Three Senators, three looks

Senate Democrats held a press conference last week on the Small Business Jobs Creation Act. This clip shows in quick succession three women of the Senate with three very different looks: Mary Landrieu, Barbara Boxer and Maria Cantwell.


What was most striking to me about these three women was the difference in their makeup styles. Consider:

1. Mary Landrieu has the "no makeup" makeup look. Maybe a little too "no makeup." I would recommend a foundation with a little more coverage, especially around the nose area, where it looks like she got a little too much sun. Even a so-called 5 minute face can feel like a lot of work when you're going on little sleep and have a full day ahead, so I'm always looking for shortcuts, both for myself and for my clients. Personally, I really like Stila One Step.

2. Barbara Boxer has gone to the other extreme and is really wearing a lot of makeup here. The combination of heavy foundation and thick eyeliner has given her face an almost mask-like appearance. A lighter, glossier lip and peachier blush would also make her look more naturalistic.

3. Maria Cantwell got it just right. With subtle lavender eyeshadow and a creamy rose lip, we see past her makeup and focus once again on her words.

No matter how much makeup you're wearing, it's important to take it off at the end of the day, lest you regret it in the morning. As I said, shortcuts are key, but you've got to find the right ones. I recently tried Payot Eau Demaquillant Express, and I'm extremely impressed. [Full disclosure: I received a free sample during New York Fashion Week. But I'm going out to buy a bottle now!] Payot is a French heritage brand that is just now coming in to the US market via Beauty 360, the fancy-makeup offshoot of CVS. Although they carry a number of Payot products on their website, you'll have to go directly to the DuPont Circle store for a bottle of this one. It's quick, it's effective and it's not drying. Try it.