It’s basically applying Coco Chanel’s adage to makeup: Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.

Makeup, thankfully, has gone from a contrived step-by-step process of priming, buffing, tweezing, lining and applying color to a more effortless and uncomplicated here-and-there application.

Feeling dubious? We had Cai Subijano interview MAC senior makeup artist Caitlin Callahan.

Callahan on Off-Color: “It’s more about a mood than an actual color—colors that you don’t expect to be in certain places.” For a huge dose of attitude, wear burgundy on an evening out. As seen on the runway of Philosophy, the makeup is lived-in, with deep, ruddy hues on eyes and lips, and wet, glossy skin.

Blend MAC Face and Body Foundation over skin to even and tone. Mix Pro Longwear Paint Pots in Constructivist and Groundwork, for a more wearable look, and buff into skin for a warm, rich contour around the eyes.

Draw Phone Number Eye Kohl through the upper lash line and smudge through the lower lashes to define. Apply MAC Pro Mixing Medium Shine over the eyelids with a touch of clear lipglass over the inner corner of the eye for a wet, glossy texture and effect. Brush Paramount Lipstick onto the lips with the 217 blending brush. Skip the brow color and just brush up and sideways with the Clear Brow Set.

“Yeah, cat-eye’s done, right? The whole idea was that everything was effortless. So many of the runway shows we went to said, ‘Make it look like the girls did it themselves.’ In Missoni, the eyeliner was just smudged on the top and bottom; it’s undeliberate.”

If you’re tired of the cat-eye but want an equally compelling look for your eyes, try this. After prepping skin, comb brows upward through the brow to groom and set. Using Blacktrack Fluidline, draw thinly from the outer corner of the pupil to the outer corner of the eye in a soft square shape and through the upper and lower lash line, leaving a gap between the upper and lower lash in the outer corner.

Blend eye shadow over the liner and below the eyes. Layer with mascara for a doll-like effect. Dab Viva Glam II lipstick over the lips with fingers for a natural look.

“For your climate, it’s not going to be all-over glow because I think everyone has that here. (Laughs) But keeping things more matte with primers, which you can wear on the center of your face to absorb moisture at the start, then after you’re done with your makeup, you can reapply from your cheekbones to your temples.”

This look is tricky in tropical and humid weather. An easier take would be to apply MAC Strobe Liquid after your skin primer and concealer, and before your foundation, for an ethereal glow. Lightly fill brows with the Brow Liner and brush upward with Clear Brow Set to groom and set.

Apply a neutral eye shadow to emphasize the eyes. And softly apply Diva Lipstick to the lips with fingertips, mixed with MAC Matte Texture, for a sheer, whisper of color to finish.

Mara Santillan Miano is the managing editor of the Inquirer’s monthly luxury insert, Inquirer RED Magazine. Visit http://inquirer.net/red for more stories on smart fashion, beauty, art, people and creative spaces.