My husband has been going through at-home training, so he was home today and we were able to go on a romantic little date downtown. We stopped to pick up our CSA share for the week, leisurely strolled the aisles of Whole Foods, and he even patiently waited for me to shop through Ulta! When I’m going out on an occasion like this, I like to do a “No Makeup” Makeup Look. Let me explain…men can’t always tell when you’re wearing makeup, so the point is to have the makeup be there but naturally enhance your features so it actually looks like you’re wearing very little. I give my eyes a very natural looking contour and glow on the eyelid, my cheeks are contoured with bronzer, and my lips get a naturally nude gloss.
THE LOOK: “No Makeup” Makeup. Everything is blended well, yet the natural beauty and features of the face are brought out through shading, contouring, and highlighting. The lips are a “your-lips-but-better” nude shade with a touch of sparkle.
THE MUSES: Some celebrities who are famous for the “No Makeup” Makeup Look are Natalie Portman, Jennifer Aniston, Blake Lively, and Angelina Jolie. The “No Makeup” Makeup Look may actually take awhile to create and perfect, but in the end, the finish and look is very “natural” and soft.
PRODUCTS I USED:
- BECCA Cosmetics Ever-Matte Primer
- Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Light to Medium
- Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzer in “Matte Medium”
- MAC Blush in “Prism”
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in “Luminous Light”
- LORAC Pro Palette
- Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeliner in “White”
- Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara in “Black”
- Billion Dollar Brows Universal Eyebrow Pencil
- Bite Lipstick in “Musk”
- MAC “Underdressed” Lipglass
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE LOOK:
- Even out your skin tone. This means going as flawless as possible for you. For me, I used a BB Cream that covers up any slight redness or discoloration.
- Contour your face. Using a matte bronzer 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone, contour the hollows of your cheekbones, around your hairline, and on the sides of your nose. Follow your natural bone structure and blend the contours out well so they are noticeable but soft.
- Add a bronzed-nude blush. I used MAC’s “Prism” for this and added it just to the tops of my cheekbones.
- Fill in your eyebrows. Eyebrows frame your face and can make all the difference. I used Billion Dollar Brows Universal Eyebrow Pencil and made sure the arches were clean and defined.
- Contour your eye sockets. Using a light matte brown shade, look down into a mirror and find the natural socket of your eyes. Blend a matte brown shade into the hollow of your eyes, where the shadows would naturally fall. This adds definition without it looking like actual makeup.
- Add a shimmering champagne shade to your eyelid. I used a shade that wasn’t overly sparkly, but still catches the light. I also added a bit to the inner corners of my eyes. The point is to look refreshed, awake, and healthy, and not like you’re actually wearing eye makeup.
- Line your lower water-line with a flesh or white eye pencil. This is going to make your eyes look massively large and awake. This is one of the most common tricks used in makeup artistry.
- Curl your lashes by pulsing your eyelash curler several times lightly, and holding it toward the creases of your eyes. This will give you extremely curled lashes and make them look amazing.
- Apply a nude colored lipstick or gloss. I went with Bite Beauty’s “Musk” and for a little extra sparkle, I added on MAC’s “Underdressed” Lipglass.
- Finish it all off with a luminous powder. My favorite powder right now is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. I can use it over my entire face and it adds a super natural, “candlelit” glow to my skin. It almost looks like I’ve been having something done to my skin! It’s seriously magic, and it makes this look.
THE FINISHED LOOK:
The finished effect is the “No Makeup” Makeup Look. I’m wearing makeup that enhances specific parts of my face, and that is what you notice rather than the actual makeup itself. I like when my husband can say to me (like he did today), “Your face looks extra gorgeous today, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.” Mission accomplished!
What are your favorite products to use for a “No Makeup” Makeup Look?
[ALL PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS SITE IS TAKEN BY REBECCA KAZIMIR. NO PHOTOGRAPHS ARE TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.]
Mayette says
I love this look! Very nicely done.
BeautyGala says
Thank you Mayette!