How To Get The Natural Makeup Look

WEARING ONLY A SMILE…

Nude, naked, natural …  The desired look is effortlessly enhanced but not made up. But going nude can get tricky. You want to look fresh and natural, but you’re spreading a mixture of earthy, brown-based shades all over your face. Sounds like the makings of a mud pie.

Here’s how to do it and look … not dead. Plus, a few tricks to make your makeup better, whether you decide to go nude, or not.

BARE MINIMUM

The girls on the runways are wearing a smile and a slew of other products to pull off their seemingly perfect complexions.

Here’s the tricky part: smoky eyes, nude palettes, and many other makeup fixes can make you look worse if you put the cart before the horse.  Consider these cosmetic assists before you strip down.

LOOK ALIVE

Conceal, even and brighten your complexion!

Soft blush on the apples of your cheeks is a must when the rest of your face is nude. These are beautiful, foolproof shades that illuminate and add a touch of color.

Physician’s Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Powder

Susan Posnick Color Me in Camelia

Nars Blush in Deep Throat

BRIGHT EYED

Makeup artists love to use a nude eyeliner pencil on the inside of the bottom lash line. Eyes look bigger and brighter. Instantly. Try these:

Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Nude

ON TO THE PALETTES…

So, what to do with all of these neutral colors? The possibilities are endless but here are some basics to keep in mind:

Choose a medium-toned shade for your lid, a deeper shade to contour the crease and the lightest shades for your brow bone and inner corner of your eyes to highlight.

Urban Decay palette Naked2  is my favorite!

The Nudes by Maybelline

Too Faced Natural Eyes

Sonia Kashuk Eye Shadow Quads

Eye Couture by Sonia Kashuk in shimmer neutral

With all this bareness going on, you’ll need some definition.

Pump up your lash line with this trick:

L’Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner in Espresso has a brush that comes with it. The brush fits perfectly at the base of your upper lashes.

Starting in the outer corner, move the brush along your lashline with short strokes. They’ll connect and give the look of a full set of lashes, without the look of a liner.

LIPS

Barely there lips will complete your look. This selection of lip colors is neutral enough for a range of skin tones.

Color Sensational High Shine gloss in Iced Chocolate

Warm Nude by Beauty for Real

Lip Tar in Hush

MOST NATURAL STATE

There’s an English proverb that goes like this …

“Craftiness must have clothes, but truth loves to go naked.”

Well, the truth is that it takes some craftiness to pull off naked makeup. Now you can.

All About: Brows

Brow Raiser

Your tweezers called. They want a vacation. They need a vacation. There’s been a lot of over-plucking going on. Big brows are back and there are new products to help you enhance your face framers.

A full brow looks younger, softer, more modern. Consider just a little shaping and grooming. Notice I said a little. That means the next time you’re getting a pedicure and you’re asked if you want your brows waxed, politely decline.

The thing to keep in mind is this: the brows you were born with work naturally with your face shape.

Now, how to make the best of what you were born with …

First, look at yourself. Step away from the magnifying mirror and look at your entire face. The top of your brow is the natural line you should use as your guide and is best left alone. Your brows should begin near the inside corner of your eye. The thickness is dictated by this starting point and should be consistent until you reach the arch (at the outer third of the eye), where it tapers slightly. Step outside of these guidelines and you’ll be making it harder than it has to be. Plus, you’re less likely to be happy with the result. It’s that easy.

Next, do some careful cleanup. Grab your Tweezerman and remove any hairs that are crowding your arch or hanging out between your eyes. Maintaining the shape should be part of your daily makeup application, so things don’t get out of control.

TROUBLED BROW

Need to fill in a bit here and there? Here are products and tools to help you help Mother Nature.

Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro a tiny jar of multitasking goodness. It can be used to fill in your brows and act as an eyeshadow, eyeliner and root touch up. It can also make dinner but won’t do the dishes. Typical.

The colors are great and have the slightest shimmer, which works beautifully in your brows because your brow hairs aren’t matte. The result is really natural.

Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Eye & Brow Shaper tool has a spiral brush on one end and an angled brush on the other to fill in brows and line your eyes.

Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Drama is a brow tint and gel in one. Just run the rounded brush through your brow using short strokes.The shade selection is limited but they’re lightly pigmented so they work well on a range of brow colors. When in doubt, always choose a lighter shade. Ideally, your brows should be a shade lighter than your hair color. Blondes should choose the shade closest to their brow color.

L'Oreal Sculptor by Brow Stylist is a pencil with brow color on one end and a wax and brow brush on the other. Again, tiny strokes with the pencil are key, followed by a brush through to get everything in place.   A quick pass of the wax is last, for staying power.

HEY, NICE BROWS

The goal is a look that is refined and natural and it’s achieved by doing less, not more. Don’t you love it when that happens?