What are your tips & tricks for achieving the "no makeup" makeup look?
I like to use fingertip and sponges for more diffused application while sticking with natural finishes–like a satin blush, luminous base, and so forth. This helps to retain the “skin” like finish that naturally occurs for me while giving me some coverage and color. For me, I have to do almost nothing on my eyes or else I’ll inevitably get carried away, so I usually opt for a lengthening (but not thickening) mascara.
— Christine
I always need coverage on my skin, so I never go out with a true “no makeup” look. So this is what I do to go “natural”: My brows are super sparse and bald in some areas, so I fill them in with Clinique Brow Shaper to get a more natural look. Normally, I use a pencil, but using just the powder makes it look less made up and more natural. I forego eyeshadow completely, but I use mascara on my upper lashes. I always use foundation and a light dusting of powder to set it. I’ve tried CC creams, but the coverage is too sheer, so I just stick with my trusty EL Double Wear. MAC Sweet Enough Mineralize Blush gives me a natural look when used with a very light hand. MAC Hug Me is my go-to for a “no makeup” lip look.
I rely on something flesh toned, like MAC’s Painterly or a similar powder shadow (with a slight sheen is even better) on my mobile lid and Sephora’s Cashmere Coat (sadly, discontinued now) to give a bit of definition to my crease. Marc Jacobs skinny liner in black or dark blue (Submarine) to tightline my upper lids, some concealer (can’t see the light of day without some on my under eye dark circles) and Clarins Raspberry Gloss Prodige. A bit of blush – MAC Sweet Sentiment is always “right” – and I’m done. No foundation or base or powder – just the concealer under my eyes.
Naked Basics 1 or 2 mixed and matched or MAC soft brown for my eyes, maybe a bit of a hoola bronzer in my crease and on my cheeks, mascara, concealer, a bit of powder, and a mlbb lip pencil to fill with a bit of a matching gloss blended out. Any less and I will look tired.
A luminizer under a sheer foundation, maybe a little t-zone powder but nowhere else. Cream, liquid, or gel blush (basically anything but powder) that I blend in with a kabuki brush.
A really good tinted primer, no heavy foundation, no contouring, no powder clown blush ( instead use liquid or cream blush, well-blended), no sparkle or glitter, good eyelid primer, maybe lengthening mascara. Oh, and no drawn-on eyebrows unless you have zero brows to start with.
I’ll just use a powder foundation, or little bit of concealer where needed. Cream highlighter or something like Strobe cream which I’ll take over the cheekbone and brow bone. Dab on lipstick with my finger and use the excess as blush. Mascara, and then with MAC Powersurge pencil I’ll draw a casual wing. This is the perfect color to blend into skin so you almost can’t see it but it still changes the shape of the eye. It’s a beige gold and the undertones are very skin-like (no yellow, red, or green tones). It basically just creates a “shadow” in the direction of the lashes. I love this pencil, it’s also amazing in the waterline. It works on all skin tones but obviously on very dark skin it would be more brightening and Teddy pencil might be better.
I, too, cannot get carried away on the eyes for a no-makeup look. And honestly I think it’s more flattering for me to do either almost nothing, or a full on look. If I start busting out light neutral powder shadows it just takes all the freshness out of my look.
“a casual wing”. . . oh how I wish I knew how to achieve that ideal!
Same here ! I cannot touch my eyelids for a no makeup look or a smoky will automatically appear a few minutes later…
I like to use cream blushes for a more natural look, I feel like I can achieve a dewier finish with them, and for the lips I opt for a tinted lip balm
That happens to me, too! I start with the goal of applying just enough shadow to give a bit of depth to my hooded eyes without looking made up…then the next thing I know, my eyes are completely made up! Eyeshadow is all or nothing for me.
I tend to go for a glowy moisturizer like the L’oreal Lumi Glotion, a very VERY sheer layer of IT Cosmetics CC cream/dewy concealer and stick with a cream blush. I find they make my skin more natural. Then I’ll use a tinted brow gel to fill things in a little bit, some mascara on my upper lids and a tinted lip balm. If I’m going SUPER natural, I’ll forego the CC cream and just spot conceal.
Very appropriate post for me this week as I’m doing a little to no make-up week challenge. I wanted to remind myself that makeup at it’s most basic is still enough and lovely and that anything above the necessity is just fun little bonuses.
