You’ve demolished the celebrations tin (over and over), practically melted into your pyjamas and you’re pretty sure your blood type is now labelled under ‘Bisto”.
You’re ready for the obligatory January detox, and there’s no better time to detox your makeup look whilst you’re at it.
We’ve all heard of the ‘no makeup-makeup’ look, and it’s become pretty synonymous with my Instagram feed.
So I’m laying my secrets bare (no pun intended! ) to give you the “I woke up like this” glow even when you’re skin’s breaking out and you’re fashioning your proudest “sweatpants are all that fits me right now’ bod. Read on…
Prep
Glossier have made the “skin first makeup second” every millennial’s beauty approach, and this couldn’t be more appropriate for this look. Every morning I look at my skin in the daylight and assess the situation (it literally changes daily for me! ). If I’m breaking out I’ll use my trusty Himalayan Charcoal Mask from The Body Shop, if my skin looks dull, I’ll use my La Prairie 3minute Peel or my Rodial Vitamin C Brightening Mask.
Tailor you skin prep to your needs – not to just what’s trendy. One thing that does stay the same for me is the way I finish my skin, I have to use a product with dewy/glossy finish, my favourites are Augustinus Bader Rich Cream, Weleda Skin Food or Cold Cream. This gives you that radiant base that makes you look younger and fresher.
Complexion
I’m naturally very pale, and I LOVE the bronzed Aussie glow so a lot of my no makeup-makeup endeavours go into warming up my complexion. I even remember getting my spray tan done once and I actually warned the tanning artist about how pale I was, yet he still wandered in saying “Oh gosh, you are pale aren’t you” as I stood there sheepishly in a paper thong and fishnet hat.
Without fail I will reach for my Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Dark Matte, I love that it’s glitter-free, and the tone is a Brazilian Goddess rather than Oompa Loompa. I apply sparingly (its very pigmented! ) over my nose, cheeks and forehead for a sunkissed look. I’ll follow up with a layer of Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio palette (using the bronze tone), this is a gorgeous cream palette that adds dew and warmth to the complexion.
Coverage
Unless you won the genetic lottery, chances are you’ll have something you’ll want to cover. This doesn’t mean you have to, of course (for example, I rarely use under-eye concealer anymore – I’m embracing my dark circles! ).
I do, however, sometimes want to cover the odd blemish, not always, but if I feel it’s distracting from the look, I might cover a biggun’ and leave the rest (adult acne is such fun isn’t it! ! ) But fear not – as I learnt the most simple yet genius trick the other month whilst at a makeup masterclass with La Mer. Mesmerised by the beauty of makeup artist Valeria Ferreira (La Mer’s UK Ambassador) after the class, I went up to her all “What would you do to my face? ”. She kindly whipped out her needle thing concealer brush and dapped it into the her concealer stick, and literally freckles concealer on my blemishes – it was so precise and delicate. Most importantly, the result was incredible – my blemishes were non-existent to the naked eye and I didn’t look covered. Serious magic.
I’ve always been rather slapdash with my concealer – thinking the more I smudge on (with my finger! ) the better. Valeria opened my eyes to the concept of ‘Micro-concealing’ and I have been besotted with this technique since. Even seeking out the perfect super thin concealer brush – I use the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush for this as its the thinnest and most precise. My go-to concealer is a thick cream consistency as opposed to a liquid, I love the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer.
This concealer sells every 12 seconds… and women say they ‘can’t live without it’
Finishing Touch
This is something so personal to you – I’m obsessed with my skin being radiant and dewy, so I’ll go in with a light dabbing of Weleda Skin Food again. Others may prefer a little flush on the cheeks – for which I’d 100`% recommend Glossier’s Cloud Paint, they completely modernised blush with this and it’s highly pigmented and effortless to blend. Or maybe you can’t leave the house without a slick of mascara? In that case Eyeko do an amazing range, or try Glossier’s Lash Slick for a ‘your lashes but better’ vibes.
The amount of times people have said to me ‘but you’re not wearing any makeup? ” when I’ve slaved over a 20-step dedicated no makeup-makeup routine forever marvels me – and as much as it may pain me (haha) I’ve perfected it so much over the years I could take it up as profession, and now you can too… expect payment in compliments!
