The 7-minute party face

Here’s a confession that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me: I love a good party. But I’m less enthusiastic about after-work parties for one simple reason: I hate getting ready to go out at the office!

On Saturday nights I like to take my time – soaking in the tub, blow-drying my hair, getting dressed, doing my makeup (can you tell I’m a girly girl?). But there’s something about getting all gussied up at work – is it lugging my beauty supplies with me? The fact that my face is all shiny and my day makeup is as distant a memory as my morning coffee break? Having to spend an extra second in the office bathroom – that usually makes me go out as is. Not exactly a festive look.

Which is why when Toronto makeup artist and founder of Pandora’s Makeup Box cosmetics Susan Kirsch offered to show me some holiday makeup techniques, I jumped at the chance. And issued her a challenge: give me a look I can create in the office bathroom without having to start with a clean, fresh face. Oh, and make it a look I can recreate in less than 10 minutes. Mission impossible, right?

Actually, wrong! Kirsch gave me a fun, sparkly night look and got the time down to seven minutes. Here’s how you can do it too:

1. Use a soft brush to apply a creamy (good for flakey winter skin) finishing powder (Kirsch used Pandora’s Box Perfect Powder #3) to entire face. Use a not-too-puffy brush for better control (i.e. faster blending). Time: 1 minute.

2. Apply eyelid primer all over the lid to even out leftover eyeshadow and give your fresh shadow something to stick to. Time: 30 seconds.

3. Now for the dramatic, sparkly holiday eye: Kirsch used Champagne, a lightly sparkly beige-gold from my crease to my lashes and shimmery Spun Gold from the crease to the brow. But if you think sparkly eyes are 100% about the sparkle, you should think again. Kirsch recommends sweeping a matte colour (she used Slate Brown) in the crease using a windshield-wiper motion to help give eyes a lift. Be careful not to get too close to the inner corners of your eyes, which can make you look tired. You can use a stiff angled brush to fill in brows with Slate Brown, but you’ll save time if you do it at home in the morning (it won’t fade). Time: 1 minute 30 seconds.

4. Now for liner. Kirsch used a couple of drops of water to mix a matte black shadow into a paste, and then used a thin black liner to apply to the top and bottom lash lines. 1 minute, 30 seconds.
BONUS TIP 1: Give tired, droopy eyes (like mine!) a lift by painting the upper, outer corners of the eye slightly thicker – the height of the outer part of the line should be the same as the widest part of your eye.
BONUS TIP 2: Prevent lower liner from running by lining just above the lower lashline.

5. Mascara: “Grab lashes at the root and slide outwards,” says Kirsch. This leaves a little mascara at the lashline, thickening out your top and bottom liner (making your eyes pop even more!). Time: 1 minute.

6. Cheeks and lips: Use a small brush to sweep a peachy-coloured blush like Pandora’s Classic Pink from the hairline to the front of the cheek. Line lips with nude liner and use a lip brush to fill in with peachy gold lipstick. Top with a coat of peachy-gold gloss (Kirsch used Chic lipstick and Smile gloss). Time: 1 minute 30 seconds.

Total elapsed time: 7 minutes.

Now smile and have fun!