One of the many joys of makeup is the ability to create dramatic colorful and bold looks, side-by-side with minimalistic no-makeup makeup looks that highlight natural features and don’t make you look as though you are wearing any makeup at all. Although colorful and bold looks have their own challenges, many makeup artists will agree that a no-makeup makeup look is actually far harder to perfect. So here’s a quick guide to help you.
It’s all about the skin
A no-makeup makeup look starts well before any makeup is actually applied to the face, with a moisturizing skincare routine. Depending on the natural complexion of your skin, you may even want to start your no-makeup makeup prep the night before with a hydrating face mask to ensure that your skin is as plump, glowy and hydrated as possible.
Don’t skip the primer
Primer is the perfect way to begin your base, enabling you to smooth over pores in a far more subtle way than a foundation and helping to add extra glow for a dewy finish. Depending on your goal, you may want to opt for a blemish-blurring primer to help minimize pores and pimples, or a glow-up primer for a natural glistening shine.
Blemishes can be beautiful
No-makeup makeup looks best when some of the skin’s natural flaws are allowed to shine through, adding authenticity. Although you may want to reduce redness or to cover dark circles with a heavy concealer, with a no-makeup makeup look you want to go easy on the coverage. Tinted moisturizers and BB creams are a great way to create a more even skin tone without too heavily masking the faces natural blemishes. For problem areas or a little more coverage, you can always build up layers of tinted moisturizer or a BB-cream with a sponger or buffing brush.
Go for a cream bronzer or blush
With no-makeup makeup, powdered blush and bronzers can ruin all of the hard work that you have put into achieving a natural dewy finish. Instead, opt for a cream blush and bronzer that can be effortlessly blended into the base you have already created and will not create an unnatural matt finish.
Brush your brows
Rather than drawing on brows, try to stick with brush brow products that help to build on your natural brow shape and texture. With a no-makeup makeup look, brows become a very defining feature of the face and so it’s important not to go in too strong otherwise they may look off-balance.
Go easy on the mascara
If you have naturally luscious lashes or lash extensions, then you may want to consider skipping mascara altogether, but if you need a little help in the lash department, then try to stick to a natural brown and lightweight mascara. Try to avoid any clumping of the product and brush out the lashes with a spoolie if they become too thick and false looking.
So there you have it – a few simple tips to help you perfect a natural no-makeup makeup look.