MANILA, Philippines – “That’s a freshman,” a friend said, nodding towards a girl who was clad in a tank top, miniskirt and school jacket. She was also wearing eye shadow, copious amounts of lipgloss, and quite a lot of blush. The overall effect was actually okay, if a bit much for going to school on a regular day.

“Why do you say so?” I asked.

“It’s easy to spot college freshmen, especially if they’re girls,” she said. “At the start, I dressed like that, too-like I was going to a party every day. Upperclassmen usually don’t put in as much effort in getting dressed, they’d rather sleep.”

While there’s nothing wrong with getting gussied up for school, there is such a thing as overkill. Eager college freshman, excited by the thought of escaping strict dress codes and matronly school administrators, usually overdo the clothing and makeup in school for the first few months or so.

Prevent yourself from looking like an eager beaver by keeping your makeup to a minimum; that way, you’ll appear fresh and wide-awake in school without looking like you’re headed to a party right afterward. Catch the eye of the cute guy in your block by sticking to neutral tones and sheer textures for school makeup.

Cover all bases

1. The key to creating the perfect natural look is to camouflage imperfections such as blemishes and an uneven skin tone. Pat on concealer as needed. “Yellow hides dark under eye circles, green disguises redness, purple livens up a sallow complexion, and orange covers blue veins,” says makeup artist Lanie Acedillo of Paul and Joe Beaute. Choose accordingly to what you need.

2. Swipe on some light tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation. Use a sponge or foundation brush to make sure that everything blends seamlessly into your skin.

3. With a large, fluffy brush, brush on powder only on oily areas such as your T-zone. Go for a sheer tinted powder for a natural finish; matte powders might seem too formal for school.

Keep it natural

1. Neutral colors are best. Hues such as beige, peach, pink and brown are naturally found in your skin, so go for makeup in that color family. If you must wear eye shadow, stick to warm vanilla shades, light browns and sheer pinks—greens and blues can be saved for other occasions. Your ultra-conservative Economics teacher might not appreciate distracting glittery eye shadow.

2. Cream and liquid formulas provide a more natural finish, so look for cream blush, lip and cheek tint, and sheer glosses. Just remember to apply them before finishing off with powder, because they’ll only appear streaky if you add them after applying powder.
3. Blend, blend, blend! “The most important part of pulling off a natural look is to make sure that no one can see where your makeup starts and ends,” says Acedillo. Your makeup has to look like you’re just naturally glowing-and people can’t really tell why.

It’s all in the details

1. Make sure to curl your lashes and apply a coat of mascara, so your eyes look wide awake. This is a makeup step that people often forget, but it’s one of the most important.

2. Fix your brows! Another widely neglected step, girls often forget to groom their eyebrows by plucking or threading them and shaping them with brow powder to fill in the sparse areas. “Neat brows instantly make a person appear well groomed,” says makeup artist Jigs Mayuga of L’Oreal. Unruly brows can instantly ruin even the most polished makeup.

3. Keep your strokes clean. Jagged eyeliner, unevenly applied blush—the quality of your makeup won’t matter if you can’t apply it properly. Practice putting on your makeup to make sure that no lines are out of place, and that you don’t put on too much or too little.

Email biancaconsunji@yahoo.com