I do a small dab of Lorac Porefection concealer under each eye patted in with my finger. Mac Studio Fix with a Kabuki brush. Tarte Exposed for blush (probably my favorite part of makeup). Light hit of an Urban Decay Kristen Leanne highlighter. Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liner in Bourbon. Whatever mascara I’m craving that morning, lately it’s been Loreal Lash Paradise or Lancolme Monsieur Big. Finish with a spray of Fix+ and one more blend round with the Kabuki.
The whole process takes 4 minutes! ? Dangerous to know that when I’m hitting the snooze button lol.
1. Moisturize to filth
2. Dr. Jart Cicapair Color Corrector all over including eye lids
3. Fresh tinted balm in Poppy or Berry… Maybe Petal or Rose.
4. Brow pencil with a light hand
5. One swipe of mascara
A glowy primer like CT wonder glow, Nars concealer for under eyes and trouble spots. A serum foundation like Dior Nude Air, a hint of cream blush in very muted soft pink, and Clarins lip balm or Dior lip glow and one coat of mascara. Nothing on the eye lids.
I almost never do such a look, as I don’t usually have great skin. Plus, I’m not a fan of the look on myself. I look wear without some color and drama. A few weeks ago, I had a situation where I was running errands with no makeup on, when my husband decided to go out to dinner. I ended up using whatever makeup odds and ends were with me, and I surprised myself with a “no makeup” look I felt comfortable wearing:
*NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Alabaster to cover redness on my nose and cheeks, and to conceal a couple blemishes on my jawline.
*Tony Moly Cats Wink Powder. It has an amazing finish and coverage, and works with my pale, oily, skin.
*UD Primer Potion in Enigma to even out texture and discoloration, but no eyeshadow on top. (I’m guilty of getting carried away, too.)
*Happy Song from the MAC x Jeremy Scott Lipstick Palette as a cream blush, applied lightly with my fingertips. (It makes a much better blush than a lipstick, actually.)
*One coat of black mascara on the upper lashes only.
*NYX Slim Eye Pencil in Black on the upper waterline only.
*UD Sheer Rapture on my lips
That should say “I look weird without.” Migraines have been making my posts look incoherent lately. Sorry!
I hate when they decide to go out to dinner at the last minute when out running errands, on a no makeup look day. He could tell me I’m gorgeous. But, come on now! I need my makeup & like to dress nice.
LOL I agree! It wasn’t a super fancy place, thank goodness, so I managed.
About the closest I get to a “no makeup” makeup look probably still defeats the purpose! BB cream, concealer for under my eyes and to cover red areas and breakouts, brows, CP Truth SSS over my entire lid, apply MAC Orb to browbone, Kid for some crease definition, tightline upper lashline, curl lashes, apply a smudged coat of brown or soft black pencil liner to lower lashline (because I have almost no lower lashes!), and outer upper lashline, again very sparingly and smudged, mascara, a bronzey blush like MAC OH My, Passion, line my lips with either Nyx SLP in Mauve or Coffee and add a lipgloss like either Becca x Chrissy Teigen Beach Nectar, Fenty Universal Gloss Bomb, or MAC Cosmo lipstick. Natural enough for me! ?
Like Seraphine I always want /need good coverage on my skin, so I’ll use my medium-full coverage foundation and concealer always. It’s the same application each time, nothing heavy (I don’t like the look of heavy foundation even with full make-up), either using my fingers or a sponge.
I personally look very odd without eye make-up, so even my `no-make-up` make-up implies at least putting the contouring shade in the crease (like MAC Harmony or MAC Sculpt). But I do a very minimal sculpting of the cheekbones and shades like MAC Harmony or MAC Sculpt look like that something-nothing on me.
A good mascara and a swipe of a tinted brow gel are a must.
The trick for me is not to overdue and apply natural shades that mesh into my skin.
I also have quite pigmented lips, so I can use more pigmented lipsticks without looking that I put too much effort.
I guess I do this a lot, as I think of m/u as color. No color = no m/u. It’s as if those products do not count! The only things that differ from stuff mentioned are: only amazing brightening concealer on the upper lid, with the usual 3 or so, under. My eyes are deep set and shadowed above and below. For mascara, a light brown or taupe, only have old ones. Paula SLDWD with one pump of the Ordinary serum foundation. Very sheer. NO need for blush, as what is wrong with me reddens the cheeks. No, it’s not rosacea. An MLBB, like paradise garage, or clear balm. S.t. I have to add a little mood light alp or alb, bec the cheeks showing through look too red to go with the lips.
