Alright, let’s talk “no makeup makeup,” shall we?! If you’re like me, then putting on a full face of makeup everyday for work is an absolute no-go. In fact, when I first started my current job I believe I lasted about a week with doing foundation, mascara, the whole shebang, and then quickly defaulted to the routine I’m going to share with you today. In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the exact steps and products you need for a no foundation fresh face!
“If I’m being honest with you, I feel my best and most beautiful when I do this routine as it simply allows for your natural self to shine through.”
Before I begin, let me just say that I LOVE a beat face. Doing makeup has been therapeutic for me throughout this entire quarantine and when I feel the need I could spend hours on my makeup. However, I also love the look and feel of having a very simple, fresh face. If I’m being honest with you, I feel my best and most beautiful when I do this routine as it simply allows for your natural self to shine through.
All of the products I share with you in this blog post are going to give you a very natural, simply put together look. While providing just enough coverage, they’re going to let your natural skin show through. When you follow this routine, you’ll be able to still look like yourself just.. elevated?
Now, let’s get started! Here are the steps I follow to achieve a no foundation fresh face:
1. Apply sunscreen
Seriously… do it. Wearing sunscreen everyday is what helps diminish dark spots and prevent them down the line, so do not skip this step, ever. I use CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 ($20 CAD). You want to put this on top of your everyday moisturizer, double the hydration and double the protection. Also, this sunscreen is non-comedogenic so theres no chance of it clogging any pores!
Using a sunscreen each day is an essential part in a no foundation fresh face routine. Sunscreen gives your skin an overall glow that an everyday moisturizer just can’t. Also, sunscreen is going to treat your skin under that makeup. It’s the one thing in your daily routine you should never forget.
2. Spot conceal
If you have any breakouts/redness/or discolouration, now is the time to cover them up. The trick for this is that using less is definitely more. Using a satin finish concealer is what will help you mimic the appearance of bare skin. My personal favourite and concealer I swear by for spot concealing is the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer ($39 CAD). You want to pick up a shade that matches your skin tone as you’re just putting this on spots and don’t want any distinguishing lines of skin versus concealer.
Now, this is by no means a perfect face, so allowing some imperfections to show through is the look we’re going for! I aim for covering up redness and dark spots, but am perfectly fine with allowing my skin to show through. You can blend this out with your finger but I prefer using a small concealer brush like the Elf Small Stipple Brush ($6 CAD).
3. Highlight
My favourite part and the step that makes this basic face look all the more fresh! For this, you want to use a cream highlight that is easy to blend out and looks like more of a natural “glow from within.” My favourite is the Burt’s Bees Highlighter Stick ($20 CAD). I put this on my cheekbones, my nose, my chin and above my eyebrows then blend it all out with my fingers.
4. Fill in your eyebrows
For this step you can follow your normal eyebrow routine, but you want to make sure to fill them in as natural and minimal as possible. My eyebrows grow in completely different patterns and I hate it, so all I do is make them match a little bit more and brush them out. My favourite eyebrow pencil and only one I ever use is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Espresso.
5. Line your lips and put on chapstick
An absolute MUST for me. This is what pulls the entire face together. All you want to do is line your lips with a colour thats close to your lip shade, and throw some chapstick overtop to blend it all together! My go-to chapstick is the Burts Bees in Original, and my everyday liner is the NYX Lip Pencil in Peekaboo Neutral.
And that’s it! Five steps to a no foundation fresh face! As you can see, I still have redness, freckles, and under-eye darkness. But I feel put together and more ready to take the day on! So here’s to embracing our imperfections and only trying to hide them a litttttle bit ๐
Let me know in the comments below how these tips and products worked for you! I’d love to hear how different skin types react to these products. If you have any of your own fresh face tips you’d love to share, leave them in the comments below! I can only speak for myself but I absolutely LOVE hearing how other people achieve a simple fresh face of makeup.
While you’re here, check out my latest blog posts below!
- Beige Matching Sweatsuit
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- How To Practice a Night of Self Care
- How To Style Oversized Fall Neutrals
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed your time here. If you did, I would love for you to stay a while and check out some other blog posts of mine! Here at That Authentic Life we talk all things fashion, beauty, travel and life tips and tricks. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but regardless we always have a fun time. If that sounds good to you, weโd love to have you join that fun!