Words by Gemma Casimsiman

Unlike Cinderella, we don’t have a Fairy God Mother capable enough to transform us from rags to riches. Our hair won’t magically style itself, our clothes won’t turn into a puffy, blue ball gown nor will we fly through the air as our shoes turn into glass. But, the outfit isn’t always our biggest problem, is it?

Imagine: It’s a Friday afternoon, you just got out of class. You have to hurry home because you have a party to attend in a few hours. All you have to do is put on your dress, curl your hair, and begrudgingly remove all of your makeup and re-do it all to fit the night. Sadly, we’re not Jeffree Star or James Charles with entire rooms full of makeup dedicated for various occasions. But, fortunately, PROPS Tools and Cosmetics has dedicated their time teaching me how to transform from daytime workaholic to a classic midnight look.

The best part? You don’t have to remove any of the makeup you already have on.

See also: Beyond Basic: This Makeup Studio Teaches You How To Do Makeup That Suits Your Face!

First off, contour. If chiseling your cheeks isn’t part of your everyday routine, you can always pop up some contour to give your face a smooth, slim look. All you have to do is take any brown shade that’s 2 shades darker than your natural skin tone and apply it over the hollows of your cheeks, on your temple and along the jawline. Voila! A natural 3D effect.

You can also contour your nose for good measure. Just line up the brush on the bridge of your nose to see where the contour should be. It’s best to start in the middle and work your way up to avoid a harsh line.

Second, eyeshadow. You don’t need a huge palette full of eyeshadows to attain the desired effect. Even just 3 shades will do—light, medium, and dark. Apply the medium shade along the crease, the darkest shade on your outer corner and the lightest shade along the lid. For a night out, we want a little more intensity.

Tip: Own a travel-sized palette instead of a full-sized one! One of the best and cheapest ones to get are the Quad Palettes sold by Ever Bilena.

Thirdly, eyeliner. There are 3 steps to follow when you apply eyeliner:

Step 1: Upper lash line. Don’t force winged liner if you can’t do it. A basic line will suffice.

Step 2: Lower lash line. Use an angled brush to line the lower lash line with the dark eyeshadow shade you applied on the outer corner of your eye.

Step 3: Waterline. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can always fill in the waterline when needed, not all looks call for it. But a night-to-remember look? That’ll complete it. Just be careful and don’t poke your eye when doing it.

For beginners, don’t make the same mistake I did. Using the tip of the eyeliner is a big no-no! It’s easier to press the side against your upper lash line for a quick swipe rather thank risking getting poked.

Lastly, lips. There are two ways to know what color your lips should be. First, if you used darker shades for your eyeshadow, your lips should stay neutral. The second, if you chose to do a simple look on your eyes, then the lips can be either dark, neutral, or loud.

However, if you’re not satisfied with a simple matte shade, I find gloss can make a difference. Applying a small amount on the center of the lips can make lips look fuller and change your whole vibe altogether.

 “Your face should only have one focal point,” said Janine Bacsa, a professional make-up artist who also founded PROPS. One sentence that encompasses your whole look—meaning, if your eyeshadow stands out, don’t let your lips take the spotlight.

Now, all you need to do is pop on a bit of mascara, get dressed, and make your way to the party feeling confident and beautiful!

PROPS TOOLS AND COSMETICS