The No-Makeup Look

My new beauty routine has been consisting of not wanting to wear makeup AT ALL. What started as a “hey I just got dumped so I don’t care what I look like” 5 day binge of the bare face has turned into a “hey I kind of like this look.”

However, sometimes I have important meetings at work or am meeting girlfriends for drinks at our local watering hole and while bare faced is awesome; I really do like feeling more put together. Which is why last week launched into a massive research project about what skincare items I need to even out my skin tone & what makeup covers well but still looks natural. So beauty lovers, here is my list of the 8 products you can use to give you that effortless no-makeup look while actually wearing makeup.

The Skincare Products

I have fairly normal skin but every once in awhile I will have some minor breakouts, oily patches or little areas of redness that I prefer to even out. Makeup is great but you really need to start with your actual skin to make a difference in this look. In order to prepare my skin the best I can I use the following routine:

Exfoliate: Twice a week | Frank’s Coffee Scrub (for more info on Frank’s see my blog post here).

Cleaner: Every night | Say Yes to Carrots Face Wash

Toner: Every morning | Humphrey’s Witchhazel

Hydrate: Twice a day | Juice Beauty’s Antioxidant Serum and Nutrient Moisturizer

Remember ladies, ALWAYS wash your face at night. I’m guilty of going to bed with makeup on as well but it does horrendous things to your skin! 

The Makeup Products

As most of us know, the trend of teeny tiny eyebrows that were so popular 10 years ago are long gone. Thanks to models like Cara Delevingne and her amazing bushy eyebrows these bad boys have become defining real estate on your face. When you’re skipping most of your makeup I’ve found that lightly filling in your eyebrows makes the biggest difference. Add a little mascara and a light lip color and you’re essentially set. I go one step further and use a light concealer stick to cover any problem areas and dust my face with a sheer powder and some blush to create a soft glow before heading out the door.

Note: If you want a little more coverage than the concealer stick I suggest using a tinted moisturizer; they give great coverage but still allow the skin to show through.

Concealer: MAC Matchmaster Stick in #1

Powder: MAC Sheer Mystery

Tinted Moisturizer: Laura Mercier Broad Spectrum PSF 20 Tinted Moisturizer

Eyebrows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Lingered

Blush: Revlon Powder Blush in Oh Baby! Pink

Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Seduisante

This kind of look is perfect for spring, first dates, farmers markets and work days. If you need to take this look from day to night swipe on a bolder lip color and some eye liner and you’re good to go.

– Stephanie