As much as we love lipstick, blush and a few swipes of that magical concealer, we would love to go the no makeup way as well. Don’t you have days when you just don’t have the energy or don’t feel like spending all that time layering on makeup? Even the no makeup looks we see today need at least 5-10 products if not more to make it seem like you’re not wearing any makeup. In this world full of influencers and celebrities looking nothing less than perfect all day, it’s a lot of pressure to look put together all the time. We get it, we feel it too sometimes. But I’m here to tell you that you need not assume that wearing makeup is the only way to look good. If you take a little better care of your body and your skin, your skin will glow from the inside and out and you won’t even need highlighter!
10 Tips To Look Good Without Makeup
Here are a few great tips you can rely on to go makeup-free more often than ever and still look fabulous. Follow these tricks to look good without makeup and let your gorgeous skin steal the show. You natural beauty, you!
1. Hot Water And Lemon For Super Fresh Skin
2. Up Your Cleansing Game
Clean skin is the most important step to look pretty without makeup. You must cleanse your skin twice a day, every day – once in the morning and once in the night. There’s no two ways about it, girls, so don’t be lazy about it. It’s the only way to wash away dirt, grime, oil and pollution. Just make sure not to be too enthusiastic as over-cleansing or cleansing your skin too often can be unhealthy. Stick to twice or even thrice on certain days, but not more than that.
Double cleansing is a great choice if you wear makeup or even sunscreen on a daily basis. In the night, use a cleansing oil or a cleansing balm to take off all the makeup, skincare and dirt accumulated on your skin. Follow this up with a mild cleanser and a toner and moisturiser designed for your skin type. Read this post on double cleansing and Cleanse-Tone-Moisturise (CTM) routines and you’ll have the skin of your dreams in no time.
Try the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (Rs 2,950)
3. Get Your Brows On Fleek
Your eyebrows can really make a difference to your appearance. Well-defined and well-groomed brows pull your features into focus and frame your face. Thicker brows look more natural, softer and youthful and are very essential for a groomed look even with no makeup on.
Making your brows look fuller and perfect has never been easier than it is now. Bushy, bold brows are all the rage. We have a plethora of makeup products at our disposal that will give you brows on fleek with just the swipe of a wand. Try using eyebrow products like eyebrow mascara, brow powder or even brown eyeshadow to give your brows a fuller, thicker look. If you don’t want to use any products, just brush your brow hair upwards with the help of a spoolie. This will give them that messy, unkempt appearance that’s very popular right now.
4. Get Glowy With Your Moisturizer
We don’t need to tell you twice the importance of moisturizing your face diligently but do try this sneaky tip to really give your skin a pretty glow and you will never need highlighter again. Use a glowy moisturiser or a lightweight facial oil on the highpoints of your face. A few drops will add that natural luminosity to your skin.
If you want to use a little bit of makeup, just add a few drops of illuminator to your moisturiser and dab it onto the high points of your face for a luminous effect. We also love MAC’s Strobe cream, which is a lightweight cream with a pearly finish to brighten skin and give it a subtle glow even when you feel like going out without makeup.
5. Ice Yourself
We believe this will become one of your favourite things to do for your skin when you are going all natural with no makeup. In the morning, take an ice cube and run it along with your entire face. Your cheeks, eyes, forehead and anywhere that you suffer from puffy skin and any redness. The ice will wake up your skin, promote blood circulation, reduce redness and make your pores tighter while de-puffing your skin. Not to mention the glow! It’s the easiest way to wake up your skin and totally brighten it up. It’s practically a mini-spa experience, for free!
6. Sleep… But Don’t Oversleep!
Your skin looks the best when you’ve had your 8 hours of sleep. A no makeup, all natural look does not go well with dull and sleepy eyes. We all know how important beauty sleep is, so make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye all the time to allow your skin to repair and rejuvenate. It really is important if you want healthy, glowing skin. While 7-8 hours of sleep is essential, make sure you’re not oversleeping. Some people function perfectly well on 6 or 7 hours while others need 10. Figure out what’s best for your body and stick to it. Staying in bed for much longer and oversleeping causes puffiness – and let’s face it, how can we look good when we’re in a rush to run out the door?
7. Relax With A Face Mask
Your skin deserves some extra love and care ever so often and the best way to pamper it is with a nourishing DIY facemask. They’re super easy to prepare and require common ingredients to hydrate your skin and give it that glow. Sit back and relax in front of your TV and let a good face mask do its job to rejuvenate your skin instantly. Milk, yoghurt, bananas, honey, rosewater and Multani mitti are some things you’ll have lying around that are great for giving you silky soft skin and would help you look pretty even with no make-up on. Once or twice a week is more than enough for visibly healthier skin. Find some super simple face masks using just 2 ingredients here.
If you’re on board the Korean Beauty skincare routine, a sheet mask and chill on the weekends sounds like every girl’s spa day. Pick up a few sheet masks the next time you’re online shopping and stash them in the fridge. The cool sheet masks will make your skin feel refreshed and rejuvenated on a hot summer’s day.
