Glowing skin, freshly pinched cheeks, and rosy lips require just the right amount and type of product, technique, specific tools, and a certain level of skill to achieve. I have always admired women who have mastered the art of the “no-makeup look.”
Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle MacPherson, Aerin Lauder, and Jennifer Aniston are famous for successfully achieving this look. Of course, if you’re one of those rare creatures who actually does come by this look naturally, then read no further. These tips are for the rest of us mere mortals who will inevitably look tired, pale, and drained without the necessary spackle.
I am personally a big fan of the natural look, and I used to think that it just meant wearing no more than ChapStick. However, after enduring comments from concerned co-workers asking me if I’m ill or telling me that I look “peaked” every time I’ve attempted it, I have since embarked on a quest to learn how to pull it off properly.
Barely-there makeup (if you’ve ever attempted it, you’ll know) is by far the most difficult to do. When done right, however, it lends a polished, fresh, and healthy appearance. Bringing out your natural beauty is the goal, albeit using decidedly unnatural means to get it. Not only does it work for women of any age, but it will also save you precious minutes in the morning.
Eight Steps to Natural
1. To start, you absolutely must have a good skincare regimen to provide you with a smooth, clear canvas that is the cornerstone of the natural look. First, prep freshly cleaned skin with a light moisturizer that includes sunscreen.
2. Next, if you find that you need some coverage, a high-quality foundation applied only to areas that really need it is an absolute essential. Look for a formula as sheer as you can get it that completely disappears into your skin.
3. If necessary, follow that up with a good concealer that blends completely into your skin. (It should match your skin tone, not contrast with it.) Apply it to cover up under-eye circles and/or blemishes.
4. Dust on a very fine powder with a large powder brush to set the makeup and eliminate shine. A brush is the best tool to use, as the result looks the most natural.
Ok, you’re already halfway there. For the rest, you can choose what you would like to add.
5. A neutral, matte, taupe-colored eyeshadow will give the eyes just a touch of shade, as will a light touch of mascara, although neither is vital for this look.
7. A subtle dusting of bronzing powder where the sun naturally hits your face will impart a healthy, sun-kissed glow. Again, go very light-handed here or it will produce a strange, muddy effect.
8. Finish with a balm for the lips. Here you have several options. You can use a clear or tinted lip conditioner, or dab on a touch of lipstick in a shade just a bit deeper than your natural color (blot to get a subtle stained effect), use an understated lip gloss, or something between the two (Clinique’s Almost Lipstick is my personal favorite, and Kiehl’s also makes terrific lip balms in clear or lightly tinted versions).
I actually find that most women don’t need any color at all—simply evening out the skin tone and swiping on some lip balm is all most of us need for day-to-day wear. What often happens is that we get so used to wearing color that without it, it can feel too bare. But why not give it a try? You might just never want to go back once you try it!
