What's On My Face: The Office Edition

Max Factor’s Instant Complexion Enhancer CC Cream (£9.99) | Paul & Joe’s Limited Edition Pressed Powder UV (£28) | MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental | Maybelline’s Mega Plush Volum’ Expess mascara (£7.99) | Benefit Browzings Brow Shaping Kit (£23.50) | Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (£25)

Every morning I’m faced with the same old predicament: get up and apply some makeup or have an extra ten minutes in bed.  You can guarantee I choose my bed every time.  However, I’m not brave enough to go to work barefaced so have to try to make myself look presentable with a limited amount of time and a few products.

When I don’t have time to sit and blend in my foundation, the Max Factor’s Instant Complexion Enhancer CC Cream comes in really handy.  It’s more like a tinted moisturiser than a foundation so doesn’t need as much work.  It’s light and refreshing yet gives me good coverage.  If needs be I top up with a little concealer.  I forgot to photograph it but no prizes for guessing which one I use (Collection’s  Lasting Perfection concealer - review here).

I have to add powder when I need my makeup to last all day and my current dusting of choice comes from Paul & Joe’s Limited Edition Pressed Powder UV.  It contains finely milled glitter which adds a sheen to my face - the perfect pick me up for when I’m at work.  Onto blush and my usual office choice is MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental, a bright yet natural coral shade.  It’s perfect for giving me a bit of a flush whilst not being too OTT or girly.  Unfortunately it was a limited edition from a collection last year so you will find it hard to hunt it down.  I’m using it sparingly!

Now for the eye area.  I tend to keep my eyes really simple whilst at work because as you nine-to-five girls know, too much tired eye-rubbing will leave you looking like an office zombie.  I apply a good few lashings of Maybelline’s Mega Plush Volum’ Expess mascara to keep my peepers looking wide awake.  I didn’t get on with this mascara at first as I found the formula rather runny and hard to work with but I persevered and glad I did.  I fill in my browns using the amazing Browzings duo from Benefit.  As you can see, the wax (left) is my favourite but I stick to the powder (right) during the day for a subtle look.

Finally, the lips.  Whenever I wear bright lipstick during the day at work I’m often asked if I’m going out afterwards and I get sick of saying “no I just like fancy a change!”  Can’t a girl wear a bit of bright lippy if she pleases?  Jeez!  Most days I opt for a touch of lip balm to keep my lips soft but glossy.  I make sure I keep it on my desk and top up during the day, especially in the colder weather.  My all time favourite lip balm is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.  If you don’t have this in your makeup bag then why not?  It cures an array of ailments and I love how soft it makes my lips feel.

And there you have it.  This whole routine takes around 10 minutes and is so fool proof it can be done when half asleep.  I plan on doing a few more What’s On My Face posts so let me know other ‘faces’ you would like to see.

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Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder

Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder (£7.99)

Revlon’s Nearly Naked pressed powder is a great all-rounder in terms of setting powders.  It smooths your complexion, prevents shine and lasts all day, all without giving that cakey ‘she’s piled it on’ effect.  As someone with combination skin (oh the joys of being shiny and flakey at the same time!), I find this powder works well with my skin type, absorbing oil where necessary yet not further drying out my dehydrated areas.

The powder can be worn alone but I prefer to wear it over my foundation as I’m just not brave enough to go without it yet.  I imagine this and it’s sister product Revlon’s Nearly Naked liquid foundation would make the perfect duo for when you want light, none-obvious, coverage.  I haven’t tried the foundation yet but it’s on my wish list as I love the barely-there make up look.  The powder comes in five different colours so you should be able to match one to your skin tone.  I picked the lightest shade ‘010 fair‘ and it’s a perfect match for when I’m going au naturel without any false tan.  This shade is great as it doesn’t have any of those nasty orange undertones which appear when you put the powder onto your face, transforming you into an oompah lumpah.  The colour in the palette is a true shade so it should be pretty easy to match yourself up in store.   

I really like the sleek, white packaging of this powder which includes a mini powder puff and really good mirror inside for those on-the-go touch ups we all need to make during the day.  Unlike most mirrors which are inside powders or palettes, this one is quite large and really clear so you can leave your compact mirror at home.  At £7.99 this powder is very reasonably priced.  I’ve finally hit the pan on mine as I’ve been using it every day so it’s definitely time for a repurchase!

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