How to Achieve the “No Makeup” Makeup Look

For the past few years, the Kim Kardashian look has been all the rage: matte, contoured skin, perfect brows, dark eyes, and a nude lip. While full-on glamour can be fun for a night out, there is something to be said about a more understated look that lets your natural beauty shine through. Keep reading for tips on how to achieve a glowing “no makeup” makeup look that is perfect for yourself on these beautiful summer days, or even for a client who wants to embrace and celebrate the skin they’re in! 

It’s easy to forget that one of the most important steps of any flawless makeup application is to PREP the skin beforehand. Having a smooth, hydrated base to work on will make all the difference, especially when using so few products. There are two different scenarios in which you would need to do this – either for yourself, or when working on a client – but the steps for either remain fundamentally the same. Begin by gently exfoliating to rid of dead skin cells. On yourself, this can be done at the sink; while for a client, it’s best to use a cream exfoliant on a cotton pad. This should be followed by a refreshing toner to tighten the skin and remove any dirt or debris. Next, to make the skin even more supple, use a hydrating serum for radiance, followed by a light moisturiser. A gel is a nice alternative to your traditional cream moisturiser, especially as we transition from one season to the next. The final step in preparing skin for makeup is to use an illuminating primer. This will show through even once you apply makeup, and provide skin with a beautiful, radiant effect.

Now that the skin is all polished and ready to go, it’s time to move into the proper colour makeup. The biggest tip when doing “no makeup” makeup is to use CREAM makeup products. Powders can look heavy on the skin, but creams will blend effortlessly without any harsh lines. Start with a tinted moisturiser, BB or CC cream, and apply it with a sponge to get that even, natural coverage. Alternatively, skip the base altogether and just stick to a concealer in the areas that you feel need some extra love. With a minimal makeup look like this one, we want to work to bring out skin’s natural tones. The goal is not to cover one’s natural colouring, but to enhance it. Draw this out with a cream blush and/or bronzer on the apples of the cheeks and pull it up on to the temple and hair line. Finish with a nice cream or liquid highlighter on the high points of the face.

Lastly, it’s time to do some minimal work with the rest of the features. Full brows are in this season, so ditch the perfectly manicured ombré brows and embrace your eyebrows au naturel, or apply a bit of eyebrow gel to keep them in place. Brush a light coat of mascara on your upper lashes (you can even do brown or clear mascara if you want something more subtle.) Finish the look with your favourite lip product – gloss, balm, tinted lip moisturiser, or a sheer lipstick. And off you go with a beautiful natural makeup look!