While most women tend toward the conservative side when applying makeup for the workplace or other such occasions, they really want a different look when going to a club or a party. So, how does a woman change from the businesslike look of daytime to glamour puss? It’s not difficult, and doesn’t require a lot of special tools.
The first thing a woman needs is some color in her cosmetics palette. Color is one of the most important tools for any look, but especially a nighttime one. She should have a blusher that is a shade darker than her daytime one, or at least one with some sparkle. If the woman is of the younger set, she can take a look at the vivid blues and greens in eyeshadows, but for a more mature woman, the smoky shadows are probably best, although these can have a little frost, as well.
For a knockout nighttime look, a woman should also have at least one good red lipstick in her arsenal. Nothing says nighttime magic like red lipstick. It should be in her color range, and she should be able to damp it down if necessary, but red never goes out of style.
Lip gloss is also a good item to have in the cosmetics arsenal. It can be sparkly or just shiny, but it is always great for freshening the lips and making them look dewy and moist. Flat matte lips are not attractive at night, especially.
The usual suspects: powder brush, blush brush, eyeshadow applicators, can all be used to apply a great nighttime look. If there is one tool that is especially effective, though, it is the lip brush. More about that later.
A woman should start with a clean face, of course, and should apply her base evenly, taking care to blend it in at the jawline. If she has chosen a color very close to her own skintone, this will not be such a problem. Concealer for undereye circles is next, then a light dusting of powder.
Blush goes on next. For a really dramatic look, a woman can apply it as stark swaths across her cheeks, but this 80s look is probably not what most women want. They should, instead, apply the blush as they normally do, only using a bit more. If they will be somewhere the lights are dim, they want to show up.
Eyes are next, and there are many, many possibilities here. A good smoky shadow on the lids, combined with complimentary colors on the outside and inside brow line is a good choice. These can be applied with sponge applicators or brushes with equally good results. Eyeliner can be black, coffee, smoky, whatever. Younger women can get away with jade and amethyst eyeliners, but mature women should stay away from them. For maximum effect, eyeliner should be applied beginning at the center of the pupil and working outward. Not lining the entire eye opens up the eyes. A great effect is to go just past the outside corner of the eye itself with the pencil. Not too far, just a tiny bit. This gives the eyes a more almond shape, and a mysterious look, with few clues how it is achieved. If a woman stands back from her mirror and can see the line obviously past the eye, it’s too much. Wipe it off and re-line. This is a very subtle line that has a big impact.
For women who use mascara, they should stick to whatever kind they normally use, and should not apply it too heavily. This will obscure the shadow effect they worked so long to achieve. Mascaraed lashes that arrive before the wearer are not attractive.
Now, for the lips. A woman should have a good lipliner in a color closely matching her own lips. She should outline her lips carefully, and should fill them in with the liner. Liner a shade darker than lipstick is outre’ and terribly unattractive. So stick with neutrals. The basic idea is to give lipstick something to “stick” to, anyway. Apply the lipstick with a good lip brush. This enables the woman to put the color exactly where she wants it. Apply a light gloss, if needed. The lip brush is also good for re-applications. The woman can “load” the brush with lipstick, cap it and carry it in a small evening bag. When she needs to reapply, she just uses the brush, already coated with her favorite lipstick.
So — the most important tools for a woman’s nighttime look are color and a good lip brush. With these in her arsenal, she’s ready to turn heads.
