Makeup tips for an instant facelift on days you don’t want to make an effort

Late nights and hectic partying can be a dampener, if you’re the kind who wants to look fresh and dewy every single day. While investing in skincare is important, a few makeup tricks can get your face from dull and lifeless to happy and luminous – just master these savvy new makeup tricks that can make you look younger, prettier and fresher in a flash. Sure, the makeover will last only till you wipe it all off, but these clever ploys can really save the day.

# 1 Moisturize well

It’s understood that you need a clean, hydrated canvas to work on, but it becomes even more important if your skin looks parched and sallow. Slather on a moisturizer while your skin is still damp to lock in moisture. You’ll see how smoothly makeup glides on afterwards. The Face Shop Chia Seed No Shine Intense Hydrating Cream removes the grease and shine and hydrates the skin giving it a subtle glow.

# 2 Use a liquid concealer

Using a concealer is vital for great coverage to hide those pesky fine lines. Ironically though, the more concealer you slap on the more obvious those lines get. You need a product that hides an uneven skin tone, redness and wrinkles. Creamy, liquid concealers like Huda Beauty Overachiever Concealer work best, says makeup artist Arshis Javeri. Using a waxy stick or pan concealer will just get cakey in a couple of hours. Look for a formula with light reflecting particles that blur imperfections for a soft glow. Always use a concealer brush for flawless undereye coverage like the Bobbi Brown Concealer Brush because finger application can look streaky very quickly.

# 3 Apply a yellow base foundation

Indian skin has yellowish undertones; applying a rosy pink foundation is a no-no unless you’re auditioning for a part in a Geisha Girl video. Besides, yellow warms the up the skin, making it look younger and fresher. It’s a good idea to use a makeup brush or sponge like the Sigma Beauty 3DHD Blender. Wring out a wet sponge, apply a pea-sized bit of foundation on it and go over your face in dabbing motions. Between the sponge absorbing some formula and the water thinning it, you’ll have the perfect sheer coverage you need. Too light for you? Repeat the procedure for an optimal finish. Try using Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation that spreads easily and provide good coverage.

# 4 Leave your eyebrows alone, or tweeze just a little

Thin, tweezed to the last hair brows can age you. Faces tend to get asymmetrical as we get older and trying to correct that by reshaping your brows won’t help. Just tweeze obvious strays. Besides, the natural bushy, shaped look is very in right now.

# 5 Fill in with a light brow pencil

If your eyebrows look a bit scanty, fill in the gaps by all means but never with a jet black brow pencil. Harsh, bold brows look unnatural. Instead use a brow pencil in a shade lighter than your natural coloring. We love the Rimmel Eye Brow Pencil, in shade Black Brown – it works on most Indian brow hair. Hold it at a 45 degree angle and lightly stroke over the sparse areas. The result: thicker, lush brows in a flash!

# 6 Contour for a sharper profile

Nothing defines youthful, fresh-faced beauty better than a sharp jawline and chin. To fake that contour, use a bronzer two shades darker than your natural skin tone or foundation. Apply it along your jaw line and under your shin to make your face look slimmer and tighter. The Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder works so well on Indian skin and gives you a natural glow. You might also want to perk up your look with a face highlighter like the Estee Lauder The Illuminator Radiant Perfecting Primer + Finisher that gives you a natural flush. Apply on your forehead, cheekbones and down the sides of your nose for an instantly sharper look. “It’s a great way to add a subtle youthful definition to your face,” say makeup artist Ojas Rajani, “especially after a late night when puffiness can make your face look flat,” she adds.

If you’ve been using black eyeliner or kajal since you were in college, stop right now! Switch allegiances to your new bestie, the deep brown eyeliner. “It has the same sophisticated impact but looks less jarring,” says Rajani. Tight line along your upper and lower lashes, flicking it upward slightly to create the tiniest, chicest wings. Try the L’Oreal Paris Superliner Luminizer Eye Liner (Shade Brown) or the Lakme Eyeconic Kajal for that subtle eye look.

# 8 Go nude (with your eye makeup)

The nude eye makeup look is a pretty and polished way of boosting your skin tone without appearing as if you’re trying too hard. Pick neutral pallets in glimmery honey and beige brown shades of eye shadow. A good example is the M.A.C Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork that works on every complexion, or the Huda Beauty Obsessions Palette in Smokey Obsessions, that has to make your eyes look bigger. “Then apply the blackest volumizing mascara aka Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Mascara Mini to define your eye shape and make the whites of your eyes look clearer and whiter,” says Javeri. If the look is too nude for you, just dust with black shadow to define the corners of your eyes to make them pop or throw on a light dusting of coppery gold shimmer on the inner corner of the eyes to really wake up your face.

# 9 Plump up your pout

A full, pampered pout draws attention away from eyes that look less than awake. Fortunately there’s a pain free way of enhancing your lips. Make sure they are well moisturized and smooth. Use a home-made scrub of yogurt and brown sugar to slough off flaky skin before going over your lips with a nude toned lip pencil like NYX Slim Lip Pencil, choose shades like Latte or Nectar. Finish up with a lipstick in a shade between your natural lip color and a berry shade. Lipsticks like Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lip Color in Bitten Peach suit most Indian complexions and when in doubt, choose peaches, browns, dusky pinks and nudes. To get a fuller pout, dab on a shimmery lip gloss like the MyGlamm Manish Malhotra Hi-Shine Lip Gloss only at the enter of your upper and lower lip to give it a plumped-up look.