Makeup when Hosting a Dinner

Hey girls, how many of you have hosted a lunch / dinner at home? All on your own? Stressful! right? I get goosebumps even thinking about the effort involved... cleaning and polishing everything, hours in the kitchen over food, the crockery, the knick knacks and what not... And when the guests finally arrive, you'd be running around making sure they are comfortable, managing the kitchen, watching the kids etc etc....

So, what kind of makeup do you wear at such a time? Here is my look and the learning from playing hostess:

Simple Makeup while playing Hostess

Face:

1. MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in Fix+
2. Maybelline Blush in Apricot Flush lightly on the cheek bones

Eyes:

1. Avon Glimmersticks Diamond in Jade Green
2. Lotus Herbals Kajal

Lips:

1. Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick My Mahogany

That's it. Just 5 products! Who had the time for more? And yes girls, the first lesson is:

1. Less is More: The lesser number of products you apply, the lesser time you' take and will probably catch a few moments to relax before the early birds arrive. Every party has them early birs who will land in ten minutes before the time... :)
2. Use Mattifying Base: Specially if you are oily/combination skin like me. All the running around in and out of the kitchen or last minute cooking and frying will leaving your face sweaty and oily. Having worn a dewy base to begin with is not a good idea. Keep blotting papers in your kitchen for a quick dab once in a while
3. Keep is simple: Unless you are hosting a Wedding type ka event, keep your makeup as simple as you can. Let your amazing hostess skills dazzle them... the time to shine with your makeup skills is another day. The reason is that on a casual / semi formal party at home, you have no clue how your guests will be dressed. India does not have a concept of strict dress codes. It is better to be the least made up woman than the most
4. Don't forget the Hair: Now I am guilty of this. Usually, I just shampoo them and leave them to air dry after running a wide tooth comb. Not very becoming. An then I secure them with a hair tie or clutch clip to hold them away from my face during meals. It looks terrible. Specially in the pics. More so, when the group pic is taken at the end of the evening :(  For my last party, I decided to brush my hair just before the guests arrived and coat them with a leave in conditioner... much better results!
5. Touch Up: Its your house for God sakes! Just sneak into your room and do a quick touch-up if needed :p