Easy Steps to Nailing the Minimalist No-Makeup Makeup Look!
If you’ve been reading my beauty posts here on SAACA for a while, you know my preferred makeup style is “more is more!” Case in point - last week's post was me sharing my Red Carpet Beauty Secrets Everyone Can Steal! I love a full glam moment. However, there are a handful of days when I want to look good, of course, but with fewer steps and less time spent in front of the mirror. This is when I want the Minimalist No-Makeup Makeup Look!
So if you’re one that feels like going BARE faced out in public is too much to BEAR, but you want to pull off looking natural and effortless - then I’ve got you!
Today we will be incorporating the very best products I have found that accentuate and enhance the skin we are in without looking overdone. And as always, I like to recommend as many products as possible to you ladies that I have either personally tried before or currently own, and not just hearsay. So that you can feel confident if you head out and try them for yourself.
Let’s break down how to capture this effortless vibe, shall we…
TL;DR
Jennifer shares Easy Steps to Nailing the Minimalist No-Makeup Makeup Look
Jennifer's product recommendations are shoppable via text links and image widgets
Easy Steps to Nailing the Minimalist No-Makeup Makeup Look
TONE + MOISTURIZE
You know I harp on the skin prep step. No matter how expensive your makeup products are, if your skin isn’t well taken care of, your makeup just isn’t going to lay correctly and you’ll feel like you need to apply more of it to get pretty results, which usually doesn’t work.
The most simple skin prep involves a great toner and a moisturizer. I rely on the Pixi Beauty Collagen Tonic, $18, if you want drugstore pricing, and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pore Tight Toner, $35, for a prestige option. I apply both with an exfoliating cotton round to really make sure it gets into the skin and does its job of getting rid of excess dirt plus it balances the pH of your face before anything else is applied.
At the age of 46, I need all the hydration, moisture, and plumping in one good moisturizer. If you haven’t tried the Il Makiage Power Lift Plumping Cream, $66, do. I love it because of its silky smooth application and it acts like a skin primer too, so you can skip that step. It contains vegan collagen, retinol, and skin plumping + tightening ingredient of Adenosine. Your makeup will apply like a dream over it!
*Because a lot of skin healing happens at night, I highly recommend this miracle product by Paula’s Choice. Their Clinical ProRetinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment, $68. It has a 5-star rating (unheard of) and helps give you clear luminous skin and softens fine lines with no irritation! Secret weapon right here! I apply it right after I do my 10 minutes in my red light therapy mask I talked about in the red carpet post! *
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SOFT BROWS
This is an easy step, not to be skipped, and a very necessary part of looking put-together. No sparse patchy brows will give off a finished look! Go for a brow powder that is one shade LIGHTER than your natural brow hairs or grab a good matte brown eyeshadow (also that matches). Fill in with a skinny angled brow brush where needed and voila you’re done!
A great cheap option if you’re just getting started doing this, is to try the Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Kit, $6, in ash brown which is a universal shade option.
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EVEN OUT COMPLEXION + SPOT CONCEAL
A full coverage foundation is not where it’s at for this type of look. So grab a lightweight skin tint and a great concealer. The key here is to have a fabulous tool - a precise concealer brush so that you can specifically target problem areas, dark circles, age spots, and blemishes. I have used the it Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Dual Airbrush concealer brush #2, $28, for a couple of years now. It is useful because it has a firm tapered end for precise application and then the larger fluffier side to airbrush out any larger areas such as underneath the eyes and around the nose.
For my skin tint, the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Stick Blur + Smooth Tint stick, $36, makes just hitting the high points of my face super easy and less messy! It leaves a gorgeous smooth finish with just a few light strokes that I then blend in with the fluffy side of my #2 brush above! I’m wearing shade 5 here.
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FEATHERLIGHT POWDER
A quick dusting of light loose powder is a must for setting the Tzone of the face and the concealer you may have placed under the eyes or to disguise age spots. Just press + roll your powder into the skin instead of swiping for a longer wear technique. I’m wearing the Laura Mercier dupe, Photofocus translucent powder by Wet n Wild here, $6.
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EASY ON THE EYES
How to do this? Even out the skin tone on the lid first by just swiping your same concealer here all over the eyelid, set with another swipe of loose powder. Next take a taupe or warm brown shadow with a hint of shimmer - because we need to have a little fun here- to swipe on the outer corners of the eye in a sideways V shape. Take this slightly above the natural fold/crease of your eyebed for dimension. I’m using the Buxom Forever Babe Iconic Nudes palette on sale, $27. Then I tap on the lightest ivory shade under my brow bone and in the corner of my eye.
Now take a waterproof black eyeliner, I prefer Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal waterproof ones, $36, and only do the tightline method. This is taking the black liner and coloring in the fleshy part along the underside of the upper lash line to give us the illusion of a thicker lash line without the skill. Now curl those lashes with an eyelash curler (for the love of everything, please do this step!) and apply brown mascara for definition, but not too much drama! I’m wearing the L’Oreal Lash Paradise in “latte brown,” $9.
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CHEEKY
You gotta add some color to those cheeks to bring the complexion to life now. I am into the Milk Cooling Water Jelly Tints, $24, that give a soft stain to the skin and don’t sit on top like a traditional powder blush does. Use your color along the top of the cheeks and across the center of the nose - rub in with finger or a cream blush brush. These are the places you would naturally flush so it’ll look beautiful and vibrant. I’m wearing shade “spritz” in this tutorial.
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LIP SERVICE
Unless you were blessed with a pout that exudes natural color and doesn't fade away into your face, then you’ll definitely need some lip color. I give my lips a bit of shape with a soft lip liner like the viral $2 elf cosmetics spill the tea liners, to create a more pronounced pout. Then top off your natural lip liner with a luxurious lipstick with a satin or shiny finish. The perfect balance are the YSL Rouge Volupte Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Sticks, $42. Gosh I am obsessed with this formula, but I dislike the price tag.
But, the formula is like no other lipstick I’ve ever bought/used - so it’s special! I’m wearing shade 15 “Showcasino Nude.” If anyone reading this knows of a more affordable dupe to this please leave it in the comments for us all to see!
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Big help for the holidays! If you want to get way ahead of your holiday shopping, for truly special people on your list, then Sequin NYC Jewelry is offering 20% OFF any of their full-priced jewelry items when you use my code: JENNY20 at checkout! Their creations are so unique and accessories typically are an easy buy bc they always fit! Unlike trying to buy clothes for someone else they might have to return or swap out! I’m wearing their Emilie Initial gem necklace and their Sandbar Statement ring in this post.
I wish I could wake up looking refreshed! Ha ha! Thank goodness for makeup tho - am I right?? If you work outside of the home, I created a post just for you on how to up your makeup game for the workplace!
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth and Kelly welcomed November with a fall flatbread and Autumn Aperol Spritz! Click the title or image below to read the article.
Have you tried the ysl stick foundation? I wondered how it would work on mature skin?
I’ll be purchasing some of these products to try soon!
Thanks!
Hi Susan! I have not personally tried any stick foundations by YSL! The only ones I have owned are by Fenty (shown here) and Hourglass, Merit, and Make Up For Ever. Hope you enjoy whatever you choose to try from my post – please do come back and let me know when you do!!