Going-Out Makeup... In a Hurry

First things first: apologies for the long absence. I've just returned from a few days' holiday in Bournemouth, during which I indulged in my minimal makeup routine, and sometimes even in zero makeup! Must be the sea air that I missed so much working wonders for me. I slept better, I was careful with what I ate (but not in a calorie-counting way, think more along the lines of fresh, balanced meals and avoiding overeating), and I spent lots of time walking outdoors and swimming. Growing up by the sea in Hong Kong makes me realise that, although I love living in London, there will always be that seaside element that's missing in my life, but a few days in Bournemouth did me a world of good, and I'm back in London feeling refreshed and relaxed.

The pace of life picked up almost as soon as I was back in my London flat. I was getting ready to go out for dinner and drinks for a friend's birthday, but only had a few minutes to get dressed and pull together an evening makeup look. After a week of makeup (near) abstinence, applying a base and eyeshadow almost seemed like an alien concept. But I quickly got back into the swing of things, and started by applying my trusty Diorskin Nude BB Creme in 002 as a base. I used this sparingly, as I only wanted minimal coverage, and solely in the places where I could use a bit of evening-out of the skin tone, for example around the centre of the face and around the mouth. I then quickly pencilled through my eyebrows with the Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown 02, and concealed any imperfections with my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard. The concealing step took less time than usual, as the benefits that my skin reaped from a stress-free holiday by the sea meant that concealer was used in the tiniest quantity. What follows is the easiest eyeshadow step in the world. The secret here is the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in 35 - On and on Bronze. I applied this handy cream eyeshadow on the lids with one finger, and blended the colour out at the edges (which should be located around the crease/eye socket area) with another clean finger. No brushes, no fuss, and you have a long-lasting and universally flattering bronze touch of colour on the lids. A curl of the lashes and a slick of Boots No7 Fanomenal Lashes mascara finished the eye look. I completed the look by dabbing some of the MaxFactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in 14 Soft Pink with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush on the cheeks for a slightly rosy tint.

This whole look took no time at all, and it was exactly what I needed for a relaxed evening out. I'm not big on the extreme smokey eye thing, but find that a hint of colour on the eyelids adds that little bit extra that updates a daytime look to an evening one. And, aside from the stippling brush, I used my fingers to apply most of the products. You could easily use your fingers for the cream blush, though.

So there you have it, a subtle evening look that can easily be achieved... in the nick of time.