Professional Guide to Nail Your Makeup Look for an Interview

Before an interview, some might wonder, “Should I wear makeup to an interview”? The answer is surely a yes and not just for women but also for men and non-binary people. In fact, dressing up and wearing makeup for an interview can give you an extra confidence boost.  

Different from your personal party look, professional makeup looks are essential for multiple occasions. Whether you have an in-person interview, zoom interview, or big meeting, putting the right makeup on is often beneficial since it makes you look more assertive and your facial expression more obvious. 

Read on to learn the best interview makeup and hairstyles!

A key to putting on makeup for a job interview is to make the candidate look spirited and confident. Professional makeup looks need to be simple and subtle rather than distracting and complicated. 

If you are interviewing for a job in a somewhat traditional industry or company, bold and flamboyant makeup is not ideal for your job interview. So be careful when choosing lipstick and eye shadow colors for the interview.

✅ Moisturize your face.

Healthy skin is the best base for your professional makeup look. Two or three days before your interview, pay extra attention to getting enough sleep and moisturizing your skin. Dry skin might cause your skin to peel and ruin your makeup for the interview. Apply hyaluronic acid or moisturizing lotion to keep your skin hydrated with a healthy glow.

✅ Match your skin tone.

Our next professional makeup advice is to choose your makeup base that matches with your skin tone for the interview. Neutral color palettes are good choices since they can complement any skin tone in a business makeup look.

✅ Use concealer or corrector.

A concealer is handy for interviewers who have dark circles under their eyes, zits, or little scars. You can choose a concealer that’s one to two shades lighter than your skin to cover the mark. If you are looking to color-correct red blemishes, a green corrector might work well. Consider using purple or red correctors for a dark circle to set the perfect grounds for the job interview makeup.

✅ Apply the primer or foundation.

Primers can help you blur your pores, smooth your face texture, and carry out color correction. Primer can be crucial in making your makeup appear natural for your job interview. Apply a small amount of foundation to your face to create a natural glow. 

No matter if you're using a powder, liquid, or cream-based product, your job interview makeup needn’t be too heavy. Heavy foundations under the white office light will make your professional makeup look unnatural.

✅ Avoid fake eyelashes and thick, heavy mascara. 

Not only are false eyelashes too dramatic for a professional job interview look, lash glue can also easily irritate your eyes. 

A black, water-proof mascara, on the other hand, can make your eye makeup for an interview fabulous. You can also use an eyelash curler to delicate your makeup for an interview. Remember to remove the clumps with a lash comb.

✅ Choose soft eyeliner.

A soft eyeliner will enlarge your eyes and make your makeup for the interview more energetic. The key to a professional eye-line look is to use a pencil eyeliner and stop it at the edge of your eye. A liquid eyeliner that extends beyond the edge of your eye is sharper, and it may easily make your job interview makeup unprofessional or too harsh. 

✅ Consider neutral colors for eyeshadow.

Neutral colors certainly work well for job applicants who wish to go for an interview makeup look to appear trustworthy and capable. 

Apply the lightest color shade to your entire lids, the medium, cream color to the inner corners, and the darkest shade to your creases. Unless you are applying for a job in creative industries or modeling agencies, avoid using flashy eye shadow.

✅ Pay attention to the brows.

Strong and neat brows substantially influence your professional makeup for a job interview. Before you apply brow color, remove stray eyebrow hairs and shape your brows. 

Use brow gel or powder similar to your brow color to emphasize your arch. Make your brow ridge sharper to refine your entire business makeup look.

✅ Consider applying blush.

Adding a natural color as a subtle blush is common for professional makeup looks. A pinky-coral glow on your cheekbones will make you look healthier. 

Tap a bit of excess powder beforehand, and apply your blush in an oval direction to perfect your interview makeup looks. You can skip the blush and replace it with a highlighter or bronzer. However, don’t overdo the highlighter for your business makeup look.

✅ Be careful with lip colors.

The best interview lipstick colors are probably the ones that match your original lip color perfectly. Rose or neutral color lipsticks are nice options to finish up the entire makeup for an interview. 

Don’t go too dark with your interview lip color. Darker lipsticks might come across as too edgy or emo. Choose your interview lipstick color wisely, and take it easy on the big red lips.

Preparing for an interview is already nerve-wracking. Your makeup for the interview should be the last thing you worry about. The main topic of the interview should be your skills and experience. 

Thus, your job interview makeup look should add to your professionalism rather than be the central focus.

Here are 6 tips for makeup looks for the job interview:

💄 Aim for professional looks.

Moderation is the key. Find something elegant and classy. Keep your makeup for the interview simple. Use the job interview makeup as a way to show the recruiter that you’re confident and that you take this interview seriously.

💄 Do what you are familiar with.

Being comfortable with how you look is the whole point of wearing any job interview makeup, especially for a job interview. In a business setting, you might want to avoid trying out new makeup techniques for the first time ever. Doing what you do best is a good strategy for your job interview makeup.

💄 Bring essential supplies with you. 

Your job interview makeup can wear away pretty fast in the afternoon or in summer. Pack a few essential items (foundation, concealer, lipsticks, cotton swabs, etc) in case you need any touch-ups. 

Before the interview, you might want to use the bathroom or use a small mirror to check your teeth and your hairdo and make one last adjustment.

You can also consider using a setting spray after completing the makeup for the interview. This way, you can avoid bringing all the makeup supplies and still keep your look in a good place.

💄 Find the right lighting (for Zoom or any other video interview).

Setting up the camera lighting is extremely crucial for job interviewers who are having a zoom or video interview in any other form. Natural lighting is preferred, but studio lights or ring lights (which makeup Youtubers love) are nice, too. It’ll help with the job interview makeup you already have and help you look better if you’re tired.

💄 Apply slightly heavier makeup for Zoom interview calls.

Makeup can look sort of washed out in video camera interviews. If you have an interview over a video call, perhaps you can try a more vibrant color for your cheeks. The same applies to the eyeliner and mascara of your zoom interview makeup. Emphasizing a little will make your eyes look better. 

💄 Use eyedrops to get rid of redness.

Long hours of staring at the screen might make your eye itchy and red. You don’t want your eye-itching ruining your zoom interview makeup. Red and pink colors are extra obvious on camera, and if your veins are apparent, consider using eye drops to constrain them. 

--- Originally written by Wu Chao Min ---