what to wear: no-makeup makeup

Ask any guy and he’ll tell you his favorite look to see on the special lady in his life is a bare-faced one. Now, whether that’s a truly bare face or whether she’s a master of the “no-makeup makeup” look is known only to the couple, but that look is one that comes back around every Summer, if not every Saturday. (Because really, what else goes quite as well with jeans and a classic white tee?*)

More practically speaking, we live in Virginia, and it gets HOT. What do you do if you want to look put together, but don’t want to put on a whole bunch of makeup that may or may not remove itself from your face the moment the sun hits your skin?

I adore the look Audrey Tautou is wearing in this photo. She looks polished, lightly perfected, but still natural. She looks like her makeup didn’t take four years to apply, and that she’s better-looking for it!

Here’s a step-by-step to show you how to achieve this naturally beautiful look.

Step One: Use a fluffy brush to apply a cream colored shadow from lashes to brow. Put a thin line of a deep brown eyeliner just along the upper lashes, keeping as close to the lash line as possible. For this step, I recommend Smashbox Always Sharp in Sumatra–it’s super soft, but also waterproof!

Step Two: Use a beauty blender to lightly apply Jouer’s Luminizing Moisture Tint or Matte Moisture Tint (depending on your skin type) just in the areas you need to even the tone of your skin. Touch up your under eye with a bit of concealer, if you need it.

Step Three: Keep using your beauty blender to apply a rose-hued cream blush. Keep the color high on the apple of the cheek, to lift and give a youthful effect.

Step Four: Brighten your lower waterline with a flesh toned eye pencil, and add two coats of your favorite volumizing mascara to curled lashes. For an even more easy-breezy look, don’t bother applying mascara to lower lashes. For soft volume, I adore Rilastil Volumizing Mascara. It’s super-buildable, but never clumpy.

Step Five: Fill in your eyebrows with a pencil, only where absolutely necessary, and top with a corresponding shade of brow mousse.

Step Six: Swipe a rosy lipstick over exfoliated lips, and line the cupid’s bow with a liner in the same shade, just to perfect the shape. Lipstick Queen’s “Pink Sinner” is an awesome option for full coverage plus a touch of moisture, and has just enough color to look like you tried…but not too hard.

*Ponytail optional

• Author Details

Elizabeth Cestrone

erwhitcomb@gmail.com