A surprisingly large number of men prefer their ladies to sport a natural makeup look. Less is more, they say. I even heard a few guy friends say that their girl is beautiful just the way she is. “She doesn’t need makeup,” they boast. I can’t decide if these guys have it right… or if they’ve got it all wrong. But the truth is that some girls like to sport a natural look, too. So here’s how you can wear makeup, without looking like you’re wearing makeup.
Tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizer is your best friend when it comes to wearing a natural look. It will give you a hint of color and slightly even out your skin tone, without looking heavy, cake-y, or made up. Find the shade that most closely matches your skin tone, and put a pea sized dollop on the back of your hand. Using your fingertips, gently blend the moisturizer into your clean skin. Make sure that it is well blended.
Mineral powder foundation. Using a very light hand, dust the tiniest bit of mineral powder foundations only in your T-zone, and only if you need it. This will help control shine without looking heavy.
Flesh colored eye shadow. Next, apply a flesh-colored eye shadow just on your eyelid. It should be a matte shade, and match your skin tone well. This will help even out the skin tone on your eyes, without looking like you have shadow on. If you prefer, take the shadow a shadow lighter or darker, or wear it with a bit of shimmer if you don’t want to completely disguise the fact that you’re wearing makeup.
Soft, sable eyeliner. Line just the upper lash line of your eyes with a soft, brown liner. Keep the line as thin as possible, and as close to your lash line as possible. Pretend like you’re playing connect the dots with your lashes. Do not extend the line past your eye, or it will be obvious that you’re wearing liner. All you want to accomplish is a slight darkening of the spaces between your lashes.
Light coat of mascara. One coat of soft black natural mascara is all you’ll need. Take a moment to curl your lashes before you apply it. Make sure there are no clumps.
Tinted lip balm. Try a lip balm with a hint of color that is close to your natural lip color. You want to slightly enhance your natural color without being obvious. A lip balm that is just a shade darker than your natural color will work perfectly. Because you’re wearing balm, instead of lipstick, it will look soft and natural.
The key to a natural look is to choose soft, neutral colors and apply them with a light hand. Stick to the basics and remember, less is always more.
