For a lot of us, our daily commute has never been more convenient. However if you’ve fallen prey to long, lazy lie-ins over the past few weeks, you are absolutely not alone. It only takes seeing your dishevelled state in the bottom corner of your 9am Skype meeting to make you regret that last snooze.
With digital meetings becoming the norm, we decided to ask Space NK’s Pro Makeup Artist Arif Khan for some insider tricks for looking camera friendly in a matter of minutes. “It’s about choosing products that make the most impact without consuming lots of time and look great from a distance through a camera, not necessarily what looks best close up in real life,” says Arif, who counts concealer, mascara, tinted lip balm and bronzer as his go-to essentials.
With just three minutes to play with, here is Arif’s expert guide to speedy morning makeup. On your marks, get set, go…
60 Seconds To Disguise Uneven Tones
“Over Skype no one will appreciate your contouring and highlighting,” says Arif. “Apply dots of concealer to areas to even out your skin tone and blend out with a fluffy brush for a super fast airbrush finish, I recommend the Space NK Brush 202.” This should take around a minute-max and will instantly brighten dark circles and make you look fresh-faced and awake.
30 Seconds To Define Your Eyes
Ensure your eyes like wide-awake with a 30 second sweeping of mascara. “It is essential as mascara makes your eyes look bigger and brighter, and from a distance on camera they will look so much more defined,” says Arif. “They say eyes are the window to the soul so eye connection is super important when it comes to video chat.” Look to Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara Longest Lash to achieve natural-looking definition, length and curl.
90 Seconds Blend To In Your Blusher
“To add some colour back to the face my favourite products are blush or lipstick/lip tinted balm,” says Arif, who as a multitasking genius recommends using your lipstick as a cream blush if that’s the first product within reach. “You have one product with two uses and as long as you blend sufficiently, you’ll have a harmonious look,” says Arif. “It is a lot more forgiving than you would think as you can keep blending to achieve a sheerer finish.” Spend around a minute and a half on this step to ensure the colour is seamlessly blended in.
Arif’s Final Tip…
“If you want speedy makeup, get a little kit ready so you don’t have to spend time diving into your handbag for all your bits. Pop your easy go-to makeup products in a Space NK Travel Bag and you will no longer have to think about what makeup to wear. It will become muscle memory and you will get faster and faster each time!”
