Let’s be honest; achieving the 'no make-up' beauty look actually requires, well, make-up! Whether you’ve seen this trending style on the catwalk or in a celebrity’s alleged #NoMakeupSelfie – the truth of the matter is a few touches of make-up are required in order to create a barely there complexion. Achieving this minimalist make-up look doesn’t take a lot of steps – just a few strategic ones.
Skin is king
Make-up can only take you so far. To pull off the no-makeup look you need to start with skin that’s in top notch condition, which means being diligent when it comes to your skin care routine. It’s especially important when creating a barely there make-up look to ensure that skin is cleansed and hydrated because there’s nothing for your skin to hide behind.
All about that base
The secret to the flawless “no make-up” look is to layer the skin with barely visible base make-up. The first step is to apply an illuminating primer all over the face to smooth over the pores and bring a subtle healthy sheen to the complexion. For some ladies this alone will be enough but for those who like a little more complexion coverage you can add a layer of a BB or CC cream to even out skin tone.
Cover up
Skipping foundation is the hallmark of a minimalist make-up look – but that doesn’t mean you have no recourse for disguising blemishes or dark spots. Spot apply a concealer to camouflage any troublesome areas, such as around the eyes and nose. Ensure you warm up the concealer between your fingers first so that it seamlessly blends into the skin upon application.
Subtle contour
Without the usual make-up bells and whistles the face may look a little flat so add some contour by sweeping a bronzing powder under the cheekbones, around the forehead and jawline. Nix any bronzer that contains tell-tale glitter and instead choose a matte formula that’s two shades darker than your skin colour. Then, for an understated complexion highlight, ditch shiny illuminator in place of a clear lip balm and tap onto the highpoints of the brow and cheek bones
Add the extras
Even without colourful make-up there are still ways to enhance the lips and eyes. An eye lash curler is a simple way to open up the peepers. Full and filled in brows also do wonders for creating an overall polished look so brush them before gently feathering across with a brow pencil. Finally add a swipe of lightly tinted lip balm to complete this minimalistic beauty look.
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