A Minimal Approach to Everyday Makeup
As a young teenager living in today’s day and age, I always like to look somewhat presentable. Yes, we are talking about makeup! I always, always love to keep my makeup super simple and natural, enhancing my unique features just a hint — like a slightly better version of my face. Here are a few tips and tricks I do to accomplish an ever-so-natural everyday makeup look.
The Basics
Skin is everything. We’re not looking for perfect skin, just great skin. As long as your skin is healthy and hydrated, don’t worry too much about breakouts or freckles. It’s a normal thing that we all go through. No one needs to be flawless, we just should make the effort to care. Remember, our goal is not to cover up, it is to enhance our best features. Another huge tip on how to make your makeup as natural and glowy as possible is using cream products. I absolutely love cream products! They just work so much better on blending into your skin seamlessly instead of sitting on top of your skin, like powder products. It’s also great, so I can do my makeup really quickly, with my finger!
What first?
Honestly, there is no right way of doing makeup. I’m not a pro, but, to me, it makes sense to start by curling my lashes (I find that doing it first will prevent my concealer from smudging). I take my eyelash curler and start by pinching my lashes, gently, as close to my roots as possible, then bringing it up. I repeat pinching and pinching from the root up several times until I get the height I want it to be. Make sure to be patient and don’t pinch too hard. We don’t want your lashes to look like a “V”. Your lashes should look like a smooth curve upwards from the side. It does take lots of practice! I don’t use any mascara, just because I don’t like the look of it. I love to see the natural lashes!
Blur
I don’t use anything like a foundation to cover up my skin. I don’t think that it’s a necessary step. I want to show off my natural skin, along with its imperfections, and let it breathe. All I use is a lightweight concealer under my eyes to blur my dark circles. I, sometimes, dab a little bit above any blemishes, just if I must. I use the concealer from Glossier. I really love it! It’s very light-coverage and dewy. All I need to do is swirl my ring finger in the pot and dab the product onto my skin.
A Wash of Color
If I’m feeling particularly pale on that day, I lightly dust on a cream bronzer from Milk Makeup on the areas where the sun would naturally hit (across the bridge of my nose, high parts of my cheeks, a touch on my forehead and chin). It gives my complexion a warmer, sunkissed effect. I don’t use any contour because I don’t want to change the shape of my face.
I love love love blush. It could brighten up my face so much! If it’s a cream blush, I warm it up with my finger, smile, and dab it on the apples of my cheeks. That’s where we would naturally flush! Sometimes, I put the access product on the bridge of my nose to give my face a sun-kissed effect. Although it’s really temptingly to overdo blush, I try my best not to! Who wants to look like a clown? My favorite blushes are: NOTO Botanics’s Multi Benne Stain in “Ono Ono,” Glossier’s Cloud Paint in “Dusk,” and RMS Beauty’s Lip2Cheek in “Paradise.”
Glow
Chill with the highlighter! Find a cream highlighter that doesn’t have any obvious glittery bits inside to mimic a lit-from-within glow. I really enjoy the look of Glossier’s Haloscope in “Quartz” and NOTO Botanics’s Hydra Highlighter. I warm up the product and pat it along the high points of my face, where the light will naturally reflect: a little above the cheekbones, temples, above and below the arch of the brow, on the center of the eyelids, between the eyes, along the nose, a touch on the chin, and cupid’s bow (above my lips). Everyone likes some glow!
Lips
To top the look off, I like to keep my lips simple with just a lip balm. I love the one from Alex Carro. But if I’m feeling a little more outgoing, I’ll pat some of the cream blush that I previously used onto my lips (lightly).
At the end of the day, beauty comes in the whole package: both, looking your best, and feeling your best self!
Let’s take imperfections positively. I think it’s cool to be different! We don’t want to look all the same.
Most of all, remember that makeup is a choice! It definitely isn’t a “must.” It’s a way of self-expression and showing off your beauty. There’s no one right way to do makeup. We should all take makeup as a personal choice, and style, to accomplish your special look!
— Solaia