I either do a glowy lotion or primer under a powder with a bit over coverage and when I want to kick it up a notch I’ll mix some of Drunk Elephant’s D-bronzi in with my lotion too. I use the bronzer in my Hourglass Illume Sunset Trio on cheeks, forehead and on my eyes and top with mascara. Sometimes I’ll add a cream blush. During the summer I used my Nudestix Blur Stick quite often and it blends out so quickly and offers pretty good coverage.
Well, I need to do eyebrows. For eyes, just an eyeshadow base like Bare Minerals. Line my eyes with Sephora Contour eye pencil in Sangria. Mascara. Makes my eyes pop. Many compliments on this particular eyeliner! Then, just a tinted moisturizer, Bare Minerals is my fav. Then cream blush by Stila. Convertible color. Matching lipstick & or gloss. Done.
When I go for a no-makeup makeup look, I generally like to do a base of some sort without primer, I love L’oreal BB cream, finish the base with powder over my T-zone and eyelids. I use a bronzer or contour, depending on the season, on my cheeks, and in the crease of eyelid, and under my eyes. I do use mascara, and a light lipgloss, usually with glitter. My favorite is from Hard Candy, and the 3-D lipgloss from Milani. I don’t think they make the Milani one anymore. I then forget I wore makeup, and proceed to get makeup on everything I touch during the day!
Some great tips in here! I agree with using luminous / sheer finish products to have a natural, low make up look. I finally worked out (after 30 odd years of wearing makeup!) that ‘matte’ does not necessarily mean ‘natural.’ No one’s skin / facial features are ever perfectly matte. So I’ve found a happy medium between glow / luminosity (without shimmer) where I want and low shine / oil control on my t zone. Also like someone else said – moisturise!!! My ‘natural look’ is either IT Cosmetics CC Cream with a drop of facial oil mixed in to sheer it out, or Hourglass light correcting primer in dim light as my base. UD colour corrector in peach under my eyes. Stila aqua glow blush in water poppy. Bobbi Brown long wear eyeshadow cream stick in nude beach – my eyelids are too oily and veiny to not wear anything and it’s impossible to be heavy handed with this product – Hourglass Arch Sculpting crayon for my poor patchy eyebrows and Lancôme definicils mascara – lengthening and defining but not thickening, never clumpy or flakey. And then never fail Blistex lip balm!
I have only started wearing “foundation” this year and I’m 47, so most likely my “makeup” look is your “no makeup” look, LOL! I’ve always had good skin so I’ve never really needed it, but lately I feel like I want to make a little more effort and be a bit more polished.
Been using Kosas tinted face oil with my fingers, I concentrate on application in the center of my face only and blend outwards. Blush is a cream multistick applied by lightly dragging a flat brush over the stick and then dabbing the brush on my cheeks.
Eyes: use a light crease transition color (I use a light colored bronzer) and then dab some of the same multistick with your finger in the center of lid and blend out to sides. Some tight lining with liner on the upper lid and then with a little of the transition color across the lower lashline. Mascara and done.
I apply concealer on top of bare skin under my eyes and a bit near the nose and then a teeny tiny bit of a lighter coverage foundation mixed with a bit of moisturizer and I don’t cover my nose and I sheer it out towards my ears. I think, that way, its more natural looking. I also use a cream peach shadow all over my lid and a brown pencil eyeliner that is slightly smudged and a sheer lip treatment.
I never, ever go with a ‘no-makeup’ look….
It CC Cream & IT Bye Bye Undereye concealor
ABH Brow Gel
Cle de Peau cream blush in Fig applied on cheeks & a little on my mobile eyelid
L’oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Lip Stain in Rose On and On
It Tightliner mascara Or Estee Lauder’s Little Black Primer on lashes
Essence Nude Illusion highlighter
I don’t think I do a no makeup look very well. I can do the foundation but like a bit of sparkle on my cheeks. I can skip eyeliner but even if I use neutral shadow, I end up adding a neurtal shimmer on my lid. My lashes are very long (Latisse) so mascara is noticeable. I can do a nuetral but shiny lip. No matte lippes for me- too drying.
