formula is smudge-, transfer-, sweat- and humidity-proof, which is perfect for withstanding our heat. Comes in five shades.
Available at Estee Lauder stores and counters.
One of the benefits of working from home is not having to apply makeup every morning. But it’s not a good idea to scare your colleagues or business associates when you’re on a video call right?
But there’s good news. The resolution on a video call isn’t all that high, so no one will be able to see blemishes and imperfections – no need to cover those up. What you should do: even out skin tone with a light base and dab on concealer to hide dark circles (also known as evidence that you stayed up to re-watch Crash Landing on You).
TRY: Nars Tinted Glow Booster, $60 (available from March 2020)
A complexion enhancer that contains skin-tone coloured pearls that instantly make your skin look smooth and radiant. It also has jojoba to keep your skin hydrated. If you’re wearing it under foundation, it helps makeup adhere better, up to 16 hours. Comes in four shades.
Available at Nars boutiques and counters.
These seem to crop up all the time – and you need to look presentable, pronto. The easiest way is to add colour to the face with a lipstick or tinted lip balm. The colour will instantly brighten the complexion and make you look less washed out. Our favourite shade? A raspberry hue – its neutral undertone is flattering on all skin tones.
TRY: Chantecaille Lip Chic in Lupine and Passion Flower, $80 each (available from March 2020)
A hybrid of a gloss and lipstick, this ultra-emollient lippie feels like a nourishing balm on the lips while delivering high shine and beautiful colour payoff at the same time.
And for every Lip Chic purchased, Chantecaille will donate five per cent of sales to the Amazon Conservation Team to help their efforts in preserving the hummingbird’s rainforest habitat.
Available at Chantecaille counter at Takashimaya D.S.
Not leaving the house means not going out in the sun, so you won’t need to apply sunscreen right? Wrong!
You’re still exposed to UV rays through your windows. While most of UVB rays are absorbed by your glass windows, about 75 per cent of UVA rays still pass through. And you get the brunt of UV exposure if you sit by the window.
TRY: Diorsnow Ultimate UV Shield SPF50+/PA++++, $90. (Available from March 2020)
The biggest bonus about this sunscreen is its blue light protection – absolutely essential if you’re constantly glued to your digital devices, from your laptop to computer screen to mobile phone, while you’re WFH.
Of course, it also protects skin against UVA and UVB rays, as well as oxidative stresses caused by infrared light that can cause premature signs of ageing. You’ll like the breathable texture, which makes it lightweight on the skin, and not tacky – another good thing since you may not have your home aircon on all day.
Available at Dior Beauty boutiques and counters.
In addition to washing your hands and disinfecting surfaces you work on, to protect yourself against the coronavirus and from catching Covid-19, doctors have also advised switching off the air-conditioner, and keeping windows open to allow fresh air to circulate throughout your space to reduce infection risks.
But that means that you’re dealing with heat and humidity all day. And being makeup-free, chances are your skin is feeling a greasier and looking shinier than before.
So while you might be tempted to skimp on moisturiser, don’t. Instead, opt for a lightweight moisturiser – gels or lotions work well. And if you need to control excess sebum, choose a moisturiser with oil-controlling properties to keep the complexion looking shine-free and fresh.
TRY: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, $21.50 (available from March 2020)
This lightweight moisturiser uses prebiotic tech to deliver hydration deep into the skin, while stimulating cells to produce more moisture. It claims to hydrate skin for up to 72 hours.
It also contains olive extract and trehalose to repair skin, lock in moisture and strengthen it against external damage. Plus, its gel texture leaves skin feeling fresh too.
Available at Watsons and Guardian Pharmacy stores.
Long hours of staring and squinting at the laptop, especially when you’re used to looking at numbers and text on a huge monitor in the office, can put a lot of stress on the blood vessels around the eyes, resulting in unsightly dark circles. Plus, not blinking often enough can also cause the eye area to swell, making eyes look puffy.
We’ve noticed how our eye area looks more puffy and dull at the end of the day. To combat this, don’t forget to include an eye cream in your skincare routine to soothe, hydrate and boost micro-circulation to keep eyes looking bright.
TRY: Supergoop! Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF40, $55
Not only does this eye cream hydrate, it also reduces the appearance of dark circles and puffiness thanks to probiotics, pomegranate and caffeine.
It’s a great WFH option because it also protects against UV rays, blue and infrared light. It comes with an illuminating pink tint to instantly brighten the eye area, making you look fresh and awake. Early morning video call? No problem.
Available at Sephora stores.
Another perk of working from home – less time spent on styling your hair to look perfect for the office. But that shouldn’t mean that you walk around your home with bed head. And while it’s great to let your hair naturally air-dry (it does reduce damage from heated styling tools), there’s still the frizz to deal with.
Keep your hair looking neat and tidy with the help of an anti-frizz product. Choose something lightweight so that it won’t make tresses look greasy or flat and limp.
TRY: IGK Crybaby Anti-Frizz Smoothing Serum, $37
Infused with coconut oil and antioxidant-rich prickly pear cactus extract, it nourishes and protects the hair while leaving it smooth and shiny. And its lightweight texture doesn’t weigh the hair down nor leave it feeling greasy.
Available at Sephora stores.