6 steps to a natural make-up look

Layers of make-up can make you look tarted and cakey. It’s very important to get your hands on the right products for a radiating and flawless look.

Compiled with help from IANS and Real Simple, here are six best tips to not fall victim to the most common make-up mistakes and leave your skin glowing effortlessly.



Moisturise well

Start by perfecting your skin. In order to make your make-up blend in easily, first wash your face with a cleanser and gently exfoliate it with a towel. This is the most basic preparation for make-up looks of all sorts. However, when it comes to going for the natural appearance, moisturising becomes even more important. It gives your face natural softness and also ensures that make-up goes on smoother without leaving your skin patchy. Dry or flaky skin can make it obvious that you’ve got product on.

Skip foundation

Foundation is the first sign of a made-up look. Instead, opt for a non-oily BB cream that gives you light coverage. The idea is that the base should sink into your skin and definitely not stand out. For visible breakouts or deep dark circles, you could use a pigment-rich concealer. The trick, however, is to not use too much concealer to avoid a cakey look. Using too much concealer will only accentuate your problem areas, making them more visible. For blemishes, dab, blend and cover your dark circles in thin layers. For dark circles, swipe the concealer wand under your eyes and then slowly pat with a finger to blend.

Use powder if needed

If your skin gets shiny, follow with an oil-absorbing powder. If your skin is very oily, skip using a moisturiser and only use concealer and powder. Applying powder on your face by using a brush in circular motion will leave an undetectable veil of cover-up and not give an overdone powdery look. Also, only use powder to pat those areas dry where your skin gets really oily. Real skin is never matte so don’t try to give it that appearance.



Brighten your eyes

To adorn the no make-up look, lighter colours of brown and blue are the perfect option. Brownish tint enhances your eyes’ natural contours without showing up as shadow.  Opt for an eye-shadow that is slightly darker than your skin and brush it into the creases and along the lower lashes to make sure there are no hard edges. Tight-lining the lower lid with a white eye-pencil is also a great way to make your eyes pop. For extra eye brightening, apply eye shimmer to the centres of the lids, the brow bones, and the inner corners of the eyes. This will make your eyes look awake and bigger, giving a natural-glowing look.Mascara is your best friend when it comes to nude make-up. It gives a fuller look to the lashes without making it too obvious. Of course, make sure you don’t leave any clumps behind.

Blush the flushed look

Start by identifying what your natural flush is like. For instance, try to determine what the colour of your cheeks is after your exercise. Now get a creamy blush that matches the same tone. Blend a dot of the blush into areas such as the apple of your cheeks, chin, forehead and the bridge of your nose.

Fix chapped lips

First exfoliate your lips well with petroleum jelly. Anything you put on cracked lips will show and look unseemly. Next, choose a neutral lip colour. Avoid matte or ultra-shiny textures that make it very apparent that you’ve used product. Instead go for tinted balms with a hint of colour that goes with the natural shade of your lips.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2015.

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