What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look

posted by Stacie on September 29, 2023 // 53 Comments »

What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look

As with many things in life, usually less is more. I truly believe this is the case when it comes to makeup. Providing yourself with a more natural look is a lot more attractive than caking on makeup. I've found that most agree with this statement as well. This is the perfect look for makeup beginners as well as those who are experienced. Below are all of the makeup products we use daily to create a natural look. We hope that this What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look post inspires you.

What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look

Use concealers to hide any imperfections on your skin.

I LOVE the Tarte brand and the Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer is about the holy grail of concealers. Being fair-skinned, I wasn't sure how well this would work for me. But I have to say on one recent morning as I was getting ready to speak at a conference, I broke this out when I ran out of my concealer. At first, I was startled because the consistency was a little like spackle. But once I got it on, it gave me 16-hour coverage and still looked great. No one could tell I had those tired under-eye circles. This might be my favorite “must-have” beauty product.

PRO TIP: Always apply in a dabbing motion, with a light sponge or with the tools provided along with the product. Never rub the skin under your eyes. Dab lightly with your finger.

Use light foundations or powders.

I have long been an IT Cosmetics convert and, for the better part of the last decade, my go-to foundation has been the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Foundation! I love the coverage that I get and I also love how easy the powder is to apply. You can go heavy or light and it always looks great while providing excellent coverage with a natural look. Please note that the updated product that I plan to order next is the Celebration Foundation Illumination Full Coverage Powder Foundation.

PRO TIP: Apply with a light hand. It is much easier to add a little more than to have to take everything off and start over. I sometimes use one coat, many times two depending on how tired I am and then I use three coats when I am going out for the evening for a more dramatic and polished look.

Apply neutral eye shadow colors such as golds, browns, and tans.

Neutrals can bring out the colors in your eyes and go with everything as well as lend to that truly natural look. The Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Copper Charge features shimmering gold, rose-copper, and russet-brown shades and is perfection in an eyeshadow. The colors enhance my eyes perfectly, really brighten my eyes as well and it is easy to put on. I use my brushes at home and then the applicator provided when traveling.

PRO TIP: For a longer-lasting eyeshadow application, spray your shadow brush with setting spray before adding eyeshadow.

Another way to get an impressive and natural look is by using false lashes. You should keep the extension in glue, choose one extension and apply it to the natural lash, then separate them with tweezers, and you are ready. You can use a thin layer of mascara or eyeliner to reach the maximum volume when applying natural lash extensions at home. Choosing the right extension according to your eye shape is essential to achieve a more flattering look.

Apply eyeliner lightly.

Apply eyeliner lightly to your waterline. This opens up the eyes causing them to appear bigger and brighter. If you want it to be very natural-looking, don’t wear any eyeliner at all. I use Thrive Causemetics Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner in Chocolate Brown Shimmer. It glides on smoothly and I rarely have to re-apply. I always have it with me. Semi-Permanent Micropigments™️ keep this eyeliner smudge-proof and budge-proof on your eyes for all-day wear. I love this eyeliner and I cannot find anything that compares. I just ran out and substituted a similar NYX product but it's not the same. Although I'm a huge fan of the NYX Epic Ink Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner.

PRO TIP: Don't be afraid to experiment with different eyeliners. Try them out in various ways on your eyes and take pictures. I do this with my phone (in natural light) so I can see what looks best on me. This can differ from day to day.

What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look

Don't forget the eyebrows.

They say that the eyebrows frame the face and once I adopt this policy, I never feel finished if I have not used my eyebrow powder. For years I used a pencil which always gave me a harsh look until I blended it in. The day I found IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil in Auburn was the day makeup became much more fun for me. I won't use another eyebrow pencil. A close second Anastasia Beverly Hill Brow Pomade mixed Auburn and Caramel.

PRO TIP: Make certain to always highlight your eyebrows as this gives a more defined look to your face. Play around with a few colors until you find the right shade for your skin. The shade that was perfect for me doesn't exactly match my hair color but blends in perfectly and looks great.

