As someone who likes to wear a full face of makeup every single day, I feel that I have perfected a natural makeup look. Something that makes me look polished without being overdone. A natural makeup look does not mean wearing no makeup, but rather applying makeup strategically to enhance your features. Using lightweight layers, sheer coverage, cream-based products, and subtle definition helps create a fresh, polished result without looking heavily made up. Today’s post is going to be a guide on how to do a natural makeup look effortlessly.
How To Do A Natural Makeup Look
It took me years to perfect my own personal natural makeup look but it has stood the test of time. I tried various different shades, formulas, techniques before settling on what worked for me. Creating a natural makeup look can be surprisingly challenging so don’t feel discouraged if it takes some trial and error. The products that you choose to use as well as the application technique matters when creating a natural makeup look. It’s important to focus on getting the balance right, using the right products and blending carefully in order to help enhance your features while keeping your skin looking like skin.
For more makeup related content, check out these posts on the blog:
Best Cream Blush For Mature Skin
Is Natural Makeup Back In Style
Makeup trends come and go but a true natural makeup look will always look modern and timeless. Typically the shades I use and formulations that work for me stay the same year after year. I may switch up the brand or try something new but it will always be under the umbrella of the types of products and colors that work for me. Natural-looking makeup will always remain popular for everyday beauty. That is because at its core, natural makeup focuses on fresh skin, subtle definition, soft color, and makeup that enhances rather than masks the face.
How To Achieve A Natural Makeup Look
Apply less product than you think you need
You can always add more product, but it is harder to remove product when you have applied too much.
Light layers
Light layers with minimal product is how you can achieve a polished look that isn’t too heavy or cakey.
Skip products that are full coverage
Until you are fully comfortable with your makeup techniques, it’s best to choose products that don’t provide a full coverage finish. A lightweight foundation or tinted moisturizer is best for creating a natural makeup look. It’s less intimidating to build up a lightweight product than it is to sheer out something heavy.
Avoid a full face of powder products
Powder is more detectable on the face which is why cream or liquid products will always look more natural. It can emphasize texture and fine lines, while cream/liquid products look more like real skin. You can definitely use a mixture of both cream and powder but a full face of only powder products will look more made up and heavy.
Prep your skin
How your makeup looks on your face often depends on how well your skin was prepped before it was applied. Make sure you skin is moisturized with a formulation that works for your skin type. This will help prime your skin so your makeup will look more natural.
Use products that mimic the natural finish of the skin
Skin naturally has a sheen to it so using products which mimic that will always ensure your makeup looks more natural. Avoid products that are too glowy or too matte instead opting for products that give a natural skin-like finish.
Choose subtle neutral tones
Choose shades that look natural on the face rather than anything too dark or too bold. Colors that are close to your skin tone or mimic the look of your natural face flush are best for creating a natural makeup look.
Blend, blend, blend
This is where it can take the most time but where you can ensure your makeup looks natural and undetectable. Make sure all the products are blended out thoroughly with no harsh lines or edges.
What Do You Need For A Natural Makeup Look
Skin tint or tinted SPF
Evening out the complexion is key to creating a natural makeup look but choose formulations that provide sheer coverage. Products like skin tints, tinted sunscreens and tinted moisturizers are great options. Apply with a makeup brush if you want a touch more coverage or use a damp sponge to give a skin-like application. Here are a few sheer to light coverage complexion products I personally love:
Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick
The Merit Minimalist Complexion Stick gives a creamy satin finish to the skin, sheer to light coverage and easy application with the stick format.
Trinny London BFF De-Stress
A long time favorite for me because it makes my skin instantly look healthy and fresh. It contains various skincare ingredients which help to plump and hydrate the skin. The finish always looks like my skin but better – never too dewy or too flat.
Ciele Tint & Protect Serum Foundation with SPF 50
While I do wear a sunscreen underneath my makeup, I love when my complexion products also have sun protection in them. This is a medium coverage skin tint that has a high level of SPF while still feeling like a traditional complexion product. It’s hydrating and feels like nothing on the skin but still gives amazing coverage for any imperfections.
Versed Skin Multi-Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
Lightweight and skin-like, this tint evens out the complexion perfectly while also providing SPF 40 sun protection. In between sheer and medium is where the coverage falls but you can definitely build it up slightly if needed. The finish is natural with a soft dewy finish. It makes the skin look healthy and fresh without being too dewy or shiny.
Lightweight concealer
Use a concealer to add a touch more precise coverage to places that may have some discoloration. That could be under the eyes or any dark spots/blemishes on the face. Here are two lightweight concealer formulas that I love because they mimic the look of real skin:
MAKE Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer
This concealer provides light to medium coverage in a serum-like consistency with a radiant dewy finish. While it’s somewhat buildable, it’s not meant to be full coverage. The formula has skin mimicking pigments so it does blend in effortlessly and lasts nearly all day.
