There's just enough color to accentuate, just enough pigment here and there to bring out the shape of one's eyes, one's lips, the fullness of one's cheeks -- but not enough to look powdery, chalky, or flaky. The goal here is to allow the makeup to melt into one's skin, to effectively allow it to work with it instead of against it.
I achieve this by using very few products. My makeup routine consists of the following:
0. Moisturizer (very important!) I am using Garnier's moisturizer for dry skin, which is not anything special. Any other moisturizer will probably work just as well.
1. BB Cream/ Moisturizing skin tone corrector. Shiseido Perfect Hydrating BB Cream -- Great because of its moisturizing properties and its superior sun protection.
2. Light, brightening concealer. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser- This is a very light concealer, very moisturizing, too!
3. Bronzer. I'm using Dior bronzer in "Honey Tan". It is really great because it is matte, but other than that it is a little more orange than I would prefer. I am trying to use it up, however, so it's doing the trick at the moment! I only use bronzer because it works to shape and add color to my face. Blushes that are anything but the color you turn when you naturally blush tend to look artificial (as much as I love them!) so I prefer to just use bronzer to subtly contour my face.
4. Powder to set and de-shine. Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder- This powder is very finely milled and invisible on the skin. Of course, one must apply it with a light hand in order to ensure it doesn't take away from the natural nature of the makeup.
5. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes- This stuff is my absolute favorite mascara. It fans out your lashes, applies just the right amount of product EVENLY to them, and is easy to layer coats to attain the level of drama you desire.
6. (Optional) Black/Brown pencil liner. Sometimes I will apply the tiniest bit of black pencil liner to the outer third of my lower lash line and blend it until it looks like its a part of my skin in order to accentuate my eyes. This is a little more dramatic than my super minimalistic look, so I'm marking this step as optional.
6. Lip Balm. Fresh's Sugar Rose lip balm - This stuff is really great because it gives your lips a very subtle hint of color while also moisturizing them for hours. Tinted lip balms are the best, in my opinion, for a no-fuss, casual yet polished effect.
The key to getting the makeup to "melt" properly into your skin is to blend it out as much as possible. I use my fingers to apply the BB cream, and this works really well because the natural heat from my hands heats up the product to my skin temperature and therefore allows it to immediately blend into my skin. I also use my ring finger to blend the under eye concealer. If I use black liner, I spend more time blending the liner under and into my lash line than I spend actually applying it. Again, when I apply the bronzer, I use a small amount and blend it very consciously. When it comes to mascara, I make sure that I don't leave any clumps, and I take extra care to ensure that every lash is separated as much as possible. Nothing is more obvious than spidery lashes!
While the minimal look does take more time than one might expect due to the blending, it still takes considerably less time than it does to apply a normal full face of makeup!
What are your go-to makeup products that give you that polished yet natural look? Let me know. :)
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