How to Do Natural Makeup: 8 Steps

Do you prefer a full face of makeup or the bare minimum? Glam makeup often requires a full face of products and looks excellent in photos. Sometimes, though, you may want to opt for a more natural look, as less can be more in many situations. Knowing how to do natural makeup can help you feel more confident in your own skin and with fewer makeup products.

Your makeup experience might vary. You may wish to have fewer steps than this guide, or you might want to add a few extra optional products to help you achieve your desired look. Practice a few times and learn what you like most in the look. That’ll help you refine your routine to complete it in less time.

1. Complete Your Skincare Steps

The most important thing you can do for your skin is to take care of it. Your skincare routine should be just as extensive as your makeup routine to help maintain its health. For example, you should clean your face twice a day to lessen the risk of spreading diseases or keep oil from clogging your pores. Makeup can also dry your face out, so it’s important to hydrate it well with a moisturizer that works with your skin type.

2. Prime Your Face

Primer is the glue that holds makeup to your face all day. With a primer on, you won’t often have to worry about your makeup sliding down your face or sweating off. Some primers boast they work all day, meaning you won’t have to reapply your makeup every few hours. You might have to do touch-ups here and there, but you shouldn’t expect to have to redo your look.

If you want to add foundation, make sure it’s a light one, not a full coverage option that will make your face look cakey over time. The right foundation should feel weightless on your skin and cover all the basics, but if you take care of your face, you may not need it at all. A color-correcting primer can be good enough for a base layer and hold your makeup in place.

3. Work With Concealer

Concealer can help with several skin issues and cover up blemishes you’re worried about. Around 63% of Gen Z people with skincare concerns are worried about acne, which concealer can cover up. Concealer can also hide other blemishes and dark spots. Just make sure to blend it well, and your skin can look airbrushed and flawless. Learning how to do natural makeup includes understanding how you can make concealer work for you.

4. Bronzer and Highlighter Are Optional

When you’re opting for a more natural look, you should be able to forego a few products you would typically use for a full face of glam. Bronzer can give your face a more defined look, and highlighter can add shine to the areas you want to draw attention to. If you have extra time in your morning routine or just want to add a subtle glow to your natural makeup look, you might want to add these in — but they’re not necessary to learn how to do natural makeup.

5. Pick a Natural Blush

Blush is a great way to bring color into your face after using a light foundation or a color-correcting primer that makes your face look all one tone. You should also choose the right blush for the texture you want. A powder blush is lighter, but a cream blush can blend well into your skin, which works perfectly if you have a foundation base already set.

6. Mattify Your Face With Powder

The right powder will help lock all the products on your face and ensure you don’t shine. It’s a must-have for oily skin, even if you want to go as natural as possible. Translucent powder is a great option, especially if you aren’t using foundation, to help lightly cover up your face while decreasing the shine from natural oils. Setting powder is an excellent substitute but is often used when you have more products on your face you want to set. Some setting powders might even have talc in them, which could be a hazard to your health — so stick with the translucent powder when you can.

How you choose to apply powder is up to you. You might have a puff or use a sponge to blend it on your face. Regardless, try to blend all your products down to your neck — don’t just stop at the edge of your face, as you’ll create a harsh line there. 

7. Keep the Eyes Simple

You don’t want a dramatic eye look that creates a disconnection between your eyes and the rest of your face. Try a simple, neutral look. If you use eyeshadow at all, make sure they’re warm colors that blend with your skin tone well and add definition to your eyelids rather than intrigue.

Anything to do with your eyes goes into a single step because you shouldn’t be working too hard on them if you want them to look natural. Additionally, you may want to swap out your black eyeliner for a soft brown, which will look more natural. From there, you can choose a lifting mascara — but false lashes might be a bit too much for your standard natural look. Be sure to check on the eye makeup you have, as it has the shortest shelf life of cosmetics and should be thrown out around three months after you get it.

8. Rely on a Natural Lip

Save your bright colors for another time. When opting for a natural look, you should pick a neutral lip color or opt for a gloss that makes your original hue shine. You still want your lips moisturized, so don’t skip some kind of lip oil or balm for them. Avoid trying to line your lips or make them stand out in any other way. That look is suitable for glam days, but today, you just want your lips to be another part of your face.

Learn How to Do Natural Makeup for Any Day

Once you’re done with the look you want, you can choose your favorite setting spray to finish it off. You should let the setting spray dry before you attempt anything else, and if you make any mistakes, you can use a makeup remover cloth or an oil-based makeup remover to fix the spot. 

However, since you’re opting for a more natural appearance with this style, you may not have much to fix, especially if you don’t plan on completing an intricate eye look. However, you should keep any steps that make you feel more confident, like eyeliner or contouring. Do what feels right for you.

Learning how to do natural makeup is part of understanding the ins and outs of style. While there will always be days you want to feel more glam and confident in yourself, there will be other days where you want an easy “no makeup” look that won’t take you long. Remember, the most important part of any makeup routine is taking care of your skin. With the right skincare, you may notice you need fewer products than you previously thought.