Have you ever pickup up a lipstick or blusher-stained white blouse at your favourite boutiques? Ugh. Or worse yet, have the embarrassment of turning one in at the fitting room! It doesn’t take a genius to know how to prevent the guilty feelings of messing up a dress you don’t intend to buy. It just takes a little preparation before heading out to the mall. And by this I literally mean just a LITTLE preparation. In this case, the rule LESS IS MORE definitely applies.

Skipping the foundation altogether is of course the surest bet in practicality. Go bare if you dare, but this does not mean you need place a bag over your head when the hottie you’ve been eyeing happens to walk by.  A smidgen of concealer under the eyes and a dab of it with a small wand on the dark spots will leave your skin looking fresh and flawless, without the heaviness. A good concealer should blend right into your skin. If you have a tinted moisturiser like Stila’s Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15, all the better. Apply and use your fingers to pat away any excess. Once it sets, check using a dry tissue that it won’t smear.

You can play up the eyes with white or a shimmery nude eyeshadow in the inner corners of the eyes. Using your fingers or a taut eyeshadow brush, blend in a tan matte shadow just on the lower outer corners just behind your eyelashes. Line the eyes with smudgeproof eyeliner, and finish them off with tubing mascara such as Blinc or waterproof mascara in dark brown or black.

Skip the cheeks to prevent any accidents, but drink lots of water and a cup of juice to keep you going throughout the day and keep your skin hydrated and in the pink of health. Use cherry or watermelon lipgloss, fix your hair in an easy high-ponytail or something fuss-less, and you are ready to go!

For the day out at the mall, a little goes a long way to perfectly practical yet pretty! Have a guilt-free shopping trip and go have fun with your girlfriends!