Apply mascara to your upper lashes.

Be sure to not make it clumpy, this comes off as very unnatural looking. Properly applied mascara can make your eyes look amazing. I always need something waterproof because I live in a humid state and occasionally suffer from allergies so my mascara has to stay on through all of this. I look for great coverage, a lack of clumping, and a great brush for application. L'Oréal Voluminous Volume Building Waterproof Mascara gives me everything I need and it's buildable which is amazing. The application brush is wonderful to use because it lets you get right in there to coat those lashes and it never looks cakey. I can't even find a close second so I have it on Subscribe & Save on Amazon.

5 Ways to Say Goodbye to Sparse Brows for Good

PRO TIP: Make certain that your lashes are free from any mascara before applying. Start at the bottom and pull up slowly as you coat your lashes.

Use a bronzer, illuminator, and/or contour.

Make certain not to skip this step even if you are fair-skinned like I am and I rebelled against using these products for years before realizing how flattering they can be. Use a bronzer or contour on your most common sunspots such as your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose to provide a natural glow for your skin tend to have a little natural redness in my skin but I have found that by picking my bronzer wisely, my red looks more bronze. I always choose bronze over red.

Neutral Undertone Bronzer Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

The Cali Contour palette from Smashbox is my current go-to. When I got the Smashbox contour palette last summer, I instantly fell in love. It can be used as eyeshadow and just really gives amazing coverage so I love it! I love the colors and they complement my skin well. My only complaint is that I had to cut out the product placement from the box because nothing was labeled on the palette. I keep that cutout and the contouring insert (so two pieces of paper) inside the palette at all times to use it. They could make the mirror removable and have those printed on the palette somewhere. Anywhere.

PRO TIP: Always go light with the bronzer and add more if you need to to complete your natural look. This bronzer is perfect for contouring as well.

My other two go-to products for highlighting are from Thrive Causemetics. The Brilliant Eye Brightener in Estrella (White Pearl Shimmer) goes right above my eyebrows. Then I use an eyeshadow brush with the matte highlight from Smashbox (above) to even it out. I use the Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener in Aurora (Rose Gold Shimmer) to highlight my cheeks and other places. This is also an amazing eye shadow base because the rest of the color adheres well to it.

Complete your look with some light lip coverage.

Iris & Romeo offers the perfect light coverage in a light, shimmery pink without caking or needing a lot of re-application. The Power Peptide Lip Balm from Iris & Romeo is perfection in a jar. I am using Peony and am considering making it my signature color. I have never used a product so quickly and told so many people about it. I LOVE THIS STUFF! Iris & Romeo “set out to make a lip balm that doesn't dry you out, and this is a game changer. The 3-in-1 rich, buttery balm is also a plumping and hydrating treatment with a sheer, buildable color.

“Made with clinical levels of collagen-boosting biomimetic triple-peptides that increase lip volume and firmness, while deeply hydrating. Our exclusive rose wax is blended using nutritious oils and moisturizing butter including Bulgarian rosa damascena, rosa centifolia, shea butter, rose hip oil, and camellia oil.” I am about to run out of my holy grail lip product and I need more.”

PRO TIP: Find as many products as you can that contain SPF. The more coverage the better. I even apply a moisturizer with SPF before I put on any makeup.

What You Need for a Soft Natural Makeup Look

Natural and professional-looking makeup not only looks good but it can make you feel good as well. Use these tips and products to achieve the perfect natural makeup look for you. This is a little peek in my makeup bag. I keep all of my makeup organized with the Trina Vivien Essential Travel Train Case in Blue. I guarantee on any given day that all of the products above will be with me in my makeup bag. They are a critical part of my beauty routine. While it doesn't help that I am a total beauty product junkie, I do love trying new things but they must be pretty spectacular to make it into my makeup bag for everyday use.

For our male readers, Check out this post answering the age old question: Was Makeup Made For Men