THE POWERFACE

More than looking prim and proper, these stylish makeup looks help to boost confidence at the workplace

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

"Dress, from Sandro. Glasses from Gentle Monster. Watch from Swarovski."

BROW WOW
A pair of well-groomed brows, when shaped properly, can frame your face and balance out your features. Use a powder formula to fill in sparse areas, and brow mascara to tame unruly hair.
 
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"Shirt from Pleated. Blazer from Brunello Cucinelli. Gucci glasses from W Optics. iPad Pro and Pencil from Apple."

BESPECTACLED CHIC

Just because you’re wearing glasses doesn’t mean you should skip out on eye makeup. Your spectacle frame would cast a shadow over your area areas, so to accentuate and define your eyes, use eye shadow in neutral shades, and keep the under-eye area bright and clear. Also, further define eyes with black eyeliner, and don’t be afraid to lengthen the liner wings.
 
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"Jacket and shorts from Bottega Veneta. Earrings from Swarovski. AirPods from Apple."

CONFIDENCE BOOSTER

Always keep a creamy red lipstick in your desk drawer for work emergencies – boardroom meetings, after-work drinks with clients, or when a client drops by unannounced. Red lipsticks convey an undeniable strength and confidence, even if you’re just faking it.
 
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"Asymmetrical top from Stolen. Skirt from Stripped. Earrings from Swarovski. iPhone 11 and watch from Apple."

SEEING RED

If you like experimenting with bolder eye makeup for the office, start small with a simple graphic eyeliner look using a shade like red. The trick with using red is to concentrate the colour on just one area of the face – in this case, the eyes. Red has a tendency to highlight other red tones on the face, so remember to conceal pimples and skin areas prone to inflammation.
 
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BROW WOW

The look of your eyebrows are the only part of the face that shouldn’t follow beauty trends (remember the thin ‘90s brows and straight Korean brows?). Shape them according to your natural brow shape, defined and filled in with brow pencils, powders or gel.

From left: Urban Decay Double Down Brow in Brown Sugar, $45. Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel, $46. Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Chocolate, $40. Nars Brow Perfector in Lava, $38. Benefit Cosmetics Brow Styler Multitasking Pencil & Powder Duo, $60.
 
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BESPECTACLED CHIC

Your eyes can look lost behind prescribed frames. Define them with neutral eye shadow hues.

From left: Nars Quad Eyeshadow in Mahe, $80. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Pillow Talk, $90. Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye Color in Terra, $41. Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Brown, $55. Supergoop! Shimmershade SPF 30 in Sunset, $35.
 
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CONFIDENCE BOOSTER

There isn’t a perfect red. If you have warm skin tones, go with warmer reds like terracotta or brick red. Cooler skin tones look radiant against blue-reds. Those with neutral skin tones can slip on any red lippie.

From left: Gucci Beauty Rouge a Levres Satin in Goldie Red, $53. M.A.C Patent Paint Lip Lacquer in Eternal Sunshine, $39. Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2.0 in Patsy Red, $52. Hera Rouge Holic Exceptional in #333 Passion, $46. Hera Sensual Tint in #325 Pure Red, $43.
 
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SEEING RED

Red looks bold and flattering on warm complexions. To keep the look professional, stick to just thin, graphic lines instead of a full-on, dramatic eye shadow look that’s best reserved for social media posts.

From top: Kat Von D Ink Well Long-Wear Matte Eyeliner in Outlaw, $32. Dior Diorshow On Stage Liner in #876 Matte Rusty, $50. Urban Decay Naked Cherry 247 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Love Drug, $33. Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Matte Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Fine Wine, $39. Shiseido Makeup Kajal InkArtist Liner in #03 Rose Pagoda, $38.