Tips on how to create the "No Makeup" Makeup Look

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, and less time spent on make up in the morning. Despite this, wearing little or no make up can be daunting, especially if u have bad skin, unshaped eyebrows or broken/dried lips. Today am going to show you how to successfully pull off the no make-up look while having a beautiful glowing skin.

1. 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.

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.

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 them 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.

THE "NO-MAKEUP" MAKEUP LOOK

Moisturize your face. Using a small dab the size of a pea, gently rub in an unscented, oil free lotion. For a more natural look, instead of using foundation, use a tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizers blend in while evening out your skin tone and commonly contain SPF. Those lucky girls with clearer skin will look best using tinted moisturizer.

Apply concealer to any blemishes and around your eyes. Applying your concealer before foundation helps keep foundation to a minimal amount. Make sure this is the exact same color as your skin. When you apply the concealer, do so directly on the spot and not around it. This is to avoid a halo effect and emphasis of the spot. Set with beige powder. Be careful not to overdo it on the concealer; you only need enough to cover the spot.

Take your finger or a sponge dab in the foundation, and dab it on your face, blending it until it looks like your skin tone. Be sure to go underneath your jaw line; if you stop at the edge of your face, there will be a clear line where the foundation ends, making it look like you’re wearing a mask. If you have bags or discoloration under your eyes, make 3 dots on the line of the circles under your eyes. Blend it gently using your ring finger.

Apply Bronzer or blush(never apply both for a natural look). Some people wait until after they have applied makeup to their eyes to add bronzer or blush. Bronzer is a great way to give yourself a natural glow. Lightly brush bronzer all over your face (or just along your cheekbones and T-Zone for a natural suntan appearance). However, bronzer can look silly on people with pale skin if applied incorrectly. If you were not happy with bronzer, you can apply blush instead. Creme blush generally works better than powder because it gives you a dewy look and lasts longer.

Apply a sheer nude lip color. Avoid using chalky lipsticks or shiny lip glosses. Lip stain is generally best because it looks natural and lasts all day. Use a color that's close to your natural lip color.Dab a tiny amount of the shimmering blush onto the center of your lips. Test this step out at home before going out with it on--some people do not like the look of blush in the center of your lips. Do what feels (and looks) best to you!

Enjoy your dewy, fresh, radiant look.

How to clean your makeup brush

Now that you know which brushe to use for contouring and which to use for concealing, do you also know that you should be cleaning your makeup brushes? Washing your makeup brushes should be a regular part of your beauty routine. When you use your brushes, bits of makeup, oil, dirt, and even bacteria can get trapped in the bristles. So while it might seem basic, skipping this step can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. Not to mention the fact that quality makeup brushes can be expensive. So learning how to properly clean them is one of the best ways to protect your investment

Luckily, cleaning your makeup brushes is quick and easy. The first step to keeping your brushes clean is picking up a daily brush cleaner and spritzing it on your brushes after each use (I like Sephora’s Daily Brush Cleaner). Once a week, it’s time for a deep cleaning. (Note that your brushes will need a few hours to dry after a deep cleaning, so I’d recommend washing them after you’ve applied your makeup that day.)

Here’s the right way to deep clean your makeup brushes…

You will need:

• A shallow bowl

• Gentle clarifying shampoo or baby shampoo

• Your sink

• A lint free cloth

Instructions:

1. Begin by running your brushes under lukewarm water, rinsing out all of the residual makeup. Try to focus on the actual bristles while avoiding the part of the brush where handle meets the head, as this can loosen the glue over time .

2. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a squirt of shampoo, and gently swirl your brush tip in the water. If you need to, you can also swirl the brush in the palm of your hand to work up a lather.

3. Rinse the brush tip under running water once again. Repeat steps two and three until the water runs clear from the brush.

