Mondays are AWFUL but sometimes those mid-week blues hit harder. How do you look put together when all you wanted to do was roll in bed? You can’t show up looking like a hangover hit you like a hurricane, can you? I beat these mid-week blues by keeping an emergency stash of make-up and beauty products in my office drawer. Even if you didn’t have time to brush your hair that morning, nobody’s gotta know. Make a quick trip to the washroom and give yourself a work appropriate makeover! Here are all the products I recommend you keep in your office drawer to look your best, always.
1. Mane-tastic
If there’s one thing you could do to make yourself look more work appropriate it’s gotta be your hair. Combing and brushing your hair and tying it up or styling it can make all the difference to your overall look. Give your hair some TLC by giving it a good brush down. If you’ve rushed out with oily, dirty hair don’t fret. I’m going to let you in on a little bottle of magic called dry shampoo. It’s going to be your best friend. It takes away the oiliness and stickiness out of your hair leaving it fresh, voluminous and clean.
POPxo Recommends: Tangle Teezer Salon Elite Detangling Brush (Rs 899) and Batiste Dry Shampoo Instant Hair Refresh Fruity & Cheeky Cherry (Rs 299)
2. Fresh Faced
On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing that’s going to make you feel as fresh as washing your face. Keep a face wash handy in your office drawer. The commute in our metropolitan cities can be pretty harsh, we feel you. A good face wash and BB cream to moisturise, protect and even out your skin tone would be great. A BB cream is perfect for days when you have to go to that unexpected meeting or office party.
POPxo Recommends: L.A. Girl HD PRO BB Cream (Rs 630) and Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser (Rs 99)
3. Spritz, Set, Refresh!
Those mid-day snoozies can be quite rough! Instead of gravitating towards coffee or soda, try keeping a face mist in your drawer. It’ll not only hydrate and refresh your skin, it will also give your skin a subtle glow. Rose water helps calm and soothe your skin, helps acne, blemishes and almost every skin problem you may suffer from. There’s no real reason you shouldn’t have a rosewater mist in your drawer. Pssst: I use this to set my make-up too!
POPxo Recommends: Kama Ayurveda Pure Rose Water (Rs 250)
4. Flush And Pout
A tinted lip balm helps moisturise your lips from the cold dry AC air within the office and adds a subtle hint of colour to your lips. It’s the perfect little add-on to your office make-up stash. Use it on the go, or before a meeting or a party! A great way to make the most of one single product would be to invest in some multi-tasking products like a lip and cheek tint. You’ll be amazed to see what a little bit of blush can do to a dull tired face.
POPxo Recommends: Maybelline New York Baby Lips Candy Wow – Cherry (Rs 214) and The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Velvet (Rs 895)
5. Let Your Eyes Do The Talking
Sometimes all you need is a little bit of kajal and mascara. A little bit of flirting and fluttering never hurt anyone right? Kajal makes all of us feel better and mascara will open up your eyes and make it look like you’ve got all the beauty sleep you need. Smudge the kajal on your eyelids to create an easy smokey-eye for after-office parties and add two generous coats of mascara. Your eyes will do all the talking, promise!
POPxo Recommends: L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara (Rs 765) and Plum Natur Studio All-Day-Wear Kohl (Rs 421)
6. Germ-o-phobe!
A sanitizer is one of those items that I carry with me everywhere I go! Sanitize your hands, your phone, your laptop and even that public toilet seat. You definitely need to throw in one of these into your purse.
POPxo Recommends: Dettol Hand Sanitizer (Rs 63)
7. Hand Cream Or Table Ornament? You Decide!
A sucker for cute packaging and cats, this hand cream sits pretty on my desk. I workout a lot, my hands get pretty rough! I love how soft my hands feel after I use a good hydrating hand cream…and hey when it looks THIS cute, can you resist?
POPxo Recommends: The Face Shop Lovely Meex Mini Pet Hand Cream 03 White Floral (Rs 387)
It’s time to go shopping ladies!