I promise I will try not to reference Europe in every comment but this question was one that I would have answered differently before I went. I never really leave my house at home without a full face of makeup. I don’t mean I do wild and crazy looks everyday but I always do a full face. I have a post on my IG from about a year ago that I showed my going to the dump makeup look and it was a full face! When we prepared to go to Europe, my daughter and I agonized over what makeup to take. In products that we could both use we agreed to just take one and then in products that we both needed individualized products, think foundation, concealer, we took our own. Once we arrived in Europe and pretty quickly, we both realized that doing a full face of makeup to slog your suitcases around on travel days just didn’t make sense. On days when we were gone from before light to after dark doing site seeing there wasn’t a lot of time to do makeup or to touch up during the day. So, I found myself doing very simple “no makeup” kind of looks. I would apply my foundation but sheared out with a good bit of moisturizer. I used my concealer as I have genetically driven dark circles. For shadow I either wouldn’t use one or if I did it was a one and done. My favorite for that type of look is MAC Omega. I can put a wash of it across my lid and then build it up in the crease and it looks like I have two or three shadows on. I always do my brows but just a lite swipe of NYX brow gel in blonde. I would lightly powder over my cheeks so that I could use blush and would use whatever lipstick I was using for the day to make a blush. I used my Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer and mixed just the lightest touch of my lipstick in and then patted that on my cheeks. A spritz of finishing mist and I was done.
I think this was a good experience for me and though I doubt I will need to limit myself so much when I am home, it is nice to know that you can get a polished look in about 5 minutes and that it will wear through the day, except in Italy!!!
I use the same base products as other days (full-coverage foundation with setting powder). I’ll generally go with only a light cream blush under my setting powder. My eyes look completely unnatural if I use foundation and leave it like that, so I’ll use a slightly-darker-than-skin-tone cream shadow in a one-color halo effect (usually MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork, well blended out). If I’m feeling energetic I’ll fill in a few sparse areas in my brows with an exact-match pencil. Lips are rubbed well with balm then wiped off to remove any foundation from them. My “no-makeup” makeup will then be completely undone with the use of blue mascara — I have three of them (bright to subtle) depending on how I feel.
No-makeup look is actually a full face of makeup, just very neutral and applied kind of smudgy. BB cream, powder, brows (but less full and dramatic than usual), peachy blush instead of my more pigmented tones, some medium brown in the crease of my lid, a very thin line on top lashes and a smudgy but thin brown liner on the bottom, stopping where the lashes stop. One coat of mascara. And a pretty neutral lip. NO highlight, but yes to some bronzer, blended out really well.
Whenever I have tried to do a no makeup look, I end up with a full face with contour and eyeliner and all. I have to do completely bare face, true no makeup, because then I can touch my face! Sometimes I’ve just used a semi sheer glittery lipgloss, iridescent stick highlighter and lots of mascara.
I’ll never understand the no makeup look theme. I mean I have makeup tons of it I love it and couldn’t care less whether people think I’m wearing some or none. It is one of my favorite delightful time of day when I apply my killer skills …..which is pretty much the no makeup look. Lol!!!!!
My skin is fair with reddish undertone the kind which doesn’t tan but burn. So I love it all but wear it blended, blended, blended especially on my cheeks. I guess I could say in an extra-less effort day I’ll put my moisturizer Cera Ve under a pinch of foundation I have pretty good clear skin but the slightest foundation touch evens skin out so nice and thus looking more polished for sure. For daytime use I like to apply Aveeno BB cream mixed with a No.7 ivory shade. I don’t like No. 7 foundation I find all ashy on me so I been mixing it and it turns out great. I’ll wear minimal bronzer the Physicians Formula butter bronzer (a bit too dark on me so I apply very lightly with my kabuki brush) or the Physians Formula mineral powder in light/natural prefer it over the famous bronzer actually. Either the BB cream or this powder can turn out a bit too shiny/satiny so sometimes I use a cosmetic round pad to remove some don’t want to look to shiny in the morning at night I’ll let it be. I’ll use also a Physians Formula rose colored blush since they are so soft and look so natural or a Max peachy rose blush I’ll fill in eyebrows with powder always day or night find it so easy then I brush excess with a child’s size clean toothbrush this makes a nice difference in waking up my entire face and one swept of mascara and a light colored lipstick, liquid lipstick or gloss. Or bright too. That’s it. Oh! And a soft light colored eyeshadow or a bright fun one!