The world is wearing less makeup. Everywhere I look, I see celebrities, colleagues, my friends and my family all embracing more of a bare face – and it’s encouraged me to start pairing my routine back. Do you feel the same?
Let’s be honest; wearing less makeup is easier, and it saves more time, but after some personal trial and error, I’ve discovered that all you need is the right products and the know-how to master the art of minimal makeup. Find my everyday essentials below…
1. The Barely-There Base
Tip: Use cream products and liquid instead of powders because they look more natural.
My Pick: Benefit Hello Happy Air Stick Foundation – 2.5
Finish: Natural matte.
Texture: Creamy.
Coverage: Medium.
Longevity: 10 hours.
Shade: Light cool 2.5.
Benefits:
•Hydrating.
•Weightless.
•Nourishing.
•Comfortable.
•Buildable.
Features:
•SPF20.
•Waterproof.
•Shea butter gives its creamy texture while it moisturises.
•Chamomile soothes the skin.
•Botanical extracts nourish the skin.
•Lavender scent.
For the ultimate minimal makeup look you need a light base, Benefit Hello Happy Air Stick Foundation is just that. The weightless foundation goes on creamy and feels so light you’ll probably barely notice it. To achieve a barely-there look apply the stick over any red, pigmented or spotty areas – just where you need it. The twistable stick gives you the precision to apply as much or as little as you need – so that your makeup never looks overdone. The finish is natural matte, giving you that additional shine-control without the need for powder. Plus a SPF20, botanical extracts and shea butter formula intensely moisturise skin for healthy complexion with or without makeup.
2. The Eye-Brightening Concealer
My Product Pick: DIOR Diorskin Forever Skin Correct 0.5N
Finish: Natural glow.
Texture: Creamy.
Coverage: Medium to full.
Longevity: 8 hours.
Shade: 0.5N.
Benefits:
•Reduces under-eye darkness.
•Minimises redness, pores and blemishes.
•Moisturises the skin.
Features:
•Floral extract
•24h
No sleep? No problem. A no-makeup makeup look means you can hide your lack of sleep, breakouts and still look like you ‘woke up like this’. The DIOR Skin Correct is an instant eye brightener; the hydrating formula reinvigorates the under-eye area without leaving lines or a cakey appearance. It boasts a full-coverage formula that is super creamy, blends seamlessly and provides a skin-like finish that makes light work of hiding imperfections like pores and redness. I particularly love the doe-foot wand because it makes for precise application. With its flawless finish, long-wear formulation and a wide range of shades to find your perfect match – I can’t fault it.
The best thing about this concealer is that it’s been designed to be worn alone without a makeup base so you can do away with the foundation completely if you’re just after a barely-there effect.
3. The Natural Flush Blush
Tip: Find a cream blush close to your natural lip and cheek colour.
My Product Pick: Clarins Glow 2 Go – Blush & Highlighter Duo
Finish: Natural glow.
Texture: Creamy.
Shade: Pink Glowy.
Benefits
•Brightens the complexion
•Healthy glow effect
•Comfortable
Features
•2-in-1 highlighter and blush
•High pigment
The secret to minimal makeup is a cream blush or bronzer depending on your skin tone; pinks for pale skin and bronze for darker skin types. One of my favourites is the Clarins Glow 2 Go in the shade Glowy Pink. Although it’s double-ended, I only use the blush for this look and save the shimmer highlight for more made-up looks.
The creamy blush leaves a skin-like finish that blends in with my complexion, giving me a perked up and natural rosy glow. I like having control with my application, so I tend to dab my finger rather than go in with the pen. A few taps on the apples of my cheeks and across the bridge of my nose (a technique used by Emily Ratajkowski!) then blended gives my skin a natural flushed appearance. To finish the look I like to dab a little of the creamy formula onto the lips to give a unified natural look.
For my pale skin, I tend to use a bright pink 01 Glowy Pink shade and for darker skin types try the shade 02 Golden peach.
4. The Grooming Brow Gel
My Product Pick: GIVENCHY Mister Brow Groom
Finish: natural and clear.
Texture: non-sticky gel.
Benefits:
•Non-sticky.
•Nourishing.
•Thickens eyebrows.
Features:
•Vitamin B5 nourishes and conditions your brows.
•Curved brush to groom hair.
Thick, pencilled-in brows are a dead give away when it comes to how much makeup you’re wearing. A clear gel, on the other hand, you won’t notice. The GIVENCHY Mister Brow Groom means your eyebrows always look naturally good with minimum effort. The curved spoolie is perfect for enhancing your existing eyebrows hairs so they look fuller and neat. Undetectable to the naked eye, the clear non-sticky formula will lock them in place all day. The finishing touch to my minimal makeup look; I comb my brows upwards for a feathered effect and shape my arch to give them a subtle definition, then I’m done!
Tip: for anyone with sparse or fairer brows apply a little shade to fill use Benefit FoolProof Brow Powder or use the Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumising Eyebrow Gel.
