QUESTION:
How do I create a No Makeup Makeup look?
ANSWER:
Ah the eternal question, how can I wear makeup, feel pulled together and better than I did with no makeup, without looking like I’m wearing 30 products. The no-makeup makeup look is the ultimate sleight of hand trick.
If I had to give one piece of advice for a truly polished no-makeup makeup look it would be this - keep all of the products within a very limited tonal range, and one that isn’t far from your actual skin tone. Use very little foundation or skip it all together and just use concealer where needed. For this type of look, I prefer to use cream bronzers that don’t have shimmer and are very close to your skin tone, and don’t lean orange, so you can seamlessly sculpt the face. You can add a touch of blush but it should be nearly undetectable, just adding the slightest bit of color. Use a cream highlighter on the high points of your face; tops of cheekbones, bridge of nose, and on your eyelids, just above the pupils, close to the lashes to catch the light and add soft radiance.
NOTO Hydra Highlighter Pot
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Mineral Fusion Eye Pencil
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Gently fill in your brows. Filling in your brows actually adds a lot of definition to your face can can make your look feel more finished without a lot of other makeup. Just be sure that you are light handed - that’s the key. My preference is a good skinny brow pencil, a brow pen, or a brow powder. I find most tinted brow gels make the brows look too matte, but that’s just a matter of opinion, I’m sure there are some good ones out there, that’s just my hot take on the subject. But be sure to brush them up with a clear brow gel or pomade, so they stay in place through the day. Brushing them up also makes them look fuller.
Kimiko Super Fine Brow Pencil Automatique
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Surratt Expressioniste Brow Pomade
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For the eyes, a soft taupe eyeliner is your secret weapon. It can create shape and definition in a softer way than eyeshadow. If you have more melanin your skin, use a darker, more chocolatey liner to get soft definition without looking like a lot of makeup. Draw a soft line in the socket of the eye with the pencil and then use a dense domed eyeshadow brush or pencil brush to blend it out until it looks like a natural shadow. You can do the same along the upper and lower lash lines for incredibly soft definition. If that doesn’t feel like enough makeup for you, try a cream eyeshadow in a neutral tone. I prefer the pencil or cream over an eyeshadow though because it feels more like skin, and a powder eyeshadow reads more like makeup. Snuggling brown or black liquid liner in between the lashes can make your lashes look thicker and fuller without having to add a lot of mascara. Hold the liner vertically and use the brush to “connect” the spaces between your lashes. Don’t apply it from above because you don’t want it to read like eyeliner, coming from underneath makes it easier to apply it in an undetectable way.
Surratt Auto-Graphique Liquid Eyeliner
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Kimiko Precision Plumping Lip Liner
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And speaking of mascara, I do love a rich, inky black, but be sure to use one that doesn’t deposit too much product so you see the lashes first, not the mascara since the name of the game is “no-makeup makeup”. And curl those lashes of yours because it really does open up the eyes like nothing else.
Ere Perez Avocado Waterproof Mascara
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Surratt Relevée Lash Curler
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For lips, a little bit of a rosy or warm neutral lipliner looks great with a light coat of lip balm. The color should be close to your natural lip color, but a little richer so they are gently defined. You can go a bit over your natural lip line if you like, just keep it believable.
Cle Lip Care Trio
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Lanolips 101 Multipurpose Super Balm
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All in all the look should be soft, no hard lines, a bit of shadow here and there to sculpt the face and make you look polished, rested and healthy but more you than makeup if you know what I mean. Keep it light, keep it tonal and you'll have everyone believing you woke up like this.
I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Beauty Lessons. Don’t forget to send a note to tellmemore@shopreedclarke.com to have your burning beauty questions answered.
Until next month,
