I love makeup but I am lazy and busy. This often makes me feel like I don’t have the time to dedicate to my appearance. Because of this, I went on a search for easy and minimal makeup routines that I could incorporate into my life. Here are four that I swear by.
1. No makeup
This is the simplest of the looks on this list because, well, it’s no makeup. Success in this look requires two things – confidence and a good skincare routine. Confidence is attractive and when you radiate it, you can look like a supermodel even without any makeup on. Good skincare is a topic talked about a lot but the fundamentals require three things: cleansing, moisturizing, and learning to love sunscreen!
2. The French girl
As someone who gets ready for class every morning in 20 minutes or less, this look has become my go-to. French beauty has always been iconic, but as of late people have been wondering how French women always look so flawless even when they seem to not be wearing makeup. The secret is that they are wearing makeup, but they are wearing as little as possible to allow their natural beauty to shine through. The first step of this look is fairly clear skin. Without it, this look fails. To achieve this, refer to the skincare routine above. Next is concealer or a very light foundation. Your number one tool in this look is a pair of clean hands. Using your ring finger, tap a small bit of the concealer or foundation under your eyes to hide any dark circles. If you are using a thicker formula, you may need to use your index finger, but be sure to be gentle because too much pressure under the eyes can make them look worse. If your under eyes are especially dark or puffy, use an under eye cream first. This one from Origins is my favorite because it brightens and de-puffs.
Next, lightly pat your concealer or foundation on the areas of your face where you see any redness or blemishes. The key is to apply as little as possible. If you end up putting it on all of your face then you have failed. This is all about targeted application. Once your skin is looking flawless, move onto your brows. This is not the time for a dramatic brow look. Just a light, natural fill-in. I like to use a little brow mascara or a brow pencil to fill in my gaps and clean up the shape. If you already have very full brows, give them a light brush and you are ready to go. The next step is mascara. Make sure you are using one that allows you to get close to your lash line. This will give the allusion that you are wearing eyeliner. Use your favorite mascara – pretty much any kind you like works with this look. If you want a slightly bolder look, you can put a very thin line of eyeliner to help define your eyes. The final step of this look is the lip. I usually go with a lightly tinted balm for a natural look and, if I want to look a bit bolder, I will add a lipstick that compliments my outfit. It may take a few tries, but once you master this look you will be able to achieve this look in around 3 minutes (yes, I timed it lol).
3. No makeup makeup
This look is similar to the French girl but more work. Start just as you do with the French girl but after covering any redness or blemishes, apply foundation evenly to your entire face, making sure to extend the color into your neck so that you have no sharp lines. Next, use bronzer that is slightly darker than your natural skin tone to contour your face. Bronzer is best for this look because it has a less made up look than a standard contour palette. Apply it onto your face with a medium sized brush using the 3 and E technique shown below. After that is done and well blended, add a small amount of blush to your cheekbones. This just helps to give you a more awake look. If I am being fully honest, I hate blush. I feel like after I apply it I always look like a clown. This is why I recently started using a pink lipstick as an alternative to blush. I tap a few dots of it onto my cheekbones and blend it with my fingers for a really natural look. Sometime I will even use the same lipstick on my eyes as an alternative to eyeliner. If using this trick, it is important to use a lipstick formula that is not too wet and that blends easily. Next, apply a thin line of eyeliner to your eyes. I prefer to use brown eyeliner for this look because it gives a more natural look than black eyeliner. Finally, I apply some mascara and a little lip gloss and I’m ready to go.
4. Easy Smokey eye
The idea of a smokey eye intimidates even seasoned makeup wearers but, using this method, it is one of the easiest skills you can learn. The first step is to apply primer to your eyes. This makes your look more pigmented and helps it to last longer. Apply a thick line of black eyeliner to your upper lash line and a few random strokes on your eyelid but never going farther than three-fourths of the way up your eyelid. Like I said, these strokes are random so you literally can’t mess is up.Just note that the more strokes you make, the darker your look will be. So, if you want a darker look, do more strokes and if you want a lighter look, do less. Then with a smudger brush, smudge the eyeliner until it evenly coats your lid, leaving it slightly darker at your lash line. Make another thin line at your water line and smudge it slightly. It is best you use a pencil or gel formula for this as liquid can be harder to blend. If you want to, you can apply more eyeliner to your lash line at this point as well. Next, apply a little highlighter under the arch of your brow and in the inner corner of your eye to help make it pop. Finally, add a bold mascara and do the rest of your face routine as normal and you have mastered the smokey eye.
These easy looks will have you feeling like a beauty guru every time you step out of your room!