Natural makeup tips
By leily on May 5, 2007 in Beauty
So put away your emerald eye shine and learn how to make your skin look timeless and as beautiful as it can be.
Prep
The best way to make your natural make-up look truly natural is to start with good basics i.e. skin that’s in good condition.
If you make sure you are keeping yourself hydrated with plenty of water, cleansing your skin and using moisturiser and sunscreen daily it means that you have to put less work into looking flawless. Not to mention your skin will thank you for it in the long run
But let’s be honest even if you follow a strict skin regime you may still have ‘problem’ skin. If your skin is a bit worse for wear consider using a primer which will hydrate dry skin and minimize unevenness in skin texture. If your skin is a little oily opt for a mattifier. If you have been up till 1am writing assignments and your skin is looking a little dull reach for the illuminators.
All these products should be used sparingly after allowing your moisturiser to absorb, but before foundation.
Foundation
There are a huge number of foundations on the market, from whipped formulations to ones which contain herbal extracts.
If you are looking for a true foundation and have combination or oily skin, balancing foundations are the best bet, used in conjunction with a mattifier applied to the oily areas.
Those with dry skin should opt for a great moisturiser followed by a foundation marked ‘silk’, ‘dewey, ‘satin’ or ‘creamy’. If the foundation is too thick mix with moisturiser to attain the right consistency.
Those with sensitive skin are best served by mineral make-up, which does not cause skin irritation and is available from good chemists and health stores.
For the best effect apply in full day light and only where needed (not over the entire face), remembering to blend vigorously.
If you are trying to attain a natural look it’s best to avoid matt foundations, which tend to look too heavy. Instead use the combinations already mentioned applied with a damp makeup sponge or foundation brush. Alternatively use a tinted moisturiser.
Conceal
I believe you should only use concealer if you really think it’s necessary because often the coverage of foundation is enough.
However, if you are a concealer fiend remember all concealer is best applied over foundation unless it’s a colour corrector such as green balm for covering redness or yellow /apricot concealer for covering dark eye circles. Another time to use concealer before foundation is if you are opting for a powder finish product.
Brush it on
Set your foundation or tinted moisturiser with a light dusting of powder on a nice big round brush. The most important factor here is to choose a powder which is not shimmery or bronzey to avoid looking made up.
The finishing touches
Keep the rest of your makeup natural so it compliments your fantastic skin. Line eyes with light brown eyeliner or brown eye-shadow and a damp brush. On your lids use tawny or fawn tones and coat lashes with clear or brown mascara.
If your skin is looking a little dull rosy up the apples of your cheeks with a hint of peachy bronzer or blush - in winter I like to dab a touch to the end of my nose which tends to brighten my whole face.
Lips can be coated with a layer of glossy lip balm or peach or dusky pink-toned lipstick.
If you wish to have a matt look with a little colour use a lip balm and then pat on a small amount of peachy, pinky or caramel eye-shadow or blush.
The look can be transformed for evening by using dark eyeliner, mascara and glossy eye shadow and lipstick. I love Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream which looks fantastic over the lids of eyes and lips.
A natural make-up look is incredibly basic to achieve once you know which products to use. And although the look may be simple, it is also stunning and so versatile that you can wear it anywhere and adapt it just by adding hints of colour, sparkle and shine.
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