How to do your makeup for a fluorescent-lit office

And why avoid earthy tones are a huge no-no for most offices

Credit: Her World
Credit: Her World
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Doing your makeup for the office is a balancing act: you want to look professional and polished, but also inject some fun and personality to your look. To help you put your best face forward, we’ve put together four work makeup looks as well as beauty must-haves to keep you looking amazing.

Class Act

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You may have a long work day ahead, but your makeup doesn't have to weigh you down. Instead of sporting a full beat, keep your makeup light and breathable. Start by sheering out your foundation with an illuminating serum such as the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum (from $29), then follow up with a spritz or two of a hydrating mist.

Power Move

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Who said a statement-making lip is only for the weekends? Keep your look simple (and office-friendly) by pairing your scarlet pout with light, nude tones on the eyes and cheeks. If you know that you’d be constantly on the move, then choose a matte lipstick like Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red ($22) as matte formulas tend to last longer compared to glossy, creamy lipsticks.

Who's The Boss?

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Perfect for after-work plans, this look features a glossy lip and subtle bronze shadow on the lids. To make your luscious lips pop, makeup artist Lasalle Lee recommends a matte base paired with minimal eyeshadow and eyeliner.

High Achiever

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Fluorescent lighting in the office can cause earthy hues to look muddy. Our advise? Choose peachy tones to add some colour to the face without appearing washed out.
Makeup products to have at your desk

Mid-day Refreshers

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A few spritzes of Kose’s Infinity Refresh Foggy Mist (from $15) will help you to combat the dreaded mid-day slump and bring moisture back into the skin. Next, sop up excess shine and blur pores and imperfections with the finely-milled NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder in Crystal ($65). It also comes with a powder puff and in-built mirror for touching up while on the go. Finally, breathe life into limp, greasy strands with Moist Diane’s Perfect Beauty Dry Shampoo (from $4.90) that is loaded with hair-strengthening ingredients like keratin and ceramide.

Multi-tasking Wonders

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These multi-purpose, one-and-one products are great for streamlining your routine and can be easily stowed in your office desk drawer. While Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($39) is technically a liquid blusher, it can also be dabbed on the eyelids and lips for a whisper of colour. Another versatile highlight: The Rose Hermès Silky Blush Powder ($126) pulls double duty as an eyeshadow and blush.

Barely-there Neutrals

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A neutral colour palette can subtly enliven your complexion without being too distracting for morning meetings. Elevate your monochromatic look with a wash of colour on your eyes, cheeks and lips. Guerlain Ombres G Eyeshadow Quad in #258 Wild Nudes ($139) is a pocket-sized, four quad palette with finishes that ranges from matte to shimmer so you can create different looks.

Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick ($44) comes in seven wearable shades to sculpt the face and can be applied straight from the tube (no need for brushes). Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Rouge ($80) in #111 Chocolate Cosmos boasts a rich cream formula coupled with an ultra enrichment powder to hydrate your pout whilst delivering a buildable, mauve tint.

All-day Hydration

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If you’re spending hours in a moisture-sapping air-conditioned office, prep your skin with a glow-giving sunscreen such as the Su:m37 Micro-active Sun Serum ($65) and follow up with a water-based foundation like Fenty Beauty’s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint Foundation ($53). If you have flaky, chapped lips, MAC Cosmetics Glow Play Lip Balm ($38) is formulated with a trifecta of thirst-quenching shea butter, mango and jojoba seed oils to soften your point.

Skin-caring Bases

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These hardworking formulas work overtime to moisturise your skin, fill in fine lines and even stop pesky pimples in their tracks all while perfecting your complexion. Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer ($60) masks blemishes and imperfections with just one swipe and is infused with good-for-your-skin ingredients like vegetable glycerine (hydrates), cornflower water-based complex (soothes inflammation) and nasturtium extract (combats environmental aggressors).

Similarly, Chantecaille’s Future Skin Foundation ($156) contains a cocktail of soothing aloe vera, chamomile and arnica that penetrates the skin. It comprises 60 per cent water to envelope the skin in a blanket of moisture. Another standout product is Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base (from $18), which hydrates with hyaluronic acid and shea butter to prep the skin for makeup application.

PHOTOGRAPHY Lawrence Teo
ART DIRECTION Adeline Eng
MAKEUP Lasalle Lee, using Dior Beauty
HAIR Aung Apichai, using Kevin Murphy
MODEL Janice/Basic Models

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