How to Look Good With Little to No Makeup

Last Updated: March 15, 2023

There are many reasons why you might want to try wearing less make up. Whether your employer/school doesn't allow it, or if you just want to bring out the "real" you, wearing less make up can bring out your natural beauty while still giving you a bit of enhancement. There are many advantages to limiting your make up regimen, including less money spent on cosmetics, healthier skin, more confidence (as you see people still accept you when you don't cover your face up), and less time spent on make up in the morning. Despite this, wearing little or no make up can be daunting, and sometimes it can be difficult to decide which parts of your beauty regimen to cut out, so read ahead for tips and advice on how to successfully pull off the no make-up look.

Steps

1
Take good care of your skin. Clear, healthy skin will give you more confidence, as well as removing the need for foundation or concealer.
- Determine your skin type. You must do this before taking action to improving your skin so that you can choose the appropriate products, and so that you know what problems you have to tackle, and how to treat them.
- Develop a good skin care routine which is suitable for your type of skin. It's important to stick to a routine as strictly as you can, this is because it can take a while for the routine to start improving the appearance of your skin, and can sometimes take time for your skin to adjust to the new things you are doing to it.
  - Generally you should include: a gentle day to day cleanser, a twice weekly exfoliating facial scrub, an appropriate daily moisturizer, treatment for when spots pop up, and a face mask to use once a week/whenever needed.
- Don't be too harsh on your skin. Try to avoid strong products, and choose natural or sensitive products instead to prevent your skin from becoming irritated or dry. You could even try out DIY methods by making your own face masks to avoid harmful chemicals.
- If you have any specific problems, such as acne or scars, then it's recommended that you approach a specialist such as a dermatologist or your doctor to help you to develop a treatment that is right for you.
- Avoid all fragrances in products and detergents. Limit makeup and hair products.
- Choose a sunscreen that has only zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide as the protectant (non-chemical sunscreen).
- Avoid acids like glycolic, hyaluronic, and retinoic.
2
Take care of your lips. A soft, plump pout looks nice and kissable, but dry chapped lips can look scruffy and unhealthy. Moisturize your lips with some balm before bed, (stay away from very cheap brands as they can cause your lips to become even more dry in the long term), and exfoliate your lips every now and again to keep them smooth, (don't bother spending money on special products, sugar works fine). Also, avoid smoking, and drink plenty of water to keep your pout looking good.

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3
Shape your eyebrows. A good set of brows can frame and flatter your face. Plucking is the easiest and cheapest way to shape them, just be careful to stand back from the mirror every now and again to make sure that they're even and that you're not over-plucking. If you're not brave enough to do them yourself, eyebrow shaping is widely available and fairly affordable, you could get the professionally plucked, waxed or threaded. This is definitely one of the most important steps to natural beauty as it helps to give your face more definition.
4
Make the most of your hair, it's a girls best accessory! Get a new haircut that frames and flatters your face shape. A good haircut can help to define your best features. To go with your natural theme, choose a natural-looking, easy to style, haircut, relaxed waves and loose curls are good styles that look natural while still looking pretty and feminine, as well as giving your hair life and volume. Try wearing your hair as it naturally dries, or style it to enhance it's natural shape. Experiment with it - making the effort with it will stop you feeling 'boring'!
5
Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of water. By making sure that you get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet, the goodness in your diet will show in your skin and hair, as well as making you feel good and healthy. Drinking plenty of water is important as it helps to flush out harmful toxins which can cause you to break out, it also keeps your skin and hair well hydrated resulting in less dryness and a better glow.
6
If you want to wear some make up, the following will help to enhance your natural beauty without covering it up.
- Try tinted moisturizer if you want some cover up, but want to avoid foundation. It'll help to even out your skin tone and tone down any blemishes which you may be feeling self-conscious about, without looking as if you are wearing a cover up product, and without and caking or streaks.
- Mascara is a great way of making your eyes look bigger and more awake. Many girls consider mascara to be their make-up necessity as it defines your eyes, widens them, and emphasizes the length of the eyelashes which makes the eye appear more feminine. Opt for a brown/clear mascara, (preferably a lengthening brand rather than a volumizing one to avoid clumping), and apply one or two coats to your upper lashes, and one quick coat to the bottom lashes. If you have fairly straight eyelashes, you may want to curl them for better emphasis without adding any more products.
- Blush should be chosen by using a colour which is similar to the colour your cheeks go when you pinch them lightly, (click here for more advice on choosing blusher for your skin tone) . To apply the blush use a fluffy brush and sweep onto the apples of your cheeks to give your face more of a glow and to make you look less washed out. If you have a golden skin tone, or if it is summer, a bronzer may be more appropriate, and this should be applied in the contours of your cheeks (beneath the apples).
- Lipstick or lip gloss shouldn't be necessary if your lips are well looked after, but if you would like a bit more colour or definition on your lips, then you could either go for a nude lip, or a slightly rosy coloured lip stain. You could get away with a pale or clear lip gloss, and still look naturally pretty, because the rest of your face is so minimal.
7
Accessorize. Choose jewellery to suit your outfit, and paint your nails, or even try false nails to make you feel that extra bit beautiful.
8
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I get my boyfriend to like me more than someone famous?

Community Answer

If your boyfriend likes a celebrity, it is totally fine. But if he is going to ask you to look like her, compare you with her often, ask you to get her body, tell him that is not right-headed thinking. If he carries on this way, end the relationship. You don't deserve a guy who doesn't love for who you are, as you are. You are beautiful in your own way and if that isn't who he fell in love with, then he and you are not compatible.
Question

How can I cut down on my heavy makeup habit if wearing it boosts my self-confidence?

Community Answer

Go two weeks completely bare faced. You might feel a little embarrassed going to school without makeup, but it will be well worth it. Try to get your friends to go along with it. The more familiar bare faces you see, the more easy it will be to look in the mirror and see your bare face. Don't transition, just take off your makeup and don't put it on again for another two weeks. Get your family involved, because the more bare faces you are exposed to during the two weeks, the easier it will be for you.
Question

Can I wear clear mascara instead of brown or black and tinted lip balm instead of lipstick?

Community Answer

Of course, you can! You'll look fresher and more natural with less obvious makeup.

Warnings

Be careful when plucking your eyebrows, make sure that you look at a proper tutorial before doing it, and if you over pluck then just leave them for a week or two until the hair has fully grown back, and then start again. But remember that not all of the hair you pluck out grows back, some of it never returns so be careful.

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NEVER use hand-wash on your face, even if it says it's a moisturizing brand. It may be fine on your hands but it's too drying for your face, no matter how oily your skin is.

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