Fresh Office-Ready Beauty Trends for Work

What hits the runway and what you can actually wear to work don’t always go mano y mano. If you want to freshen up your look for spring and summer, while staying professional and tasteful when at work, you’ve got options. Here are eight beauty trends to update your look for work.

1. Bold Matte Lips

Ditch the glossy, shiny lipsticks this season. Opt for lip color that goes on matte. It almost looks like velvet when it’s done right. Hues of red dominate this trend, with appearances on the catwalks of Jason Wu and Badgley Mischka.

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2. Accessorize Your ‘Do

A simple updo can save you time while you get ready for work in the morning, maybe even allowing a little more time to catch up on the news or savor your coffee.

To amp up the look and be on-trend, conceal your elastic bands with accessories. Use a scarf, a ribbon or some sparkle from your jewelry box. The spring 2016 collections by Oscar de la Renta and Kate Spade upgraded a dull ponytail with one accessory. It’s simple, cheap and effective.

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3. Refresh Your French Manicure

In the last several years, nail art has gained real popularity. Some of the trends can be over-the-top, while others offer a more subtle look.

When prepping for the office, stick to styles that are both in vogue and can be muted enough to be worn into work. These include painted stripes and updated French tips.

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4. Make Your Eyes Blue

Hues of blue are everywhere in spring/summer 2016 lookbooks. Although many collections featured models with large, bold hits of electric blue, the trend also can be worn more delicately.

With dainty strokes of liner, like makeup artists did for the Monique Lhuillier fashion show, you’ll be on-point fashion-wise, without calling too much attention to yourself.

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5. Let Your Hair Get Messy

Don’t stress about the bumps and uneven texture of your hair. Consider yourself on Spring Break from your hair straightener. The lived-in look is taking the fashion world by storm.

You can do this in two ways. One is with an untidy bun showcased in the Tory Burch spring/summer 2016 collection. The other option is to wear your hair loose with uneven waves of lightly blow-dried hair. You don’t need a brush to accomplish the look seen on the catwalk of Coach. Instead blow out your strands with your fingers to get a perfectly imperfect look that’s still sleek enough for the workplace.

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6. Feminine Tea-Stained Eyes

Opt for pink, brown and golden hues on eyelids, which adds a feminine, earthy edge to your look. It won’t take much to bring this trend to life.

Invest in pink and coral hues to add to your makeup kit. If you just want to give this look a try without doling out your hard-earned money, use what you’ve probably already got in your make-up bag—bronzer.

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7. Braids

We’ve seen braids worn down the runway for several seasons now. However this style of pulling back long hair keeps getting reimagined each year.

The spring/summer 2016 collections switched to face-framing braids. Try a French braid pulled down crossing the forehead, like in the Herve Leger by Max Azria show, or any of these 100 pin-worthy braided styles.

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8. Rosy Cheeks

Forget about Kim Kardashian’s contour culture! Instead make your cheeks stand out with a flush of warm color. Anyone who ventures to the rosy side will emerge looking fresh and dewy—ready to take on the next challenge at the office. The look was donned on the catwalk of Vivienne Tam.

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Spring is meant for new beginnings and freshening up. And that includes your beauty routine. With these eight trends you’ll have instant #IWokeUpLikeThis vibes just in time for the warmer, sunnier days ahead.

Sarah Landrum is the founder of Punched Clocks. | Image | Bloguettes