What is a “natural” makeup look? Most people think of it as a neutral palette on your face that doesn’t look like it took a lot of time to apply. Natural makeup enhances your natural beauty, rather than contouring, highlighting, and reshaping your face. In theory, it takes less time to apply and uses fewer products.
There are times when a wild sweep of neon eyeshadow just isn’t appropriate, even if it is fun. I’ve definitely got some “looks” when I tried something bolder in the office. Every woman should know how to apply a natural makeup look. If you master it, you’ll always have a “go-to” option for when you’re short on time or need a subtle face for the office.
Blushes for a Natural Makeup Look
Getting a Natural Lipstick Look
Natural Makeup for the Face
If you’re going for a natural makeup look, you probably don’t want thick coverage, so you’ll want to bypass foundation. The goal is to cover any blemishes and even out your skin tone. Both tinted moisturizer and BB cream are great options, and I always reach for them if I’m just running to the grocery store or have a low-key day at work.
The best tinted moisturizer for your skin tone will provide even coverage but let your skin breathe. Tinted moisturizer adds a bit of makeup to regular moisturizer, so when you smooth it over your face, it also conceals flaws and evens out your skin. When looking for your best tinted moisturizer, try to find a close match to your skin tone and one that provides other, skin-related benefits.
There are oil-free tinted moisturizers for those with oily and acne-prone skin, skin tints that have barely-there coverage, antioxidant moisturizers with anti-aging properties, and tinted moisturizers with SPF. If you hate spending a lot of time on your morning routine and generally have good skin, a tinted moisturizer could both help you get a natural makeup look and save time.
BB cream goes a step further than a tinted moisturizer. It adds ingredients like hyaluronic acid, silicone, and light-reflecting mica to mimic the work of a moisturizer, serum, primer, and makeup. It’s usually available in a wider range of shades than tinted moisturizer and is closer to foundation in terms of coverage. If you’re new to BB creams, we’ve got the skinny on everything you need to know here.
Blushes for a Natural Makeup Look
Gently-flushed cheeks give you the appearance of health and are essential to a natural makeup look. They can immediately perk up your look if you’re short on sleep.
Creamy, blendable blushes go on smoothly over a thin layer of tinted moisturizer or BB cream. Cream or gel formulas can be applied with just your fingertips, dabbed onto your cheeks, and blended for a barely-there effect. Or, use a beauty blender or makeup sponge.
Another option is a cheek tint like cult-favorite Benefit’s Posietint, which also doubles as a lip tint. I’ve tossed it in my makeup bag when traveling, since it does double duty. Cheek stains and tints come in a variety of blush colors, though you can’t go wrong with a soft pink. They give you a fresh glow and light color, but don’t crease like powders.
Don’t be intimidated if a cream blush, tint, or stain looks bright fuchsia pink in the pot – they look intense but go on sheer. These products are buildable, so you can layer on more stain if you want a darker cheek. Add too much? Just blot with a tissue to remove excess color.
Natural Eye Makeup
Skip intricate cutouts, three shades, glitter, and wild color for a natural eye makeup look. Buy a neutral eyeshadow palette stocked with creams and browns and avoid glitter or shimmer.
When choosing your base color, pick from the middle colors in the palette. Don’t go too dark or too light, or the look will be either too dramatic or too washed out. Brush it over the lid as your base color. You can stop there if you just want a simple look, or use some of the other colors in your palette.
Adding a darker color in the crease brings out your eyes, but you’ll need a good eyeshadow brush to blend, blend, blend. Harsh lines and intense colors aren’t part of a natural look. Use small, circular motions rather than applying a sweep of color. Having a hard time seeing your crease? Tilt your head back and look down into a mirror, so you have your full eye socket visible.
Most makeup artists advise using the darkest color at the corner of your eyes to create the illusion of wider eyes. If your goal is a natural eye makeup look, don’t go too dark. Keep all three shades close to one another, rather than at the extremes – dab or tap the darker color at the outer corners and, of course, blend.
If you love how eyeliner defines your eyes but still want a natural look, try using eyeshadow instead. Load matte black or brown shadow on an angled brush, and then apply it close to your lash line. Hold a tissue under your lower lashes to catch any fall out from the powder.
Natural Brows and Eyelashes
Gone are the days of over-plucked, thin eyebrows. The natural brow look has become the norm, but you’ll still have to invest in some good products to look “natural” rather than “wild.” Pluck, wax, or trim your brows before applying makeup.
Start with an eyebrow pencil close to your natural hair shade. Brow pencils give a softer look than a tinted gel. Women with darker hair should go a shade or two lighter than their hair color. Women with lighter hair who want to bring out their brows should go darker. Fill in your brows with short, light strokes rather than drawing a heavy line.
Eyebrow gel, applied with a brush that looks like a mascara wand, tames any stray hairs. Brush it through your brows so that all hairs go in the direction they naturally grow. Brush hair up and away from your face’s center to “lift” your face. Set the pencil and gel with translucent powder.
For natural mascara, stick to one coat of a neutral color like brown or black. Don’t use a fiber-mascara, as the silk and rayon in the tube can look too thick and fake on your eyelashes. Your lashes should look fluffy and full, not like spider legs. Concentrate on applying mascara more at the ends of your eyelashes than at the base to open up the eye.
Getting a Natural Lipstick Look
If you’ve spent years wearing a bold, red lip picking a natural lipstick can be a challenge. You’re now looking for a lipstick shade that fits the description of “my lips but better.”
Instead of testing a shade on the back of your hand, look for one that matches your inner lip or fingertips, both of which are actually closer to your natural lip color. Shimmers, glosses, and matte lipsticks don’t look natural, and neither does harsh lip liner. Pick a lipstick that’s close to your natural lip color but adds depth. I found mine with Tarte SEA Color Splash lipstick, but I went through a lot of shades before discovering it.
One of the best ways to choose the best natural lipstick for your skin tone and coloring is to try on lipsticks without any other makeup on your face. You can see how well they complement your complexion without any other makeup to distract from the shade match.
Similar to your cheeks, there are plenty of lip stains and tints that you could try for a natural makeup look. Burt’s Bees tinted chapsticks are a favorite of many who just want to swipe on a hint of color and go or reach for a lip stain, which lends a sheer wash of color that’s longer-lasting than most lipsticks.
Those with fair and medium skin tones will be safe with a pinkish or beige nude, though going too light will drain your complexion. Women with olive and golden skin tones look great with cinnamons, beigey pinks, and warm bronzes, but browns and nudes can wash them out.
Darker skin tones, from medium brown to dark ebony, look great in a deep mocha with red and gold brown tones. Reddish-brown satins flatter medium-brown to deep–brown complected women, who should avoid going lighter on their lips if they want a natural look as the color will stand out too much on their face.
If you’re in the market for a natural lipstick, your best bet is to visit the makeup counter and shop in-person. It’s hard to gauge color on a computer screen, and a lipstick that looks natural in the tube could go on darker or lighter than you expected.
New to Natural Makeup?
If you’re new to applying makeup, starting with a natural look helps you get comfortable with many tools and products that you’ll need to create different looks. Screwing up isn’t as scary when you’re applying a lighter look versus when you’re working with gel eyeliner and a strong lip. Learning how to apply a natural makeup look builds your confidence and your skills.
Want to learn more about applying natural makeup? Sign-up for the crash course below on how to create selfie-ready makeup everyday in only 10 minutes!