12 Steps to Natural Everyday Makeup

Are you ready to feel fresh and confident to start your day? Simple, natural everyday makeup will help cover imperfections, define your bone structure, and highlight your pretty eyes without making the overall look too overwhelming. A little foundation and powder, light eye makeup, and a neutral lip color will give you a natural yet vibrant look.

Part 1: Preparing Your Face.

Step 1: Wash your face thoroughly.

Before applying makeup in the morning, wash your face to start with a fresh canvas. Use a cleanser or simply splash your face with warm water a few times to wash away dirt and impurities. Pat dry with a soft towel. Avoid washing your face with hot water. This will dry out your skin and make it prone to irritation. Warm water is the best choice when washing your face. Don't scrub your face too hard. This will make the delicate skin on your face callous over time.

Step 2: Consider exfoliating.

You don't necessarily need to exfoliate daily, but doing so every few days is essential to keep your skin fresh. Applying makeup to dry, flaky skin will make your face show imperfections. Exfoliate your skin with a small cleansing brush, exfoliating brush, or other exfoliating tool designed for facial use.

Focus on areas prone to dryness and flakiness. Regular use of a mask is another good way to keep your facial skin smooth and taut. Choose a clay mask to cleanse pores and help purify your skin when you rinse it off.

Step 3: Apply moisturizer.

The last step before applying makeup is to apply a little moisturizer. This will help your makeup adhere more easily and create a fresher look. Choose a good moisturizer that suits your skin type. Gently massage it all over your face.

Don't forget to apply cream to your eyelids, lips, and nose. Allow the moisturizer to absorb into your skin for a few minutes before you move on to makeup. Applying makeup while your face is still wet or sticky will make it messy!

Part 2: Apply Foundation and Powder.

Step 1: Apply foundation that matches your skin tone.

Choose a foundation that suits your skin type and skin tone. Liquid foundation is a suitable choice for many skin types. You can also use tinted moisturizer or BB cream. If you have oily skin, you might consider using a pressed or powder foundation. When shopping in-store, try your foundation to ensure it matches your face by dabbing a little onto your jawline.

You shouldn't apply it to the back of your hand to test, as the skin tone on the back of your hand will be different from your face. Use a brush, makeup sponge, or your fingers to apply foundation evenly to your face. Make sure the foundation isn't caked in any areas. Avoid applying multiple layers of foundation to areas with imperfections, as a thick layer will only highlight them. Blend the foundation around the edges of your face and down to your chin.

Expert tip: Apply highlighter to your cheekbones immediately after applying foundation. This will make your makeup more radiant and make you look great!

Step 2: Apply concealer.

Choose a concealer that matches your skin tone; if you have dark circles under your eyes, use one shade lighter than your skin tone. Use a brush or your finger to apply a small amount of concealer by dotting it under your eyes and gently blending it. This will make your eyes look bright instead of tired and dark.

If you're trying to simplify your makeup routine, you can skip concealer. It all depends on what features you want to highlight or conceal on your face. Use a little more concealer if necessary, but still make sure the concealer matches your skin tone.

Expert tip: Apply primer first to make your concealer last longer. Then, use concealer on areas with dark circles and imperfections, like under-eye circles.

Step 3: Apply powder.

Choose a setting powder that matches your skin tone. Use a powder brush (a large, fluffy brush will help the powder apply more evenly) to apply the setting powder evenly to your face in circular motions. This will help your makeup look natural and also help your foundation last longer.

On days when you have more time for makeup, you can also apply bronzer and highlighter to contour your face. Bronzer helps create subtle shadows, while highlighter will brighten the features you want to emphasize on your face.

Step 4: Apply blush.

Choose a blush in a pink tone to give your face the freshest color. Swirl a blush brush in the compact, then smile and apply the blush to your cheeks in circular motions.

Part 3: Eye and Lip Makeup.

Step 1: Apply eyeshadow.

Choose a neutral eyeshadow palette for a simple look suitable for your everyday style. Brown, gold, gray, and blue tones are all good options, depending on your eye color. Avoid using overly bright colors or smoky eyeshadow palettes, as they will look out of place or too much for an everyday makeup style.

Here's how to apply eyeshadow for a natural and pretty look: Start by applying a base shade close to your skin tone. Use your finger or an eyeshadow brush to apply the shadow to your eyelids and blend it up to your brow bone. Apply a medium-dark shade to your lash line, from the lashes up to the crease. Use a fine brush to blend the colors in the crease.

Step 2: Use eyeliner.

Choose eyeliner in charcoal, navy, or brown for daytime use and save black eyeliner for nighttime. Draw a line just above your lashes, being careful to ensure the line is smooth and straight. Use an eyeshadow brush to gently blend to soften the line. You can use pencil or liquid eyeliner.

These two options are great for daytime use. You can also use a darker eyeshadow for a more natural look. If the line smudges, use a cotton swab to clean it, then redraw another line. For a simple everyday look, you shouldn't line your lower lashes.

Step 3: Apply mascara.

Apply a coat of mascara to both your upper and lower lashes. Move the brush from the root of your lashes outwards to the tips. After applying to one eye, dip the brush back into the mascara tube once more before applying to the other eye. Black or brown mascara is suitable for everyday makeup. If you don't want to apply mascara, you can use an eyelash curler to naturally curl your lashes.

Step 4: Apply lipstick.

Use lip gloss or pink lip gloss or a neutral color to complete your everyday makeup. Avoid using bold lip liners and overly bright lip colors during the day. Blot your lips with a tissue to remove excess lipstick or lip gloss.

If you want to use a brighter lip color, you can tone down the makeup by only applying lipstick to your lower lip and then pressing your lips together to even out the color, then apply a layer of clear lip gloss.

Step 5: Complete your simple everyday makeup.

Author: Luca Buzas. Translator: Bich Ngoc.

Source: Wikihow. Copyright: Kallos Vietnam.

A little about the author Luca Buzas

This article is co-authored by Luca Buzas. Luca Buzas is a makeup artist, fashion stylist, and creative coordinator based in Los Angeles, California with over 10 years of experience. Luca focuses her work on photography, film, advertising, and web content.

She has worked with brands such as Champion, Gillette, Disney, The North Face, and with celebrities such as Magic Johnson, Julia Michaels, and Chris Hemsworth. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Styling from Mod'Art International Hungary.