Not for a moment am I trying to suggest going makeup-free all the time, but even I choose to skip on makeup occasionally. Summer days on the Costa del Sol easily exceed 110 degrees and when there are no air conditioners available it sometimes feels as if my face will melt off together with my makeup.
Here are my 12 hacks for looking good with no makeup:
- Apply Moisturizer As A Highlighter
- Exercise Before Heading Out
- Care For Your Under-Eye Area
- Never Skip SPF Sun Protection
- Keep Excess Oil Under Control
- Stay Hydrated For The Sake Of Your Skin And Health
- Exfoliate Regularly
- Curl Your Eyelashes For An Instant Lash-Lift
- Brush Your Brows With A Spoolie
- Keep Your Lips Hydrated
- Dab Facial Oil To Seal In Moisture
- Brighten Your Teeth For A Radiant Smile
Let’s learn the beauty hacks that will allow you to still feel/look elegant and feminine, even without makeup.
Apply Moisturizer As A Highlighter
When you go makeup-free, using a highlighter is off-limits. However, you can achieve a similar effect by applying extra moisturizer or day cream to your cheekbones, cupid’s bow, and under your brow bone.
This will help these key areas reflect light and help your skin attain a natural, lustrous glow. Maybe use daily moisturizing cream enhanced with rosy pigments to instantly revive skin’s rosy tone, so you’ll be left with a healthy, rosy highlight.
Exercise Before Heading Out
You can bring a natural glow to your skin just by getting your blood pumping. According to the Cleveland Clinic, cardio can benefit your skin by increasing circulation, leading to healthier skin as well.
Not to mention doing physical activity gives many of us a natural flush. Jump rope, go for a jog around the block or do some jumping jacks and high knees before you head out.
Your elevated heart rate and increased blood circulation will bring subtle color and oxygen to your skin, helping you to look awake and fresh-faced without any makeup.
Even when I do wear makeup I try to get my workout done early each morning. It gives me a feeling of achievement at the start of the day and it helps me get on top of my hydration plan.
Care For Your Under-Eye Area
I know that dark under-eye circles are a trending look that comes and goes from time to time – usually around school and university exams. However, if you don’t love yours then you probably also use makeup to cover them up daily.
The key to avoiding dark circles and puffiness is by getting plenty of rest and caring for that sensitive skin under your eyes.
I use L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment as my daily eye cream.
There is an old puffy-eye hack that I remember from when I was a child. We would Place cold teaspoons on your eyes as mini-icepacks for puffy eyes.
A modern version of this same hack is to keep your eye cream in the fridge. The cool sensation can help to instantly de-puff the under-eye area in the morning.
Never Skip SPF Sun Protection
Don’t ever spend a day outside—or indoors if you’ll be around a lot of windows—without applying a good quality sunscreen.
Sunscreen is one of the best ways to ward off premature skin aging in addition to serious skin damage.
If you take good care of your skin it will help you look better without makeup.
One way to make this an easy part of your skincare routine and use a moisturizer formulated with broad-spectrum SPF so you can moisturize and protect your skin all at once.
I use L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30.
Keep Excess Oil Under Control
I know that having glowing, dewy skin is totally desirable. There can sometimes be a fine line between that and greasy, oily-looking skin.
If you notice your complexion getting shiny during the day or night, use a blotting paper or two to remove unwanted oil and shine.
Stay Hydrated For The Sake Of Your Skin And Health
We all have friends and have seen influencers with seemingly perfect skin. When they get asked what they do to look so good, always tend to say they drink lots of water.
I have a friend that does wedding makeup and she is always pushing her bride-clients to increase their water consumption for the 6 weeks before their big day.
Well, there is some truth to their method. According to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, including more water in one’s regular diet can have a positive impact on skin. We all know that but never seem to actually do much about it.
So, try putting this theory to practice for the next 3 weeks and see how hydrated skin makes for healthier-looking skin.
Exfoliate Regularly
If you have been following my posts here on Pink Femme for a while then you likely know by now that exfoliating weekly helps you keep breakouts at bay by removing buildup and gunk that holds bacteria onto the skin. Then you should also know that exfoliating removes the dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.
The result of exfoliating is that your skin looks more radiant and brighter without adding a bronzer or highlighter.
Curl Your Eyelashes For An Instant Lash-Lift
Get some of the effects of using mascara without actually wearing mascara. You can open up your eyes and help them look wider as long as you have a lash curler.
Gently crimp your lashes with your eyelash curler for an instant lash lift effect. To make the process even easier for you, follow my step-by-step tutorial in the Pink Femme article, How To Use An Eyelash Curler.
Brush Your Brows With A Spoolie
The natural look of having bold brows is still a beauty staple at the moment. Luckily that makes going without brow makeup a good look.
You can achieve this with the help of your spoolie. Luckily for you, I have an entire article called What Is A Spoolie that explains how to use one in your beauty game.
Simply brushing through your brows with a dry spoolie to guide them into the shape you want. It will help your brows look neat and put together without having to use a brow pencil or powder.
Keep Your Lips Hydrated
Having cracked lips is not exactly the way that you want to draw attention to your face.
Besides giving your lips an exfoliating scrub from time to time, you will also want to invest in a hydrating lip balm to keep your lips soft and moisturized.
Even petroleum jelly can look like a tantalizing gloss when your lips are healthy and hydrated.
This is so important that it has even been included in the 40 Steps To Femme program here on Pink Femme. You can find it here in Step Number 19.
Dab Facial Oil To Seal In Moisture
Apply some facial oil as a final step of your no-makeup routine to seal in moisture. This last step will also leave your complexion with a natural, healthy glow. We all know that glowing skin never goes out of style.
Think of facial oil as a natural substitute for highlighter on the high points of your face like what you did with moisturizer in tip number 1.
Just make sure to dab very lightly. Don’t drench your skin or you will make your complexion look oily and need to blot the excess oil throughout the day.
Brighten Your Teeth For A Radiant Smile
You can’t deny that a bright smile makes you look better than any lip gloss, foundation, or contour you can apply.
Luckily, it doesn’t take that much to get one.
Whether you swear by teeth whitening strips or simply brush twice daily with whitening toothpaste, brighter teeth will instantly make you look good.
Why not expand your knowledge even further by reading another makeup/beauty article here on Pink Femme. You can find them either via the menu at the top of the page or by clicking this link that will take you to the list of all the beauty articles.