In case you haven’t noticed, we LOVE makeup – and we bet you do too, which is why you’re here. Makeup can transform anyone into anything, from Hollywood glamazon to retro chique there’s a look for every season and every mood. Yet sometimes what we crave most is that natural ‘no makeup’ look, which can be surprisingly hard to achieve.
‘Less is more’ is one of our favourite classic looks as it really highlights a babe’s natural beauty. So if you’re keen to harness the power of natural glowy makeup, we’ll teach you how to do natural makeup – and it all starts at home.
Create your own makeup station
First thing’s first, if you haven’t already set up a dedicated and profesh makeup station at home – or a portable one on wheels – start with the basics. In order to create the best looks (no matter what they are) you’ll need to have your tools close at hand.
Organiser
Don’t waste time digging around in your drawers for what you need. Add an acrylic makeup organiser into the mix to streamline your flow. There are so many options and most organisers are customisable to fit your space. We are obsessed with this 8 compact holder for foundations, a key ingredient in how to make your makeup look more natural.
Choose your lighting
It’s important to set up your lighting right so you can see exactly what you’re doing (duh!). Trying to apply makeup in low lighting is dangerous – no one needs their eye poked out!
Ring light
They’re not just for on camera work – you can use a ring light to help you apply your makeup! Because ring lights give off such a stellar even glow, they’re perfect for getting up close and personal. That natural glowy makeup look is easier to build and tweak when you have steady, consistent lighting.
Vanity mirror
A vanity mirror is a great accessory to have for your home makeup station, especially if you’re on your own. LED lights around the edges of the mirror offer great lighting as you buff and contour your natural look to life.
Prep the skin
When you’re trying to create that natural look, it’s important you have a great base to work from. Get those pores singing before you start piling on the foundation!
Cleanse like your life depends on it
Every artist loves a clean, blank canvas – makeup is NO different. Thoroughly cleanse your face before you start to get rid of any dead skin or leftover makeup. This will help you put your best face forward and that ‘no makeup’ look a little easier to achieve.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
A simple hack for good skin is to make sure you first drink enough water. Help your skin from the inside out by knocking back around eight glasses a day if you can. Then, on the day of your makeup sesh, double down on the hydration by using a hydrating face mask.
Get primed
Before anything else lands on your face, apply a primer to your skin. This will help smooth out your base and make it easier to find that natural look. The type of primer you need will depend on your skin type: pore primers can help even things out, while illuminating primers offer a glowy boost before you’ve even begun.
Choose the right foundation
Once your skin is prepped and ready to go, it’s time to add that all-important base layer. The key here is to keep it simple and opt for less coverage. We recommend a lightweight BB cream, or you could even skip traditional foundation all together and instead go for a combo of face specific sunscreen and a little concealer.
Apply natural looking eye makeup
This might be totes obvi, but the style and colour of eye makeup that you choose has a big impact on the overall look you’ll create. Keep it simple and stick to natural colours that are close to the skin tone of the face you’re working with. You could also use a cream eyeshadow for that ‘wide awake’ eyes look.
Don’t forget your lashes and brows!
One sure fire way to amp up that natural look is to amplify what you’re already got. Get those brows shaped and take to your lashes with a curler and some boosting mascara. Apply some mascara to your top lashes only and brush your brows up and away from your face. It may not sound like much, but these small actions can help your eyes really pop.