I have a confession to make. I used to judge women who put on a whole face of makeup on the train. I am lucky enough to have the majority of my commuting time on the WMATA Metro (well, lucky 75% of the time, stuck in delays for the rest). Sometimes, I see women applying their full makeup routine on the train, and I used to think, "Ugh, why don't you do that at home?" I think I now know the answer for some of those women--they have kids.
I offer up my morning for example. I woke early so I could be on time for a work meeting. I went to the kitchen to feed the cat, started packing lunch, got caught up in straightening up so the babysitter wouldn't see what slobs we are (we're not hiding it very well), came back upstairs to get ready just as the baby started crying, spent time soothing her, then showered, dressed, and ran out the door late without coffee and with my hair still wet. Early efforts go out the window. When I'm at home, my time goes to the family, and that is the have-it-all tradeoff of the working mom. I don't regret it (with the exception of a wet head on cold mornings), but my train commute is what allows me to still present a makeup-professional face when I walk into the office.
I am now a woman who applies her morning makeup on the train. There are some concessions that a commute makeup application must make. As I am applying makeup on the go, everything must be low-mess and easily transportable, able to fit in my purse without taking over. This really streamlines the process and products. Through trial and error, I have chosen my favorites.
My entire commuting makeup collection, dumped from my makeup bag.
Before and after, five minutes tops, a professional face of makeup.
This is non-makeup, but if I didn't get a chance to apply my favorite face lotion that morning, I keep a slender bottle of L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Texture Perfector Pore Vanisher. I know that most of the time, pore minimizers are just hocum, but I decided to try this product after reading this comment from The Beauty Brains. TL;DR--although they didn't share the data, L'oreal must have some research to back up their claims, or else they could be sued. The product itself reminds me of a light primer--it feels very silicone-based, and seems to help with my oily skin. I'm not using it day and night like the box instructs, but maybe I will once I run out of my current Garnier jar. L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Texture Perfector Pore Vanisher is much pricier than my Garnier gel-lotion, but it is still drugstore-available, so I'll think on it. For now, though, the very portable bottle is in my purse makeup bag.
On to makeup. I start with foundation. My skin is oily and doesn't take well to liquid foundations, so I prefer mineral powder foundations. My favorite brand currently is L'Oreal Paris True Match Mineral Pressed Powder. It is a pressed mineral powder with a sponge, and the package includes the mirror I use to apply the rest of my makeup. I like the True Match like because it offers a lot of shade variations. I have pretty fair skin, but it is usually just a hair darker than most brand's lightest shade, but the next darkest shade is too dark. The True Match line has three "lightest" shades based on skin undertones. I find the W2 shade "Light Ivory" is pretty much my skin exactly, and I can get it in a variety of forms: liquid, mousse, powder, or mineral. I had searched for a while and returned some products in my search for the right shade. This is it.
I love the next product that I'm going to talk about--L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional The One Sweep Eye Shadow. Before I used this, I was a fan of Neutrogena Crease-Proof Eye Shadow, but I found that the L'oreal product suited me much better. I prefer the "Natural for Brown Eyes" shade. The reviews of this product on Amazon are either "amazing!" or "terrible!" I fall in the amazing camp. Maybe it has to do with the shades in the version I use, but I think that the one-sweep gives me the eye color and shading that looks like it took way more than a few seconds and a single swipe. It looks much better than I can do on my own. I also own a different shade in this product, and I don't like it as much as I like the "Natural for Brown Eyes" blend. When you are on a bumpy train, you don't have the time or room or effort to carry around multiple shades and brushes, and that this does it in one swipe--perfect for me.
To finish off my eyes, I use mascara. Full disclosure, I tried using mascara and eyeliner for a while, but I suck at eyeliner. I don't know why, maybe it's the shape of my eyes, maybe it's the fact that my mom didn't let me perfect it in high school, maybe it wasn't big when I was a teenager like it is for teens now, but yeah--a 13-year-old could out-eyeliner me. I'm okay with that. On the train, mascara provides enough poke-danger, so I don't need to go overboard. I think that for the appearance I'm aiming for--work professional--eyeliner ends up being too much anyway. So, knowing that my eyeliner skills are lacking, guess how my mascara skills are? Needing help! So that's why I really love Maybelline New York Volum Express Falsies Big Eyes Washable Mascara. You get two brushes! One for the top lashes, and a tiny that doesn't get overly goopy or springy for the lower ones. Genius! I know exactly where the mascara is going, and it's just so much easier for me to manage, especially on a moving train.
Finally, I finish with lip color. I have very strong opinions about lip color. For example, I don't like to wear glosses--I think they are a young lady's game, and I dislike that when the wind blows, my hair gets stuck on my lips. So no water-wet lip looks for me. I also feel that straight-up lipsticks are dated. If you're going for a retro look, that's one thing, but I don't think there are many women who are going for a plain tube of lipstick when there are so many other options. For me, the best alternative is a colored balm--you get sheer color coverage, but and you don't dry out your lips. I personally prefer Burt's Bees for my lip color. I don't usually buy into the greenwashing of cosmetics and toiletries, but I know based on experience--the non-natural balms still dry out my lips and Burt's Bees balms do not. I was using L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lip Balm for a while, as I like their color offerings better, but my lips would still grow flakey, so I went back to Burt's Bees, and my lips returned to feeling in good health. My favorite shades are Apricot, Cherry, Fig, and Peony. I'll have to try not to buy any others or else my makeup bag will be all lip colors.
And that's that! Five products, no more than five minutes, and I become Business Tish, ready for what the day will throw at me, and those five minutes do not take any time away from my Angel Pie and family. Out of a forty minute commute, five minutes to spare to make me feel prepared and professional is well worth it.
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