labscience
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Hi! I wrote this up because while SDN was awesome for clothing advice re: the interview, there was very little about skincare or makeup beyond some general suggestions about keeping it simple. I really like when people provide specific recommendations and links to products they like, so that's what I'll do here to hopefully help the next round of interviewees! I wrote it to offer some practical advice for people like me who didn't know a whole lot about skincare or beauty products in school, but who would like to learn how to develop quick, easy, and beneficial routines that you can use to your advantage in interviews and in your early professional career (and beyond, maybe? I haven't proven this myself yet. Stay tuned.)
I also very much wrote this with pre-meds in mind-- everything is fast and easy.
Some disclaimers before I get into it:
Applying makeup is useless if you're not already taking good care of your skin! (I learned this the hard way years ago after applying a powder foundation to my dry face-- I felt like a lizard shedding my skin).
Primer and Foundation
If general skincare is all you need to look swell, great! That is certainly not the case for me haha. I am usually always a bit pink and I have enlarged pores around my nose. If you're like me, this will be the section that will make you start to love the way your face looks.
For the Interview
Everything I've mentioned above can be easily thrown on in the morning or done in 2 minutes after the shower, but if you're interested in adding a little pop, this section's for you! This is also where you have to start paying attention (and having your makeup remover wipes at hand!). Once you're happy with your base, it's time to add some final touches to make you feel extra pretty and confident.
The Rest (a bonus section, for when you're feeling fancy)
Here we're veering into the category of I-never-wore-this-on-interview-days (and often don't have the time or patience to apply this stuff). That said, they're the most fun to experiment with, so get creative and try new things! (Just maybe not on your interview days).
So, I think that's it for now! Again, feel free to weigh in with other products you love or strategies that worked well for your interview day. I hope this helps someone out there!
I also very much wrote this with pre-meds in mind-- everything is fast and easy.
Some disclaimers before I get into it:
- I wrote this making no assumptions about how much or little people know about skincare/beauty, so sorry if any of it feels obvious or like I'm talking down to you!
- I'm by no means an expert so please correct me if anything is glaringly wrong, or if you have suggestions that you like better than mine!
- I'm writing this from a woman's perspective, but I sincerely believe all people should have some sort of skincare routine to keep themselves feeling confident. Even my boyfriend has been with me to Sephora to get some acne treatment advice. And no matter what, put sunscreen on everyday. If you take one thing from this thread, that should be it. Literally just do it
- As with any product, try a little bit first on your hand or arm in the store, and then get a trial-sized amount to take home. That way if you react to it or truly hate it, you can stop using it and find another without feeling bad about spending $$!
- If you don't normally wear makeup, don't feel like you have to, and definitely don't decide to do it the morning of an interview. You look your best when you're confident and comfortable, no matter what products you are or aren't using.
- Any and all dermatologists, feel free to weigh in
Applying makeup is useless if you're not already taking good care of your skin! (I learned this the hard way years ago after applying a powder foundation to my dry face-- I felt like a lizard shedding my skin).
- Face wash brush. Step 1 in a great skincare routine is getting a face wash brush you like. I have a silicone one I really like because it opens up pores great and is cleaned/disinfected easily. I use a handheld one (found here in bulk, but I got mine individually for super cheap), but some of my friends swear by their electric ones.
- Daily face wash. For a daily cleanser to use in the morning, after work, after the gym, etc., I really like Neutrogena's Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser, which runs about $12 at drugstores. To use, wet your face with warm water, rinse your face brush under warm water, put on about half a pump of the cleanser, rub into the brush, then use it on your face. Doing this in the shower is a great time saver. Then, rinse off (ideally with slightly cooler water-- this will close all the pores you've just opened and cleaned).
- I have pretty dry skin, so this cleanser is meant to clean without drying out. However, if you have oilier or acne-prone skin, there are plenty of other formulas for your skin type!
