Okay, let’s get something straight. Point blank Alicia Keys did not start the “no makeup look.” Much respect to her for wanting to bare it all, but contrary to what’s been purported, she’s not the sole reason for the #nomakeup trend. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s move one. As an antithesis from what’s been deemed “Instagram” makeup from all of the heavy contouring, highlighting, baking, heavy brows and the like, professional makeup artists have truly ushered in the “no makeup” trend and it has been buzzing around backstage and down the runways for a minute now. I will say that after Alicia Keys made this declaration for herself, a lot of women wondered if they could actually pull the “no makeup” look off with any modicum of success.
As with Alicia, you can go completely bare faced. That’s easy, I guess. But if you have a desire to wear less makeup and you’re not completely ready to go full on naked, here’s some things you can do to achieve this look.
Use a tinted moisturizer
If your skin is in pretty good shape with minimal blemishes, a tinted moisturizer can be your best friend. A tinted moisturizer is a very, very, sheer foundation that gives your skin a glow and it can impart a polished look to the skin without the looking too heavy and when applied right, it can go undetectable on the skin. Product: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer or MAC Pro Longwear Norishing Waterproof Foundation
Concealer can do wonders, too
Concealers are great for spot correcting provided your skin is in tip top shape, but you have a few blemishes or shadows you want to cover. If you decide to go this route, you can, essentially, leave your skin bare. You’re just covering and diffusing those areas that you want coverage for. Make sure you use a concealer that matches your skin tone. Product: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
You can still highlight or strobe your skin, if you’d like
Adding a bit of highlight to the skin is okay. It just adds a little dimension to your look by highlighting the high planes of the face, like the top of your cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, the cupids bow of the lip, under the brow (brow bone), and in the inner corners of the eyes. Make your own personal choice of where you’d like to highlight. This is not a must, but it’s an option if you feel that you would like a little more pizazz to your skin. Product: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powder (not shown)
Well groomed brows are key
Besides evening your skin, taking a bit of time to get your brows in order is key to the “no makeup” look. Unless you’re blessed with perfect arches, have them groomed regularly and fill in with a pencil that’s a slight shade lighter than your natural hair color. That why you can have perfectly groomed brows without them being to dark or too heavy. Product: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pencil
A nude lip can work
As far as what to do with your lips, make sure that your lips are kissable smooth. Use a natural lip scrub to get rid of peeling skin and repair cracked and chapped lips with a soothing lip balm to heal. Use a clear gloss over a balm for added moisture. If you choose to wear more for a polished look, try a lip color that’s close to your skin tone, but a shade deeper, so not to be completely washed out. Product: Bobbi Brown Lipstick
What to do with the eyes
If you’d like and if your feel comfortable, skip eye shadow altogether. Or you can use a cream eye shadow that’s a shade deeper than your skin on the lids to give the eyes a bit of depth and dimension and play up your lashes with a coat of a lengthening mascara. Product: Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara
