As the old saying goes, less is more, and that’s certainly true when it comes to the minimalist makeup look. The “natural,” barely-there look is highly sought after, and with good reason: it showcases the radiance and beauty of your face without applying a ton of product. This look requires some know-how, so keep reading to find out how to achieve the desired minimal makeup look.
Prep Your Skin
Laying a good foundation is crucial to any endeavor, and makeup is no exception. Preparing your skin is the most critical step to achieving a minimalist look. Taking care of your skin will give you a hydrated, beautiful glow; it also helps you use less product. After washing your face with cleanser, apply a hydrating serum and moisturizer to maximize results. These products help create a barrier between your skin and the outside world while helping nourish, brighten, and illuminate your face.
Recommended products:
- Pure Skin Face Cleanser (First Aid Beauty) – Sephora
- Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser (Kate Somerville) – Ulta Beauty
- Order of the Eclipse Hyaluronic Cream (good light) – Ulta Beauty
- Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer (Summer Fridays) – Sephora
- Glow Tonic Serum (Pixi) – Ulta Beauty
- High Performance Face Serum with Vitamin C & Hyaluronic Acid (MACRENE actives) – Sephora
Conceal Spots
If you want to conceal any areas of your face, such as dark spots, bags under your eyes, or acne, you can spot-correct while maintaining a minimalist look. By only applying concealer where needed, this technique avoids your makeup looking cakey or settling in fine lines. When targeting any problem areas, use a color-correcting concealer with a small, precise brush.
Recommended products:
- Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer (Lacome) – Ulta Beauty
- Hy-Glam Concealer (Natasha Denona) – Sephora
Mascara is Key
Long eyelashes add definition and highlight your pretty eyes, so mascara is a must. When applying this product, keep a spoolie brush with you to comb through your lashes as you layer the mascara; this also helps separate the lashes to highlight them and keep them looking defined. If you want to go the extra mile, use a clean spoolie to pull the lashes in the inner corner of your eye towards your nose for a more fanned effect.
Recommended porducts:
- Lash Idole Lash-Lifting and Volumizing Mascara (Lacome) – Sephora
- Fan Fest Fanning and Volumizing Mascara (Benefit Cosmetics) – Ulta Beauty
Contour the Face
Showcase your bone structure by lightly contouring the skin and cheeks. The key to contouring is to focus on adding depth where needed. Tilt your head to the side with your ear almost touching your shoulder. Stick your brush along the natural shadow underneath the bone, blending at an angle towards your mouth and back toward your ear.
Recommended products:
- Warmth All-Over Face Color Loose Powder (Bare Minerals) – Sephora
- Multi-Use Sculpting Palette (Iconic London) – Ulta Beauty
Lightly Add Highlight and Blush
Add a little more dewiness and hydration to your face by applying a bit of highlighter. This product accents specific areas on your skin while also brightening it up. Put a little bit on before blush. Using your favorite shade of blush (close to your skin tone), apply the product from your cheekbones to your ear, giving you a gentle and natural flush of color. Whatever you decide to use, remember that the goal is to make it look like your skin or barely there.
Recommended products:
- Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick (Hourglass) – Sephora
- Smashbox X BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter (Smashbox) – Ulta Beauty
- Stick Cream Blush (Anastasia Beverly Hills) – Sephora
- Afterglow Liquid Blush (NARS) – Ulta Beauty