- Face masks. These are NOT what you're imagining (which I also imagined at first, and hated). A lot of things are called face masks these days but don't involve taking a weird papier-mâché thing with eye holes out of a bag and leaving it on until it clings to your face like a leech. It's just a name for cleansers that stay on longer than washes. I use Origins DrinkUp after showers and wear it to bed. It's really light, does not make you break out, and smells great. It also lasts a LONG time since you only use it once or twice a week, so don't be afraid of the price! The one I linked to is for hydrating, but they also have different versions for soaking up oil and retexturizing. Find your favorite!
- Lotion. We're talking body AND face (but not the same one for both). I swear by Eucerin Advanced Repair for arms and legs, and keep a tiny travel-sized one at work for hands. Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream is the best I've found for face, and I use it in the winter when my cheeks get really dry. Both are available at drugstores for reasonable prices!
- Sunscreen! If you're going to be wearing any other type of face makeup, look for one with SPF included (we'll get to that later). However, if you're stopping your skincare routine after this section and don't plan to apply anything else, I recommend Neutrogena Sport Face. The "sport" part means that it's more resistant to sweat and has a higher SPF than other kinds. I tend to get sweaty even not exercising, so "sweat-proof" products are always a plus, lol.
Primer and Foundation
If general skincare is all you need to look swell, great! That is certainly not the case for me haha. I am usually always a bit pink and I have enlarged pores around my nose. If you're like me, this will be the section that will make you start to love the way your face looks.
- Primer. The goal of these is to fill in your pores to make your skin as "flat" as possible before applying any other makeup. A lot of them also claim to have other benefits, but the jury is still out on those. I'm guilty of using a brand that overpromises like that, Philosophy's Line Correcting Primer, only because I love how light and smooth it is! A little goes a LONG way, again, so think of the pricetag as being divided over 3-4 months. I also keep a teeny-tiny bottle (I must have gotten it as a sample or travel size) of Make Up For Ever's Redness Correcting Primer because my cheeks sometimes get pretty red. It's also nice to put this on before concealer to hide any pimples that are particularly angry. Different people have different undertones they're looking to minimize, so look for one that works for you! Intuitively, they're based on the color wheel-- green products counterbalance redness, and so on.
- Concealer. This is one beauty product that I am pretty indifferent about-- I've found it all pretty much works the same once you've found a good match for your skintone. I couldn't even tell you which brand I get, but I know it's from CVS and I know it's under $10, lol. I use it mostly for spot-treatment on pimples, but you can also get creative with it and use it as a base for eyeshadow or under eye cream (next).
- Stuff for eye bags! Like most pre-meds and people in medicine, I am often tired (especially when I have to get up at 4am to drive to an interview). But I also have resting raccoon eyes thanks to genetics and to having super thin skin under my eyes, so I pretty much always look tired even if I'm not. The first thing in my arsenal against these old pals of mine is Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream which does a great job of reducing puff and is much cheaper than the other eye primers on the market. Next on the menu is Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector. This stuff works like a literal eraser. I can't recommend it highly enough. If you add a layer of concealer between the cream and this stuff, it works twice as good. Also lasts a REALLY long time-- a fingerprint's worth per eye is all you need. I don't use the recommended setting powder with this because I like the bit of sparkle, but if you prefer a more matte look that will do the trick.
- Foundation. This was the part of makeup that I absolutely hated the most. It turned out I was just using the wrong one. Clinique FITMakeup changed my mind! Not only is it silky-smooth, incredible at color-matching, and SPF 40, but it's also designed for workouts so it won't come off with sweat or on your clothes when you take them off (another reason I don't own setting powder). Since it acts as both a foundation and a face makeup, this is quite literally all I need. Could not recommend more!
- PS- If you're unsure about what color works for you, ask someone in the beauty department! They're absolute wizards. Oh, and please always blend a little onto your neck so you don't look like POTUS.
For the Interview
Everything I've mentioned above can be easily thrown on in the morning or done in 2 minutes after the shower, but if you're interested in adding a little pop, this section's for you! This is also where you have to start paying attention (and having your makeup remover wipes at hand!). Once you're happy with your base, it's time to add some final touches to make you feel extra pretty and confident.
