Achieving a natural look with makeup can be tricky, but it's a look that will never go out of style. While bright lipstick and vibrant eye shadow colors can be fun for a night out, learning how to put together a fresh, natural look can help you hide any imperfections without looking too "made up" for work, school, or other daytime activities.
When going for that natural look, you'll first want to find makeup that works with your skin tone and brings out your best features while downplaying any areas you are unhappy with such as dark under-eye circles, uneven skin tone, or blemishes.
Your skin, eyes, and lips are still the main focus when creating a natural makeup look, but your focus should be subtly enhancing these areas. Natural look makeup achieves a fresh and youthful appearance through the "less is more" principle.
Natural Face Beauty
Okay, at this point you might be thinking about some natural face beauties you have seen on TV or in magazines, but before you get too disheartened and start believing that models and movie stars were just born that way, it's important to keep in mind that their stylists spent a lot of time giving them that natural, flawless look.
Everyone has features they love and features they want to hide with makeup. The first step in creating a natural look with makeup is identifying those areas on your face. This is especially true when looking for foundations and concealers that help even out your skin tone and give your face a smooth and fresh appearance.
For the best results, you'll want to start with a clean palate. Be sure to gently wash your face, remove old makeup and apply your toner and moisturizer before you begin applying your makeup.
Creating a natural look with makeup really starts from the inside out. Keeping your skin healthy and protecting it from sun damage means it will require less makeup and give you the confidence to put your best face forward.
Applying sunscreen a good 20 minutes before you put makeup on is critical because it allows the skin to absorb the sunscreen's agents and will protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Many women opt for foundations and daily moisturizers that contain an SPF of 15 or higher.
Achieving a healthy, youthful face means starting with a solid foundation to smooth and even your skin tone and create a fresh canvas for the rest of your makeup. Foundations come in liquid, cream, and powder forms and are available in a wide array of skin tones. It's important to choose a foundation that isn't too thick or matte, as this can create a caked-on appearance (pancake face); especially when the makeup starts to settle and your skin's natural oils come into play.
Quick Tip: Pick a foundation that is as close to your natural skin color as possible, which not only takes into account your face color, but also your neck. This will help you avoid those harsh lines where your makeup ends and your neck begins (not natural or attractive-looking). Be sure to blend!
If you have dark under-eye circles you'll want to choose an under-eye concealer that is actually a shade or so lighter than your skin tone, preferably with a hint of yellow. This will help light reflect off of those areas and dissipate some of the shadow. Apply the concealer with your finger and blend in an upward circular motion.
Natural Skincare Makeup Trick
Some areas of our skin tend to need a little extra care. Red areas around the nose and mouth are common, so you may need to take some extra time to apply and blend your foundation around these areas. Remember, it's not about caking the makeup on, but achieving a smooth overall look by addressing trouble spots and blending your foundation accordingly.
Creating a natural look with makeup doesn't stop at your skin. It's also about enhancing your best features, like your eye color. To achieve a fresh-faced look with bright, beautiful eyes, you'll need to shape your eyebrows and check your eyebrow color.
Quick Tip: Don't over-shape your eyebrows! Over-plucking your eyebrows can make them look too thin or disappear all-together. Use a pencil or ruler and place it vertically at the corner of your eye so that the line extends from below your eye to above your eyebrow. This should be where your eyebrow begins, so only remove any hair that falls outside of that line.
For a natural eyebrow arch, use the same pencil or ruler and starting at your nose, create a diagonal angle that crosses over the pupil of your eye (while you are looking forward), the area the pencil crosses on your eyebrow should be the highest point of your arch.
Enhancing Eyebrow Color
Although under-recognized, your eyebrows can be a big factor in a younger looking face, since they frame your eyes. After you shape your eyebrows (or if your brows are naturally thin), you may want to enhance the color with makeup. Generally, you should choose eyebrow makeup that is about 3 shades lighter than your hair color.
Powder eyebrow makeup is easy to apply with a small, angled brush. Just be sure to blend to achieve a natural look.
Enhancing Eye Color
You'll want to stick with neutral eye shadow shades while going for a natural look. Choose beiges, pinks, tans, and a lighter "highlight" color to apply just under your eyebrows (near your arch) and next to the inside corner of your eyes. You can opt for using a little brown eyeliner to make your eyes pop, but stick to a thin line on the top lid only and blend it into your lash line. Applying a light coat of mascara in brown or black can finish off the look, but only focus on the top lash to get a natural look.
To finish off your natural look you'll want to add just the right amount of color and emphasis on your lips and cheeks. For blush, choose a translucent pink and dab lightly on just the apples of your cheeks to get that fresh, glowing look.
As for your lips, you want to stay simple and light, while just bringing in a touch of color. Sheer lip gloss with just a hint of sparkle, a light pink or neutral lipstick, or even a tinted lip balm or lip stain will do the trick.
And there you have it! Simple makeup tips for a fresh, natural look perfect for wherever your day may take you.
