Kasey Staniszewski

Less is More. Use These Tips to Achieve a Natural Look

Different days and occasions bring different needs for makeup techniques. If you’re attending a wedding, holiday party or formal event, a more dramatic look might be desired. But for day-to-day work or school life, you probably want a more natural look, right? Or maybe you’re into “less is more” makeup EVERY day, no matter the occasion?

We’re with you! And we have some expert tips for how to get a natural look - a.k.a. the I’m-not-wearing-makeup-makeup-look!  Follow these makeup techniques, where less is truly more.

  1. Start with freshly-cleaned skin.  You can only get a natural look with fresh skin, so use your favorite cleanser (and maybe a soft cloth) to get your face clean and free of oils and to buff away loose skin. You probably don’t want to use an exfoliant so soon before applying makeup, though, as it can cause reddening of the skin. So save the exfoliants for at night and stick with a gentle cleanse!   
2. Moisturize. This might just be the most important step. Moisturizing with a small drop of lightweight daytime face lotion (preferably with built-in sunscreen to protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays) helps to prime your face so that it’s soft and hydrated. This will help your makeup (what little you use) to sit on your skin the right way.

    One special tip we can offer in the moisturize step for how to get a natural look? Use a tinted lotion. This will do double-duty for your skin: moisturize AND even out your skin tone with barely-there color, eliminating the need for foundation altogether. Because it’s so much lighter-weight than foundation, you can even choose a slightly darker shade to warm up your skin tone without worrying about it looking “fake”. Just remember to blend, blend, blend!

      3. Conceal your flaws. We know you’re flawless at heart, girl, but everyone has a blemish or dark eye circle they need a little help with.  Use a concealer to “touch up” problem areas: sparingly dab it on, then blend with your fingers or a beauty blender for light coverage over breakouts or undereye circles.

          4. Powder. You may not need powder if you have naturally dry skin, but if you get a bit “shiny” during the day, use a bit of powder (or better yet, oil-absorbing powder!) to even things out without looking “cakey”. Remember basic makeup techniques here and use a large brush and circular motions to apply a light dusting all over.

            5. Choose a light neutral blush. Remember, less is more here, so you’ll want to choose a shade of blush close to your natural “flushed” shade...probably a light neutral pink or peach, or a darker pink if you have darker skin. Choose a cream blush and blend into the apples of your cheeks for a very subtle color splash.

            6. Light mascara, no liner. Some of the most fun and creative makeup techniques to try involve your eyes, right? Bold liner looks, blending colorful eye shadows, etc. But if you truly want to know how to get a natural look, you’ll have to forego all those and take a simpler approach to your eyes.

              Using eyeliner is just too much for au-natural, so stick with a single coat of mascara only (or two coats, max) to the upper lashes only. Or, if you are blessed with naturally dark or long lashes, it may be enough just to curl them.

              As an option, you can choose to add a single shade of eyeshadow across your lids. Opt for a light brown shadow in a shade just darker than your natural lid color.

                7. Go easy on the eyebrows. Again, we know it’s fun to fill in your eyebrows and create a dramatic look, but the look pictured here is NOT what we’re going for when it comes to “natural” brows!

                  Heavy eyebrows are a dead giveaway that you’re wearing makeup, so for “au natural”, simply choose a clear brow fixer gel to hold brows in place very naturally. Or if you have very light brows, blend some color sparingly to give your brows a little definition and shape.

                    8. Natural, dewy lips. Lastly, finish off your “barely there” look with a lip tint that matches your natural lip color exactly. Dab it on with a finger and blend in. A sheer berry color is always a good bet.

                      Want an even MORE natural lip? Simply exfoliate your lips with a gentle lip scrub. Scrub off those dead skin cells for smoother lips! Plus, the increased blood flow to your lips will give them natural color. Follow this up with your favorite lip balm and your lips will have a healthy, moisturized glow that will look perfectly kissable.

                      If you’ve seen your favorite celebrities and influencers sporting the “I woke up like this” look and have been wondering how to get a natural look yourself, follow the makeup techniques above.


                      One last tip: If you’re looking for the perfect tools to help you achieve natural beauty, make sure your makeup brushes and sponges are clean and replaced regularly. You can’t get a flawless, well-blended, “barely there” look with old, dirty brushes and blenders.

                      Beautiac offers a subscription brush replacement service: once a month, you will receive 3 replacement brush heads that snap on to the Beautiac “universal” brush handles, plus a replacement blur sponge.

                      The old brush heads that you pop off are 100% recyclable, and the new ones you receive are clean and free from bacteria and debris that can harm your skin! Enjoy fresh, clean and healthy skin every month with new makeup brushes, delivered to your door with free shipping.

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