These days, it’s all about no makeup makeup. You know, the illusion that you woke up like this even when you have a full face on. I personally blame Beyoncé.
Because that freshly scrubbed, natural look is so in right now, I’ve decided to offer up some simple suggestions for girls who want to tweak their makeup routines a bit for more natural-looking results. If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite celebs manage to look like they just rolled out of bed looking perfect, these swaps just might be the answer. I love the option of using a few of these alternatives for daytime and switching to your full-on makeup for night – it really helps you make a statement!
Instead of: Black mascara
Try: Clear mascara
Why? I don’t think I need to tell you that mascara makes a huge difference to your overall look. There’s nothing like a few coats of intense black mascara to really make your eyes smolder. In my experience, though, if mascara simply defines, separates and lengthen your lashes, you still get that effect even without tons of color. Black mascara is fantastic but let’s face it – everyone knows when you’re wearing it. Clear mascara, on the other hand, looks totally naturally. It just gives your lashes a little boost by defining each one and holding a nice curl.
Product to try: Cover Girl Professional Natural Lash Mascara
Instead of: Powder blush
Try: Cheek stain
Why: While powder blush gives you that really perfect, precise color that sits above your skin, cheek stain really gets in there and stains your skin, and it does it in a way that looks more natural and less ‘done.’ It’s also practically foolproof. Just apply and blend it in well for really a subtle glow of color.
Product I love: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée
Instead of: Black liquid eyeliner
Try: Brown or gray eye pencil
Why: Instead of that neat, severe line you get from a liquid liner, a good eye pencil will give you a softer line that looks especially natural when you smudge it with a Q-tip. Gray and brown shades are lighter and less noticeable for obvious reasons, but even these shades will define your eyes the way black liner does. Try lining your inner rims for a super natural effect.
Product I love: Estee LauderAutomatic Eye Pencil Duo
Instead of: Foundation
Try: Tinted Moisturizer
Why: Foundation can look seriously cakey and feel super heavy on your skin. On the other hand, tinted moisturizer is lightweight and slightly sheer. It’ll blend on to your face smoothly and eve out your skin tone but it won’t leave a cakey, obvious cast on your face. Another reason this is great: It’s a time saver. You can simply slick it on in the morning in place of your usual sunscreen or moisturizer.
Product I love: Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer
Instead of: Lipstick
Try: Lip tint
Why: Lipstick sits right on top of your lips and gives you a really intense pigmented color. Even you use the most natural shade, people can probably tell when you’re wearing product. A good lip tint or lip stain will just sink into your lips and give you a more subtle, shine-free finish and make your lips look like they’re just insanely pigmented. Lip tints have a sheer finish and fade in a way that’s slightly uneven, which is sort of they key to their natural-looking finish.
Product I love: Benefit Benetint