- Eyeshadow. If you're going to put on eyeshadow, the best time to do it is after facial primers and before foundation. The logic there is that if you're using a sparkly powder small amounts of it will settle onto your face and blend in with the rest of the makeup. If you're not into that, though, put it on when you're done. I bought MAC's Solar Glow x9 palate a long time ago, and it's lasted me for years. For a interviews, I just used one tone (usually the light pink) on the whole lid, but since MAC coordinates their palates you can also use this for 3 or more-toned looks for special occasions.
- Eyebrows. Besides owning a great pair of tweezers, the only thing I do for my eyebrows is to fill them in a little, since they're pretty light in places. However, I think eyebrow pencils and gels are a big scam and have adopted the method of using and eyeshadow in my palate that matches them. Elle has a nice guide to doing this.
- Eyeliner. I've sworn by Urban Decay's black colors for years and will continue to buy them as they continue to change names. I don't like eyeliner pencils or crayons, but liquid eyeliners that are too liquid I tend to dislike. This is a happy medium that's easy to take off with makeup remover when you mess up a cat eye line (or both of them). For interviews, of course, I did something less intense than the cat and simply stopped the line at the end of my lash line on the top lid. (See: the "simple" here, but don't go too close to your inner eye). Do NOT put any eyeliner on your bottom lid for interviews… you'll look scary
- Mascara. I've tried a bunch of different mascaras and I can almost never tell the difference in the quality of them because I wear it rarely and sparsely. So I continue to buy Maybelline's Falsies at CVS. Feel free to chime in if you're a more dedicated mascara user and have a favorite!
- Brushes and Sponges. This is another place I tend to skimp money-wise because I really cannot detect the difference in quality between regular brands and luxury brands. My last set I got by looking up the top-reviewed sets on Amazon. Seriously. Sponge-wise, I use my hands and/or brushes for pretty much all of my facial makeup now that I have a really easy foundation to apply, but I got my current sponge at CVS in the dollar bin and it works just fine!
- Nails. Let them be and keep them plain as day. This physically hurt me because I love having my nails done, but I didn't want to distract with a bold color or by having one chip. I did file them nicely beforehand, use my beloved whale nail brush, and used Glossier's Balm Dotcom (Neosporin also works just as well) for cracking cuticles. I also took off my nailpolish a week or so before any interviews, because it tends to discolor my nails a bit.
- Scents. I actually defied traditional SDN wisdom and took a risk by wearing a teeny tiny amount of my favorite perfume, some Jo Malone I got as a gift. A simple spray, delay, walk away left me feeling dainty and elegant but was not overwhelming by any means. Oh, and don't forget deodorant and tooth brushing on your rush out the door
The Rest (a bonus section, for when you're feeling fancy)
Here we're veering into the category of I-never-wore-this-on-interview-days (and often don't have the time or patience to apply this stuff). That said, they're the most fun to experiment with, so get creative and try new things! (Just maybe not on your interview days).
- Highlighter. I could never get into powder highlighters, so I've started using L'oreal Lumi "Glotion" and have never looked back. It's really nice for a little extra sparkle, especially if you'll be somewhere sunny.
- Bronzer. I like Bareminerals, but have found cheaper options do pretty much the same thing. That said, I'm pretty pale, so almost anything would bronze me!
- Blush. Same as bronzer, I'm also pretty easy to blush, so I chose a color I liked and have stuck with it for years. I use NARS.
- Lipstick. MAC is again the winner here. I use this so little that I get the travel sizes, but they've lasted me forever and are nice to keep around for special occasions. I am also trash about knowing what color works for me, so I always have a nice chat with the salespeople and learn what they think would look nice. On interview days, I just carried around a good chapstick with me.
So, I think that's it for now! Again, feel free to weigh in with other products you love or strategies that worked well for your interview day. I hope this helps someone out there!
