Certain beauty looks take skill and a time commitment to achieve, and sometimes it’s the simplest, most classic looks that can take several attempts to master. This is especially true for the ‘no makeup’ look. Perfectly nude lips, cleverly defined eyes and flawless skin are undeniably beautiful, but one too many layers of foundation will leave you looking more fake than fresh-faced.
Neiman Marcus PR assistant Lauren Dunning, a freelance makeup artist whose experience ranges from Elle magazine photo shoots to commercials, says that getting the no makeup look requires little more than the right color palettes and minimal application. “The look is really about keeping things simple,” Dunning says. “Personally, I like to see the skin. I think the biggest misconception about putting on makeup is that you need lots of concealer and foundation. You do not need to ‘put a full face on.’ There are only a few places where women really need coverage.”
Those places include underneath the eyes, around the nose and around the mouth. According to Dunning, once you’ve applied your concealer with your fingertips, adding a translucent powder is the key to getting a natural look. Using a product like Laura Mercier’s Universal Translucent Powder is great for setting your foundation, but remember to keep your setting powders matte; a shimmer powder can leave you with a white film across your face in photos, a far cry from natural.
When you want to add a little color, Dunning suggests cream blush with a touch of bronzer. “I really like the idea of layering,” she says. “I would use a cream blush on the apples of the cheeks and blend out. Bobbi Brown has great cream blushes. If you want a more bronzed look you can take a flat bronzer (no shimmer) and put it on a flat brush and apply it across the cheeks and forehead by the hairline, any place where the sun would hit your face.”
The finishing touches to your no makeup look don’t have to be understated. Dunning says a bone-colored eyeshadow for lighter complexions or banana tones for olive skin give you a clean look, and adding a darker, brown tone to your lid crease gives your eyes an effortless pop. Fill in your brows as you usually would and match your lipstick to your natural lip color. Avoid skin-tone lipsticks so you won’t look washed out. Last, a swipe or two of mascara will complete your no makeup look, leaving you with a flawless complexion that lets your natural beauty shine.
