The Best No Makeup, Makeup Tips
Often times we feel the need to wear makeup, but we don’t want it to look like we’re wearing much, if any, makeup at all. Whether it’s to make you look more awake than you are, because you’re having a bad skin day (we’ve all been there), or just to make you feel a little more put together, a small amount of makeup can go such a long way. But the simple, no makeup, makeup look is surprisingly difficult to execute. Getting makeup to look like skin requires a little bit of skincare prep and the right product textures. Below are our favorite tips for achieving the most natural of makeup looks with minimal effort.
Natural makeup is all about the skin and, although no one likes to hear it, our makeup only looks as good as our skin feels. So, before applying any base products, set aside a few minutes to properly prep your skin. We recommend dermaplaning every three to four weeks. Dermaplaning is the removal of peach fuzz, dirt and buildup, and dead skin cells from the face with a razor. In other words, dermaplaning is just like shaving your face. What does shaving your face have to do with natural makeup? Dermaplaning makes a dramatic difference to the way foundation and concealers sit on our face. Removing hair and dead skin allows makeup to glide on smoothly and keeps base products from looking cakey throughout the day. It also adds a glow to the skin without applying highlighter. Although estheticians offer this service, it’s easy and affordable to do at home in five minutes or less. The Kitsch dermaplaner razors are gentle and beginner friendly.
Another important step in prepping the skin for makeup is moisturizer. We all want that healthy skin glow and it’s much easier to achieve that look with skincare rather than makeup. Before applying your foundation apply a lightweight moisturizer all over the face and neck. Our favorite is the Agent Nateur Holi(Crème) Filter Face Crème. The powerful actives in this luxurious moisturizer soothe the skin, nourish, and minimize the appearance of texture. The Filter Face Crème is suitable for even the most sensitive and acne-prone skin types. The moisturizer’s fresh, light, matte-like finish makes it the perfect primer for makeup.
The best way to achieve a no makeup, makeup look is by starting with a light coverage base. Whether it’s a sheer foundation, a tinted moisturizer, or spot concealing, a light base corrects and evens out our skin tone while still allowing the skin underneath to shine through. When subtle imperfections are still visible on the face it gives the illusion that we’re wearing little to no makeup at all. For a sheer, yet corrected base, try the Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation. This non-greasy, long-lasting foundation hydrates the skin and has a natural, skin-like finish. It’s light to medium coverage makes it the perfect base for a no makeup, makeup day.
When it comes to cheek products, like bronzer, blush, and highlighter, cream products are typically more natural looking than powders because the finish of cream products is more skin-like. Bare skin has a natural glow to it that cream products can mimic better than traditional powders. A few cheek products that are great for a no makeup, makeup look are the RMS Buriti Bronzer, the Vapour Beauty Aura Multi Sticks, and the Ere Perez Vanilla Highlighter. Although cream products typically enhance our natural glow, there are benefits to using powders. Powder cheek products usually last longer than creams, especially for those with more oily skin. If you would like to extend the wear of a natural makeup look, try dusting a light amount of your favorite powder bronzer, blush, or highlighter on top of a cream.
Mascara serves as the finishing touch to any makeup look; it enhances the eyes and makes us appear more awake. However, a jet-black mascara usually overpowers a light makeup look because most people’s natural lashes are a shade of brown, rather than black. When going for a no makeup, makeup look, swap out your black mascara for a light coat of brown mascara. Our current favorite is the Fitglow Vegan Good Lash + Mascara in the shade brown. It adds length and volume while plant proteins in the formula promote lash strength and growth.
