After time after time of wearing a full face and full eye makeup, sometimes I get tired of it and prefer a simpler, more basic look that lets my natural eye shape and eye area be "free", as well as my whole face in general. It can be a very refreshing, clean, personal feeling. I still struggle with being confident with my features- not even close friends saw me without eyeliner, let alone foundation, in my first years of high school. Now, I've settled a bit more into my look and accepted it for what it is, and I praise and focus on the things I like. To celebrate that, here's my most basic current look, inspired by the Parisian women's style of minimal makeup other than a perfect red lip. (My bob may have brought me a bit closer to my French heritage... or maybe it was too much French cafe music).

 


 
     For this look I started with a clean, moisturized face and Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, which I also use on my eyelids. Once that settled in I put a small dab of concealer on each eyelid, patted it on evenly, and set it with baby powder. I do this to cover up my veins from thin skin, so if you're fair or just have prominent veins like me, this is a good idea if you want them covered- I'm currently using MAC Select Cover-Up in the shade NW15.
   
     I then use an angled brush and NYX Eyebrow Powder in Blonde to fill in my brows. I begin with applying a fairly thick, dark layer and take care shaping and slightly extending them, following my own brow shape. After that I run a spoolie through them to take out the darkness and make sure everything is even and slightly lighter towards the inner brow. If I brushed off too much powder at the inner parts or I feel like they need more structure, I'll re-apply a little, creating a rounded square shape. If you are creating a bare, minimal look like this, you don't want your brows too dark or too overworked. It will make your face look harsh and there will be too much focus on your brows.

     I don't use any eyeshadow other than a little shimmer under my brows and in the inner corners to brighten up the area. In this case I used Venus from the Naked Basics palette, which is a perfect highlight for both heavy and bare makeup looks. If you desire a bit more of a heavy look, the Basics palette, or a similar matte one, is perfect for natural looks.

     You want to spend some time on your lashes, because there won't be eyeliner or eyeshadow to hide clumps! My favorite mascara is Benefit They're Real, but right now I'm using Covergirl Bombshell Volume and am really pleased with it. Don't overdo your bottom lashes, but focus on creating full, natural ones on top. I naturally don't have fantastic lashes so there's not a lot I can do without wearing falsies, so I embrace my shorter lashes and work with what I have.

     For my face, I do my normal routine, but use less contour, only adding a little to the sides of my nose and on my neck to blend my makeup to my skin there. Instead I focus on blush, buffing it across my cheekbones. I personally like bringing it up in an curve to about the end of my eyebrows on my temple a bit, like I would if I was contouring. I'm using NYX Blush in Pinched, my current favorite.

     The lips, if you choose to do a lipstick, are the most important part, as the focus of the look. Pick a tone, warm or cool, that suits your skin tone, and a lipstick of quality. Line your lips with a matching or close shade so that it doesn't bleed out onto your skin. You can just line your lips, but I prefer filling them in completely after first outlining. It makes lipstick last, and if your lipstick wears off, you have a base that won't budge. Here I'm using Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout, which I was surprised to find is thick and dark enough to be a lipstick, and the color is gorgeous.

     This can be a very quick look, if you're in a hurry or just aren't overly fond of putting on makeup. Skipping eyeliner definitely cuts down my makeup time; there's no rushing a good wing.

 

     Enjoy your beautiful, natural eyes and face shape and be a little bold like a French woman with a statement lip!


~Charity