Work appropriate makeup becomes increasingly more important after you graduate from college. It’s a difficult challenge to face sometimes because of the variety of different company cultures and unspoken standard that permeate the work place. Yes, you’ll need to hold off on the body glitter… But it doesn’t mean that you can’t still have fun, or that you it’s better to not wear makeup than any at all. Studies have shown that women who wear make-up to work are more likely to get promoted. What’s important is finding a routine or a look that enhances your natural beauty.

Here are a couple of good rules for a work appropriate makeup looks:

1. It has to stand the test of time; you don’t want to have to keep retouching your look when you have to dash from meeting to meeting.
2. It has to be low-maintenance and easy enough for you to be able to complete in a rush. Some people might be prepared to spend 30 minutes doing their face in the mornings, but some would rather spend an extra 20 minutes in bed and only 10 minutes doing their face.
3. It should enhance, and not hide who you are.
4. It shouldn’t be distracting; remember, you want people to be listening to what you’re saying without being mesmerized by your hot pink lipgloss.
5. It should make you feel both comfortable and amazing. If you’re busy stressing about your eyeliner, how can you hope to concentrate on that spreadsheet?

Here are some other good rules of thumb regarding different kinds of work places:

• Conservative setting (law firm, medical field, bank): While your makeup shouldn’t be the first thing people notice about you, that doesn’t mean you can’t wear anything. Keep it neutral. A brown shadow paired with one coat of black or brown mascara is a good place to start. Dust your cheeks with a light blush, swipe your lips with a lipstick close to your natural tone, and you’ll look put together and professional.
• Relaxed environment (magazine, design firm, website): Your job is to be creative, so don’t be afraid to experiment with trends here. Try a bold, matte lip pencil if you’re feeling the hot-pink lip trend, for staying power.  Just remember that even though you want your makeup to make a statement, you’re still at work. Pick your battles. If you’re rocking a statement lip, keep the rest of your look understated.
• Middle ground (retail or any customer service job): So you’re not sitting in an office pushing pencils around. This means you can go wild with your makeup, right? Wrong. If you have face time with customers, how you present yourself is your business. Something bold might work if you’re selling CDs, but won’t go over so well at a posh restaurant. Stick to a makeup look that accentuates your best feature. If you’ve got great eyes, for example, use a liquid liner to nail your perfect cat-eye.
• Beauty deal breakers (wherever you’re working): Steer clear of body glitter, embellished false eyelashes, or anything you would wear for a night out. If you wear perfume, make sure the scent is light and isn’t offensive to your co-workers. And if your job allows you to wear neon shades, keep them tasteful and only make up one asset at a time.

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