Once upon a time showing up to work with not a speck of makeup on was nothing but a bad dream.
Fast forward to July 2020 and as we begin to hear whispers of returning to the office, the concept of having to wake up an hour earlier to ‘put on our face’ is anything but enticing.
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But just because you’re now leaving the comfort of your living room, it doesn’t mean your morning routine has to go back to the production it once was.
For those who have become accustomed to the new bare-faced life but still want to kick it up a knotch from your living room glam, we’ve put together our top tips to finding the perfect fuss-free medium.
Two-Minute Hair
Oh the less stressed you’ll become when you aren’t trying to perfect the salon quality curl 10 minutes before your bus comes.
Back to work is calling for embracing the pulled back hair: think sleek buns and high-ponies.
Or if you like more of an un-done look, try the loose low bun. All you’ll need is a good quality hair brush to keep your strands soft and in check, and a hair elastic. Brava.
bh recommends: Mason Pearson Handy Pure Bristle, Rock & Ruddle Boar Bristle Acorns & Butterflies Brush
Image credit: @lilyaldridge
Soft Glowing Skin
The best way to feel confident with little to no makeup on, is to ensure your skin can do the work for you on it’s own.
Opting for a serum or moisturiser that works to even out skin tone whilst brightening and hydrating the face will mean more of a natural glow and less base products needed.
bh recommends:Novellus Active Facial Serum
This applies for the skin on your body as well as your face; incorporating a dry body brush into your routine once a week before you get into the shower will reduce redness, plump the skin and exfoliate dead skin cells.
Bare Face Makeup
If you’re not keen on going au naturale, but also don’t want the faff of a full face either, transitioning back into the real world with a BB cream or tinted moisturiser could be your happy medium.
Dabbing a cream blush onto the apples of your cheeks is also an easy way to inject a natural flush into your look.
bh recommends: Skin Physics Foundation No More BB Cream SPF 30+, IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream
Brows
Now that brushing the hair back off your face is the way forward, it’s time to allow your brows to steal the show.
If you can’t commit to a 20 minute brow makeover every morning, you might want to look into a longer-lasting treatment such as brow lamination, which can give you fluffy show-stopping brows for up to 8 weeks.
The only TLC they require is a quick brush up.
Lips
Just because you may be feeling like you need a break from the deep pink lippy you usually put on before a meeting, doesn’t mean we have to neglect our lips all together.
Moving the focus to a more natural gloss might be all you need to feel put together. We recommend the Skin Physics Superlips which will instantly plump and smooth the lips while fighting signs of ageing.
Main image credit: @gisele
Are you back in the office yet? What’s your go-to work day look?
Getting up early in the morning to do makeup is always a hassle. There have been days where I go to work without wearing makeup
Haha too funny. I agree, wearing makeup is fun
Kept wearing makeup during lockdown. I find it cheers me up. I’ve been more playful and experimental. Scared my neighbours a few times with my more emo looks!
I have been makeup free while working from home. Only really wearing it when I catch up with friends. Im embracing the natural look right now.
It’s definitely nice to give your Skin a break from Makeup I do it regularly but usually love to put Makeup on when I go out anywhere.
Unfortunately not on Monday I will have to go to the hospital barefaced but on Sunday will treat myself to a Home Facial Treatment. Have to have my gallbladder removed with keyhole surgery, unless there is a complication then I will be cut open. Hopefully not fingers crossed.
So sleek and cute
Mine had to always be makeup free. I still only wear the paint for special occasions. It if fun…just less is more.
haha….i had to laugh reading this… I reached the part that said “Just because you may be feeling like you need a break from the deep pink lippy you usually put on…..” and here I am today with a deep and bright pink lippy because i felt like being vibrant today. I really dont care that no one else gets to see it. I do it for me 😀
I don’t work, but I enjoy applying makeup most days
A break from pink lippy? That’s crazy talk!
2 min hair, that’s me everyday haha brush hair with hands, put jn ponytail and out the door!
No looking forward to having to do hair & makeup daily again.