RMS Beauty Revitalize Hydra Concealer (discount code: Maree-15)
The Revitalize Hydra Concealer is a medium coverage hydrating concealer with skincare ingredients. It blends like an absolute dream, doesn’t emphasize fine lines and LASTS ALL DAY! This is one of the longest wearing concealers I have ever tried.
Neutral eyeshadow
Choose a satin or soft matte texture for everyday. A shade that is close to your skin tone is a few tones darker/lighter so that it looks natural and undetectable.
L’Oreal Le Shadow Stick in shade Alluring Rose
These shadow sticks are smooth, creamy, long lasting and come in a ton of everyday wearable shades. I also recommend these to anyone that struggles with crepey lids because they show very little texture and have a subtle blurring effect. The shade Alluring Rose is a soft satin neutral rose that would make the perfect everyday eyeshadow for work.
Trinny London Eye2Eye Cream Shadow in Mystery
This is one of my most recommended shadows for a professional makeup look. It’s a soft satin finish that doesn’t look too shiny but gives the lids a bit of luminosity. The taupe shade is subtle yet still gives the eyes definition and dimension.
Ilia Beauty Eye Stylus Shadow Stick in Adorn
Most of the eyeshadow colors I gravitate towards are champagne or rosy in tone, but I wanted something more in the cool taupe family. This shade was absolutely perfect and applies beautifully.
Mascara
Defining the lashes is key when creating a natural makeup look. Apply 1-2 coats of a lengthening or soft volumizing mascara in black or brown.
Brow pencil or tinted gel
Defined brows frame the face so never neglect the brows! Keep things soft with only filling in sparse areas or applying a tinted brow gel just to hold the hair in place.
Cream blush or bronzer
I would argue that a cheek color, whether that be blush or bronzer, is the most important step in creating a natural makeup look. A bit of color added to the apples of your cheeks will mimic the way the face naturally flushes. Cream and liquid products look the most like skin so it’s best to choose those types of formulas. Here are a few of my favorite bronzers and blushes that are easy to work with and provide a natural finish to the face:
This is a lightweight sheer cream bronzer that can be used on specific parts of the face or all over to give a soft natural glow. It’s a complexion balm that adds warmth to the complexion and can be used to even out the skin tone.
Makeup by Mario Bronzing Serum in Light
This is a definitely a product that is super user friendly and almost foolproof to apply. There is a pump so you can choose to mix product in with your foundation/skin tint or you can choose to use the doe foot applicator to place the product where you want it on the face. You can use it as a bronzer or as a sculpting/contour product to define certain parts of the face.
Westman Atelier Bronzing Drops
This formula is absolutely stunning especially for mature skin. I purchased shade 1 which is subtle enough to give a hint of warmth to the skin. It’s a matte finish but because the formulation is liquid, it makes the skin look hydrated and fresh.
Pixi On-the-Glow Tinted Moisture Stick Blush (discount code: MAREE10)
This formula is super sheer but gives the cheeks a natural flush of color. Easy to apply and blend, this product is foolproof. If you are someone who loves a no makeup makeup look, these blush sticks are a must have.
Merit Beauty Flush Balm Cream Blush
The Merit Beauty Blush Balm is a cream blush designed to give a tint to the cheeks and a “lit-from-within” finish to the skin. The texture is very emollient and balm-like so it melts into the skin. Microfine pigments provide a touch of color without covering up your natural skin texture.
Sarah Creal Blurring Pressed-Mousse Blush
If you don’t want something dewy or anything that leaves a glowy finish, this Sarah Creal cream-to-powder formula is a must try. It is one of the most beautifully blurring formulas I’ve ever tried while still leaving a soft focus powdery finish. As someone who is usually a glowy cheek fan, this has become one of my favorite blush formulas.
Tinted lip balm or lip gloss
Finishing off the look with a swipe of a tinted lip balm or gloss will help create a polished yet balanced look.
Sarah Creal Beauty No Further Questions High Glide Peptide Lip Gloss
The formula is creamy and intensely nourishing while the pigment is just opaque enough to give the perfect amount of color. My favorite shade to wear day to day is Deal With It which is a gorgeous rosy pink. For something a bit less intense, I love the shade Calm Down.
Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Plumping Line Smoothing Gloss
The colors of these glosses are very sheer and the line smoothing claim is pretty spot on. The texture is very glassy and smooth leaving the lips looking blurred and shiny but not an ounce of tackiness! Cherry Vanilla is my favorite shade which looks bold but goes on very sheer and wearable.
OneSkin OS-01 Lip Shield SPF 15 in Bare Blush (discount code: MAREE15)
I love everything OneSkin does so I knew I would adore this new lip launch. And I was right! But I didn’t just adore it – it immediately became a monthly favorite. The color is the perfect neutral everyday pink that I can wear with any makeup look. It feels nourishing with no tackiness (and no weird sunscreen scent).
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