Changing from day to night

We all know the challenge of looking our best for work…and our hottest for that special night out. Dressing up our daytime look for nighttime excitement is a whole other fortress to brave and sometimes requires careful planning.

From morning bird to night owl

The easiest way to go from office to a hot date is to augment your makeup and add accessories, says Image Architect Sandy Dumont. Wear lipstick in a brighter shade and add “smoky eyes” for a sexy evening look and top this look off with a pair of dynamic earrings, like chunky hoops. If you’ve got on a business suit, roll the sleeves up and pull the collar up “runway style.” Or, if you can carry it off, take off the top underneath your suit and wear the jacket buttoned up, revealing a little décolleté.”

Accessorize

Bring an extra bag to work so that when you are ready to leave work to meet your date, you can simply change out of your pants and apply extra moisturizer to those bare legs. The pump that you’ve worn during the day can serve you for evening as well. Add an extra long necklace and some hoop earrings, store your extra bag in the office and you’re ready to go.

Quick changing tips

Marshalls style expert Amy Cafazzo says smart choices with perhaps a few quick style changes can make the difference from day to night:

• Add a thick patent belt in red to a form fitting black pencil skirt and white blouse. Pair with ankle boots instead of pumps.
• Swap your bag to a metallic clutch.
• Wear flats during the day, then switch to heels for evening to keep from tiring out your feet before a night on the town or find a pair of shoes that work for both day and night.
• Wear a fashionable camisole under a structured blazer during the day that you can just take off or pair with a snug cami at night.
• Pick blended fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily like cotton or linen.
• Add a few extra accessories such as jewelry and a fun clutch.
• Dresses are great for both day and evening: add a jacket while you’re at the office and a pair of heels for night.

Perfect your makeup

“It it’s all about eyes!” instructs Elsie Loreus, owner of theParadise 54 salon in New York City. She maintains there are three different applications you should do throughout the day.

In the morning:

Avoid anything too drastic. You should apply soft, light colors for the morning look and create a soft, fresh look with your makeup, suggests Laura Laires, Motives International Trainer and Master Makeup Artist. She says to first apply bronzer to create a healthy sun-kissed glow wherever the sun would naturally hit your face including the apples of the cheeks, nose and temples. Cheeks should look healthy and flushed and for eyes, use a pale, shimmery neutral eye shadow color and finish with mascara. Then use a rose-colored lip gloss.

In the afternoon:

For cocktail hour, line both the inner and outer lines with black eyeliner. Also, touch-up your base by covering up any spots or discolorations. Reapply bronzer and blush and play up your eyes by layering a bright color on top of the shimmery “day” eye shadow. 

In the evening:

Add a little sparkle for panache. The best colors right now for evening looks are purple, navy blue and silver/platinum. Apply the colored eye shadow up to the crease, blending well. With black eyeliner, fill in the lash line, which will give the illusion of a thicker, fuller lashline. Reapply mascara. Because the eyes will be the focus on this sexy evening look, lips should remain muted. You can use the same rose-colored gloss or try a pale, neutral gloss to finish.

make your makeup last

According to celebrity makeup artist Robert Jones, creator of Simple Beauté, the first thing you need to do in order for your makeup to last longer is to make sure you’re using the right skin care products for your skin type. His other tips include:

• Use a primer on your skin before you apply your foundation, which will help set your makeup.
• If your problem is oils in your skin breaking your foundation and color down, you could use an oil mattifier underneath foundation, which will absorb oil all day.
• Powder your foundation after you apply it. That will set it and help it last. 
• There are two ways to get your eye shadow to last longer– 1)Apply concealer and loose powder to your eyelid before you apply color, this will help everything last and will help the color blend. 2) Use an eye shadow primer before you apply everything else. 
• If you want your lip color to last longer, simply apply lip liner over your entire lip.
• When you are completely finished with your makeup you can spritz your face with a finishing (setting) spray. 
• Make sure you always blot (with makeup blotting papers) and powder throughout the day. 

transitioning your hair

How your hair lasts the transition may be the biggest factor of all. Put your hair up in the morning for work, preferably in a style with a little volume at the top, advises beauty expert and author Nada Manley. Then, before you leave the office, use hot curlers to add some sexy waves to your hair, or achieve a similar look with a curling iron. After removing the curlers, flip your hair upside down and use a little hairspray to lock in the volume and bounce. An alternative would be to curl your hair in the morning and gently put it up for the day. 

Harley DiNardo, owner of Shampoo Avenue B salon in New York City suggests utilizing Aveda’s Hair Potion. “It’s a powder that turns to a liquid in your hair,” he says. After a long day you can let your hair down, sprinkle some of this magic potion in your hair, and create a sexy just-off-the-beach look.