[Admittedly, there's a bit more going on in this transformation than a slick of mascara. But Danielle really shows how a bit of brightening and shine can wake up the complexion. Photo isn't edited, lighting darker in first photo because I seem to like to get in my own way.]
Looking good doesn't require much more than enhancing your best features and using a few tricks to improve areas that need a bit of a boost. I'm going to cater all the following suggestions toward still being low maintenance whether you want to put more effort into it or less.
#1 Frame your face.
Brows, lashes and lips can go real far. Add some fullness to your brows on the daily or pump them up and give them structure for date night with gels or pomades.
Low-key: brow pencil or eyeshadow
Upgraded: gel or pomade
If you're blessed with long, full lashes, all you might need is a few coats of mascara and a curler. But for us mere mortals, we need some heavy artillery to get the drama for a strong look. I've always noticed that combining two mascaras will give me my favorite look, and I've never found that paying $30 for a high-end brand ever gave me superior results.
Low-key: drugstore lengthening and volumizing
Upgraded: full strip lash or individuals/clusters for super easy application
I'm as laid-back with my own lip goops as it gets. I very rarely ever fuss with lipstick because I'm frequently drinking water, so it just comes right off. So my quick fix is a pigmented gloss. But if I want to be more bold and still make my gallon-guzzling gains, liquid to matte lipsticks have great staying power.
Low-key: gloss and liner to add definition
Upgraded: liquid lipstick
#2 Hide discoloration: Dark circles under the eyes, little red friends, or hyper-pigmentation around the mouth or nose can be distracting and make you self-conscious.
Dark under-eye circles: For blue-toned circles, use a pink or peach toned color corrector. They come in cream and liquid forms. These goes under your normal under-eye concealer and do not replace them. If you have dark skin, play with more yellow or mustard orange tones until you find the right combination. It's important to note, that the darker your discoloration, the more pigmented you'll need your corrector to be. A sheer liquid will not give you full coverage of a deep, dark circle.
Hiding pimples: If you are using a cream foundation, it will double as a concealer for your face demons by adding a concentrated dot of it after you apply your base. This is my typical method when doing photo shoots. If you're using a BB cream or liquid foundation, use a slighty waxy or dryer concealer in cream or liquid form on top of your foundation and set with light powder to avoid caking. Same goes for hyper-pigmentation. I like concealer palettes because they give you lots of options for multiple issues. For example, if I'm hiding sun damage, I will play with pink and yellow tone combinations until the spot looks diluted but not ashy in color. Once the foundation goes on top, it should be invisible.
#3 Give yourself foundation options.
You don't always need a full-coverage foundation. I actually have rarely used a full-coverage product unless I need to completely change the skin color. Knowing how to use corrector and concealers appropriately will allow you to get away with a sheer or medium coverage foundation and avoid a heavy feel.
Low-key: Mix your favorite foundation with your moisturizer before applying and create your own BB cream that has your perfect shade, coverage, and ingredients.
Upgraded: Find your "winter" and "summer" foundation shades and keep both on hand. Mix thru the year as your skin color changes.
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