How to Create the 'No Makeup' Look ...

A painter always primes his canvas before beginning his masterpiece, and you need to prepare your skin before starting your 'no makeup' look. Start with a gentle exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells, or use a clean face cloth and cleanser. Then apply moisturizer and allow your skin to absorb it before the next step.

Next, you should even out your skin tone. One way of doing this is with a tinted moisturizer, which is great for giving you a natural look. If you don't have any tinted moisturizer, you can add a little of your normal moisturizer to your foundation. If you're using foundation without 'diluting' it, you only need to apply it to those areas in need of coverage. And blend it in carefully!

A good concealer will hide any blemishes and help give you a flawless face. It's best to start with a tiny amount and build it up. You don't want your makeup to look caked on. Too much concealer makes it obvious that you're wearing makeup, and draws attention to the very things you want to hide!

Your next step for your makeup-free look is to add blusher. Choose a warm shade that gives a natural glow. If you struggle to put your blusher in the right place, try sucking your cheeks in; this will make your cheekbones stand out. This is where the sun would naturally catch your skin, so blush here will enhance your cheekbones with a very natural look.

For no-makeup eyes you'll need a shade that 's close to your skin tone; look for one that's just a little darker. You don't need to fuss around with different shadows and blending. Keep it simple with just one shade. It's not necessary to add liner, but if you do want to, dot a little neutral liner on your upper lid.

Then add definition to your lashes with mascara. Stick to the upper lashes, as using mascara on the lower lashes risks looking spidery (which is far from natural!). Tinting your lashes is also a great way to get natural-looking lashes. If you have naturally-dark lashes, you could try a clear mascara.

Finish off your 'no makeup' look with a lip color that's as close to the natural shade of your lips as you can find. Sheer colors are best, as these will define your lips without adding too much pigment. For just a hint of color, try applying the lipstick using your finger.

The aim of a 'no makeup' look is to achieve a more polished version of your natural face, so it's not really surprising that it takes a bit of work to get this look! It's not the same as wearing no makeup at all; you may want to give that impression, but you'll need to take a bit of time to get there. Are you happy to be seen without makeup?