Beautify for Confidence

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Beautify Featured
Beautify Featured

I love the creativity and empowerment that makeup gives women. As I get dressed for the day, I look at my cosmetics in the morning as an arsenal filled with “weapons of mass beautification.” I can be anyone I want to be in 15 minutes.

When I think about business makeup, and how one should look to be viewed as a professional, three words come to mind: clean; complimentary; warm.

Being professional encomapsses everything from a person’s demeanor and reliability to poise and appearance. When it comes to running a business or working in a corporate environment, makeup should reiterate professionalism. The way you present yourself in the workplace directly translates into performance and success. Wearing loud, bright and even seemingly theatrical makeup can be distracting to those working around you and draw attention away from your work objectives and contributions. Clean, light-handed makeup ensures that others are focused on your work, rather than appearance, in the office.

With fluorescent lighting in most office spaces, choosing what makeup to wear can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to balance looking your best and maintaining professionalism. Warmer-toned eyeshadows will reduce the harshness of office lighting. Pair that with a lip color that, as a good rule of thumb, is within three shades of your natural lip color for a professional appearance and to complement your makeup.

To be professional yet leave an impression, I encourage drawing focus to the eyes, as they are the window to the soul. Classic lash extensions are the perfect “frame” for this window. It is also both simple and important to accentuate the eyes with a precise liquid eyeliner — one of my go-to cosmetic products — along with your chosen lipstick shade to complete your professional look.

Weekend makeup depends on personal lifestyle and how you wish to tailor your look appropriately for the occasion. The makeup you wear to the grocery store versus the makeup you wear for a girl’s night out demands completely different techniques. With my background in the beauty and cosmetics industry, I love to have fun and experiment with my weekend makeup! If I’m going for a “night out on the town,” the “musts” are a bold lip, a cut crease, and full-on highlighting and contouring. For “date night,” I try to steer away from anything too theatrical, instead opting for my makeup to have an elegantly enhancing effect (boyfriends just don’t appreciate a shimmery highlight like your girlfriends do).

Because we are in such a busy and mobile world, I love utilizing multipurpose products. I find myself regularly rushing from work to dinner these days. While the looks I wear for each might not be the same, I really enjoy the ease of using products that can take me from one to the other. One of my favorite products, which can add immediate dimension to my look, is called Nars Copacabana. I use it to add a pop of shimmer to my eyelids or cheeks, and I even mix it with my evening lip color for a subtle glow.

The most important part of cosmetics is that you feel confident. Use the tools at your disposal to embellish your favorite traits. With this in mind, you can’t go wrong!

 

About the author: Amanda Vu draws from a lifelong passion for the beauty industry that dates back to her mother’s makeup to co-own and operate The Lash Lounge at Memorial Green. As a licensed cosmetic technician from the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, Vu adds value and insight from every vantage point to create the ultimate experience for each client. Vu started her career at MAC Cosmetics, and her extraordinary creativity spurred her desire to attend and graduate from Parsons School of Design in New York. Vu is an active member of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Houston Restaurant Association.

 

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