I have been working from home for a few years now. Thankfully I have a dedicated home office so I can close the door at the end of each day. I used to get dressed up each day with full faced makeup & heels to get me into the groove of not working in a Corporate office. Things have changed over the years with less & less time spent on my “office look”. Thankfully we don’t hold zoom / skype calls.
I enjoy applying my makeup and doing my hair etc. But I’ll admit that sometimes I’m a but lazy when I’m just spending the day at home alone. I never go out without it though.
I’ve been back at work on alternate weeks for a little while, and it sure was a surprise when I realised how much time & effort I put into coordinating outfits as well as amping up the face glam! I’m still doing the full face makeup (because I LOVE it) but one thing I changed is that when my hair is not doing what I want it to (or I didn’t get around to colouring my roots), I pull on a newsboy cap – I invested in every colour I could find and not only is it a quick fix and smart enough for where I work, I don’t stress about bad hair days any more ♥
Haven’t been wearing make up for months. Going back to work in the office full time in a week. Need to figure out what to wear and dig the make up out again.
Still not back to the office, but trying to maintain a sleeker look on Zooms.
I am retired but do a much softer look when i go out these days, still a full face but it reflect my lifestyle now. I had a high pressure job in the Public Service and I guess my make up was my protective armour then.
Great article with good tips. I have always been makeup free except on special occassions even before this year.
I’ve been back to the office for about a few days since March and have enjoyed the time back in the office
I had to laugh. 20 minutes on brows. I have never done that.
Used to wear spf in an office when was young.
ooh I would like to try the Super Lips by Skin Physics
Good suggestions from the article. I’ve been keeping things simple and it will take a while to get used to putting on a full face of make-up again.
I work in a lab so don’t wear any makeup to work, sometimes a bit of BB cream. If I worked in a face to face environment maybe I’d wear more but I’m glad I don’t have to bother!
I’ve been housebound for years due to illness. I still wear makeup on some days to make myself feel better for a few hours, then I wash it all off. Sadly, I’m unable to do the full face of makeup as much as I used to.
I’ve reported KimberlyFalkenstine’s post on the “SERIAL SPAM MEMBER ON BH” thread.
The first time I had to go back to the office I had forgotten how to apply makeup!
I don’t work but my favourite look is soft and natural looking.
Lippie, mascara and tinted spf seems to be my minimal makeup look these days.
I’m all for less is more. Staples a BB or mineral powder for good base, brow pencil, eye liner, mascara and sheer lip gloss and done!
KNOTCH? Haha!
I’ve just been wearing eye makeup when I go out because I’ve been wearing cloth masks – no lippy underneath. It’ll feel strange to leave the house without a mask.
I’m retired but my daily routine has changed for the better. I used to do light makeup every day just in case I went out somewhere. Now I have four makeup free days (except for mascara) and it doesn’t bother me if I go out, and the other three days when I definitely know I’ll be going out I use a BB cream, mascara and lippy .
2 min hair sounds like a dream.
My hair is quite short so 2 minute hair yeah yeah
I prefer the natural, no make up look anyway
I am not working.But always prefer natural look and less make up.
I wear minimal makeup but have been playing with it a bit more now that I WFH for when I return to office or just generally getting familiar with my makeup.
Some great ones to try…
good hair day!
Whaaat, 20 mins on brows. What would take that long?
I make a point of wearing it daily
Some great tips here 🙂
Lip gloss just feels so nourishing
great article, even when im having a no make up day i still need lip gloss and mascara.
Wow 20 minutes on brows? Who does that lol
Nothing but skincare. Last couple of years though SPF
my kind of make-up! I prefer to wear a light amount of makeup to give that natural look. Only refer to medium coverage if I am dealing with dreaded pimples!
I’ve definitely been “rocking” the pony since going back to the office this week. I can’t recall how to do any other hair style and haven’t been to the hairdresser in months.
I’ve been wearing eye makeup, but I miss lippy. I’m still wearing a mask every time I go out.