How To Wear Makeup Without Looking Like It

As a makeup artist, you might think that I wear a ton of makeup. The answer is no. I love to wear my makeup so that it covers my flaws, but I still look like myself. The best way to describe it is, I like to look like the best version of myself. I think creating the perfect makeup look all starts with the skin. Use a good skincare routine and become diligent about taking good care of your skin and you’ll be on your way to your best makeup days ever. In order to achieve the, “I’m wearing makeup, but don’t look like it” look, you have to start with the basics of skincare. You can find out all about my skin routine here.

There are certain products you need to use to look like you have effortless, impeccable skin. If you’re wondering about the type of look I’m talking about, here it is:

I’m absolutely obsessed with Lauren Conrad’s makeup style. She is such a minimalist when it comes to her makeup. She looks casual, chic and cool. If you think for one second though that she just isn’t wearing makeup and is blessed with naturally radiant, flawless skin, you’re wrong. She is absolutely wearing makeup. She has just mastered how to apply it without looking like pancake face.

I’m going to show you the necessities to master this look. Even though it may look like Lauren just has a little lip gloss and eyeliner on, there is actually quite a bit more that goes into achieving this look. Here are the things you will need:

1. Foundation:

You have to achieve an even skin tone and hide your imperfections. Start with a foundation that gives you the amount of coverage you need. You don’t want to choose one too heavy, otherwise you risk losing the all-natural look we’re going for. Try a few samples from Sephora to see what works for you and what you feel comfortable with. Recently I’ve been on a foundation sampling frenzy and I’m currently loving this foundation from Lorac. It gives me the perfect amount of coverage for my skin.

Lorac Natural Performance Foundation, $36 at Ulta

2. Bronzer:

Lauren has a bronzed look to her skin, but it’s not too over the top. You need to create a little contour to your skin. Sweep some bronzer on your forehead, cheeks and jawline. I’m in love with this bronzer from NARS:

NARS Bronzer in Laguna, $34 at Sephora

3. Highlighter:

Highlighting is the key to giving your skin back the radiance it naturally emits. Dust a highlighter on top of your cheekbones to give your skin the radiance you see celebrities with in pictures. Everyone wants this look. I call it the J. Lo glow:

Who wouldn’t want to look like this?

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle, $34 at MAC stores

4. Eyeliner:

Eyeliner is something I have mixed feelings about. Everyone always thinks it’s strange that I NEVER line my bottom lash line. This is actually my secret to looking like I’m not wearing a lot of makeup. I love the definition that lining my top lid gives me, but once I put it on the bottom I feel like the whole look of my makeup changes. It looks like voilà, I’m definitely wearing makeup. If I’m doing a smokey eye though, I’ll definitely line underneath. If you notice in the picture, Lauren only has liner on the top. They have applied a bronze shadow underneath to give it a glowy feel. I love powder eyeliners because they tend to look a little more natural and you can get them really close to the lash line. Here is one of my favorites from Bare Escentuals:

Bare Minerals Powder Liner Shadow in Onyx, $14

5. Groomed Brows:

Groomed brows help to make you look polished. Make sure you remove any stray hairs. You can do this in form of waxing, tweezing or threading. My absolute favorite brow gurus are Anastasia of Beverly Hills. They have this counter at your local Nordstrom. They shape your brows into the perfect shape for your face. They’re wonder women! Unless you are blessed with perfectly full, shapely brows, you may need to fill them in a bit. I prefer a powder, over a pencil,  to fill in my brows because I think it looks more natural.

Anastasia Brow Powder, $22 at Nordstrom

6. Lips:

Lips are the finishing touch for this look. Unless you put something on your lips, you don’t look completely finished. Apply a gloss, or a nude lipstick. Here is one of my favorite nude lipsticks. You can also find it featured in this post:

MAC Lipstick in Honeylove, $15 at MAC stores

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What do you think about the minimal makeup look? What celebrity do you think wears this look the best?

What’s the secret to great makeup? Great skin.

Your skin is the foundation you build upon when you’re applying your makeup, therefore you need to do your best to take great care of it. Without a smooth foundation you won’t achieve optimal results from your makeup. There are 3 key steps you need to take in your skincare routine every single day:

1. Cleanse:

Cleansing your face is of the utmost importance. It’s essential to wash away all of the oil and impurities your skin has accumulated during the day, allowing your skin to breathe. Make sure you do not use a cleanser that is too harsh or drying and always use a cleanser that is chemically balanced for the face. Currently I’m using this cleanser & I love it! It completely removes all of my makeup, eyes included! Not only does it remove my makeup but with four weeks of continued use you will notice your skin looking much more radiant and feeling smoother.

Burts Bees Facial Cleanser $10 at Target

2. Exfoliate:

Exfoliation rids the skin of dead skin cells allowing your moisturizer to penetrate deeper into your skin. Make sure you do not over exfoliate. Some skin types only need it once or twice a week, while others can benefit from a gentle exfoliation daily. You can use an exfolating scrub such as Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream or this handy-dandy tool that I could never live without.

Clarisonic Mia 2 $149 at Nordstrom

3. Moisturize:

I cannot stress this enough, moisturize! Moisturizing is absolutely a must. In my time as a makeup artist I have seen the effects of a lifetime of not moisturizing. Trust me, you do not want to go there. I always say that no one is too young to start moisturizing or using eye cream. Not only does moisturizing help quench thirsty skin, it also prevents lines and wrinkles and retains your skins natural moisture balance. I’m currently using coconut oil as my moisturizer. Not only do I use it to moisturize, I also use it to cook with. The health benefits and uses for coconut oil are endless. I only use this as my nighttime moisturizer but you could also use it during the day. This also comes without the hefty price tag of most moisturizers you will find at the department store. You can pick this up at Whole Foods or my favorite local store, Natures Pharm.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic “All One!” White Kernel Unrefined Coconut Oil $11 at Natures Pharm

Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturize. Goodnight!