4. Use a cloth to wipe your brush clean, reshaping the bristles as you go.

5. Lay your brushes flat on a cloth to dry.

And there you have it! Your makeup brushes will be as clean a whistle. It’s also worth mentioning that there are specially formulated brush shampoos on the market. A gentle clarifying or baby shampoo will do the trick just fine though.

Makeup brushes and their uses

There are different types of make-up brushes which makes it very confusing to use. And unfortunately with make-up brushes you can’t just start with the smallest one and work your way in.  There are so many brushes and so many uses that it can be quite daunting and hard to know where to start.  But once you learn it, it’s definitely worth it, so let’s begin with a list of the most common make-up brushes and their uses. 

Foundation Brush

As the name suggests, this brush is designed for applying liquid foundation. Foundation brushes have tightly packed bristles of varying lengths to help achieve a smooth, non-streaky finish. You can apply foundation to your face and then use the brush to spread and blend or alternatively apply your foundation directly to the brush and then apply to the face, starting at the nose and working your way out. The second method uses less product and allows for a more precise application.

Powder Brush

The powder brush is one of the largest make-up brushes and has a wide variety of purposes. It is soft, full and rounded, allowing it to easily pick up powdered products. You can use it to distribute powder evenly to large areas, such as the face and neck. Simply pat the brush into your powder product, dust off any excess and apply using sweeping and circular motions. this brush can also be used to apply bronzer.

Stippling Brush

A stippling brush, also known as a duo-fibre brush or skunk brush is a multi-purpose brush that is most commonly used with liquid foundation, blush and bronzer. The black bristles are tightly packed together and usually made out of animal hair. Poking out above these are the white bristles, generally made from synthetics.The flat, circular, feathery head provides lightweight and buildable coverage that won’t remove any of the make-up you've already applied, so it’s perfect for layering.

Concealer Brush

This brush may be little, but when used correctly the impact it makes can be huge. We’re always told to pat in concealer not rub, but this can be difficult when applying with your fingers. Use this brush to gently pat on your concealer for smooth and flawless coverage. Whether it’s dark circles under your eyes, spots or discoloration, this nifty little brush will give you more control over those annoying imperfections. 

Blusher Brush

A blusher brush is used for applying your blush. The blusher brush is made with fine, gentle fibres with a soft rounded head. It’s ideal for applying powdered colour to the apples of your cheeks and blending it up along your cheekbone.

Contour Brush

The slanted bristles are intended to mimic the angle of your cheekbones, so it’s perfect for blending, highlighting and shading using a bronzer or illuminating powder. 

Eye Base Brush & Angle Eye Shadow brush

There are many different types of eye shadow brushes, but these two are the most commonly used. The eye base brush is used to apply colour to your entire eyelid. It’s wide, flat and short, with a bevelled edge to allow smooth application without pulling on the eyelid. Once a base colour has been applied, the angled eye shadow brush or contour eye shadow brush is then used for layering colour and creating hard lines along the eyelid crease. 

Smudger Brush

Sometimes found on the other end of an eye pencil, a smudger brush is ideal for softening hard lines and creating a smoldering look. The dome shaped bristles are shaped to fit perfectly into the crease of the eye and is a must-have for creating smokey eyes.

Lip Brush

A lip brush is a great way to achieve a perfect line when you don’t have a lip liner handy (or can’t find the right colour). The sculpted tip of the lip brush allows for precise application and lining of the lip, while the short and firm bristles gives flawless overall coverage. It’s also a more hygienic way to apply lipstick if you tend to share with housemates, friends or sisters.

Recommended brushes:

1. Lancome Foundation Brush

2. Natio Powder Brush

3. ARTISTE Stippling Brush #17

4. Bobbi Brown Concealer Brush

5. The Body Shop Blusher Brush

6. MAC Large Angled Contour Brush 168

7. GLO MINERALS Eye Base Brush

8. Natio Angle Eye Shadow Brush

9. ARTISTE Rounded Smudge Brush #29

10. Avon Retractable Lip Brush

Do you use make-up brushes to apply your make-up? What is your hero brush?