Although I’ve been working in the beauty industry since I was 17 (where I started off on a makeup counter in my local Boots), my approach to makeup has been a long and winding path. Since my early teens, I’ve stopped off at some seriously questionable locations (cc: my overly plucked, drawn on eyebrows at age 15) before landing at my final destination: no-makeup makeup.
While my infatuation for colorful smoky eyes was intense but fleeting and I had a brief dalliance with heavy contour, my love for no-makeup makeup has endured the past few years without fail.
And it’s not just me; although the name might sound counterintuitive, this style has taken over as the modern-day makeup ‘goal’. Intrigued? Read on…
What is no-makeup makeup?
Though it’s tricky to pin down its exact source, the no-makeup makeup look started to take off around the time that Glossier was gaining its die-hard fanbase in the mid-late 2010s. Since then it’s evolved into different iterations, including the most recent ‘clean girl’ aesthetic on TikTok.
No-makeup makeup involves using makeup products (shocking, I know) to achieve a natural, fresh look that to the untrained eye looks like you’re wearing minimal-to-no makeup and really, really great skincare. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, there’s a little work to it…
How to achieve the no-makeup makeup look
Getting this look down to a fine art has been a process of trial and error, but I’ve learned a few lessons along the way.
Firstly, your skincare is what’s going to make the biggest difference to how your no-makeup makeup looks. I tend to go for skincare products that give me as much of a glowy base as possible; our skin is always secreting oils and therefore nobody’s complexion is naturally matte.
Using hydrating skincare also lends to the ‘fresh’ finish that has come hand in hand with this makeup trend, so I always make sure to use serums and moisturisers that leave my skin plump.
I also almost never use a powder, and if I do, it goes on sparingly. Looking airbrushed or matte isn’t the goal for this look, however if you do have an oilier skin type, use a hydrating setting powder in specific places to minimise excess shine.
To that end, I use almost exclusively cream and liquid makeup products, even when it comes to blush and bronzer. Cream products tend to have the most skin-like finish and I find are much better for layering in harmony with one another, so you can avoid dry patches and that dreaded pilling.
When it comes to achieving the no-makeup makeup look, these are the 6 products I can always rely upon to give me my desired glazed-like-a-donut finish.
The primer: Vieve Skin Nova
Primers never really made it into my makeup routine until I tried this for the first time. It was love at first swatch; the golden liquid feels more like a skincare product than a primer (probably because it’s infused with skincare ingredients) and lights up the skin as soon as you apply it.
I think of this primer like golden hour in a tube. It’s a bit on the pricier end, but it makes you look like you’ve had a facial without having to fork out hundreds.
The base: Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
This skin tint was one of the first things I bought from Glossier and what kick-started my conversion to the no-makeup makeup look. Lighter than a tinted moisturiser, the formula applies almost like a water-based serum; it’s super sheer so won’t provide much coverage but it does leave the skin with a healthy all-over glow which has me hooked. For places that need more coverage, I’ll spot conceal before blending the Skin Tint over the top.
The lashes: Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, £9.99
When I’m not using at-home lash extensions (which are perfect for the no-makeup makeup look but can rack up a bit of an expensive habit if you’re doing them all the time), this is my go-to mascara and has been for years. I’ve tried the most expensive mascaras, the TikTok viral budget ones, and every waterproof mascara in-between, but none can beat the natural, fanned-out lashes that this one gives me.
The lipstick: Sann Beauty Nourish + Tint
This lipstick has been one of my best beauty discoveries of the past year. It’s a solid lip serum which glides onto the lips for a subtle, hydrating hit of colour. My favourite shade, Morning Dew, is the most natural neutral colour I’ve found for my skin tone, which gives a natural blush pink and pillowy, moisturised lips.
The blush: Morphe Blush Balm Soft-Focus Cream Blush
Up until fairly recently I never wore blusher. My pale skin made me fearful of putting any colour on it, worrying I’d end up looking like some terrifying garden gnome. After trying a cream blusher for the first time however, I was converted.
Morphe’s Blush Balm is a super creamy blusher which melts into the skin like butter and delivers a soft flush of colour. As mentioned, I find you can always judge how much you’re applying better with cream products vs powder, and they always end up giving a more natural finish.
The contour: Fenty Beauty Match Stix Mini Duo Amber
Incorporating contour into my daily makeup routine has truly changed my life. Where I used to apply bronzer all-over, I’ll now forgo it for a quick swipe of a contour stick in the middle of my cheekbones (the Kate Moss trick) and a bit along my jawline. I can’t overstate how much creating a bit of shadow and definition on your face can change your whole look, and without having to spend hours on it.
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