8. Put The (Vitamin) C In Complexion
Vitamin C is like a superstar skincare ingredient as it helps smoothen skin, brightens it and fights signs of ageing. It’s the answer to every single skin woe you’ve ever had. Dark circles, wrinkles, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, tanning – everything can be cured with Vitamin C. Want to know more about the benefits of Vitamin C? Read this.
Using a serum or product containing Vitamin C is always a good idea if you prefer the no makeup look. It will repair, rejuvenate and give your skin the most beautiful glow. We love The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Skin Boost as an instant skin pick-me-up. Eating foods rich in Vitamin C is also important to give you clear and happy skin from the inside. If you prefer, you can speak to your doctor about adding in a Vitamin C supplement to your daily diet.
9. Scrub-A-Dub-Dub
A simple exfoliation once or twice a week is important to get rid of all the dead skin that accumulates through the week. It helps your skin look fresh and gets rid of any potential pore clogging build up. If you don’t scrub your face regularly, dead skin cells build up on the surface layer causing dullness as they don’t reflect light properly. Make sure you use a gentle scrub on your face as your skin is most sensitive here. If your skin is extremely sensitive and doesn’t react well to physical exfoliants, try chemical exfoliants like lactic acid and AHA’s and BHA’s. Your dermatologist will be able to help you find one that perfectly supplements your lifestyle and skincare routine. Do this weekly for healthy, enviable glowy skin!
10. Your New BFF Should Be SPF
A no-makeup look won’t look good with dull and unevenly toned skin. When you skip SPF, you’re exposing your skin to harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause your skin to age faster and causes dark spots, sun spots, pigmentation and tanning. A sunscreen is irreplaceable and there really is no two ways about it. That quick walk to the car or simply sitting by the window is enough to expose your precious skin to harmful UV rays. Even if you don’t think you need to apply it, you actually really do. It’s the only way to fight the signs of ageing and dullness caused by the sun. Sunscreen will keep your skin looking bright, even and more youthful even as you age.
Skincare Ingredients To Help Give You Clear Skin
Taking care of your skin plays a crucial role in the way it looks. You want to make sure you eat a healthy, fibre rich diet. Along with your food, the ingredients in your skincare routine can really make or break the way your complexion looks.
Acne, clogged pores, blemishes, blackheads and dull skin is not uncommon. Every one of us suffers from these issues on a daily basis. Using ingredients that help treat your particular issue is the first step in your journey to a clearer, healthier complexion.
Charcoal
If you have oily, acne-prone and clogged skin, Charcoal is a great ingredient to look for in your skincare. A face wash or a face mask enriched with natural charcoal will draw out all the impurities from deep within your pores leaving your skin feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Tea Tree Oil
For acne-prone skin, a moisturiser with tea tree oil is the best way to keep the zits away while making the blemishes less prominent too. Don’t apply undiluted tea tree oil, while many people recommend it to get rid of acne and blemishes, it’s way too harsh on your skin. A day or a night cream with tea tree oil as an active ingredient will help your skin stay free of acne and blemishes in the long run.
Clay
If you have oily skin, befriend a clay mask. Any kind works really. All kinds of clay, fullers earth, French clay, white clay, kaolin clay serve one purpose. They cleanse your skin and clear out your pores while reducing oil. Once a week, apply a clay mask to rid your skin of excess oil.
Vitamin C
Dull and tired skin benefits the most from Vitamin C treatments. A few weeks into using Vitamin C, you will notice your skin looking younger, brighter and your scars and blemishes starting to fade. The trick here is to keep up with it, as soon as you stop your skin will go back to normal. Invest in a good quality Vitamin C cream or serum. Speak to your dermatologist about finding one for your skin type or check out this post!
Retinol and Collagen
Mature skin loses elasticity and that’s when wrinkles and crow’s feet really happen. Ingredients like Retinol and Collagen will bring back the elasticity onto your skin and make your skin look firmer, younger and generally plumper. Retinol is best used after consulting your dermatologist as it might not work for sensitive skin types.
AHA/BHA
Clogged pores, congested skin and acne-prone skin benefit the most from Alpha Hydroxy and Beta Hydroxy Acids. These are gentle chemical exfoliators that help get rid of dead skin cells and surface impurities allowing your skin to rejuvenate and breathe. This, in turn, allows for better absorption of all your skincare products. With time, your blemishes will fade and your skin will be brighter and softer! Sensitive skin types respond well to chemical exfoliation rather than physical exfoliation. If you notice that your skin breaks out whenever you use a scrub, speak to your dermatologist about including AHA and BHA’s or simply invest in a toner like this.
Habits To Break For That Glowing Skin
As much as I would like to tell you that your lifestyle plays no role in the way your skin looks, I’d be lying. We already live in such polluted cities with toxins and dust just waiting to clog our pores. Add smoking, drinking, consuming too much sugar and junk foods and you’ve got yourself a fast-paced recipe for bad skin. If you’re trying to understand why your skin does not improve even after using the right skincare, try to focus on your diet. Consuming too much sugar, dairy products or even fried food leads to acne. If your body is not getting the required amount of nutrients from your diet, adding some supplements might help.
Follow these tips and remember to not keep touching your skin and you won’t need to pick up your makeup brush so much. Remember, bare is beautiful!
Images: Shutterstock and Pexels
This story was updated in March 2019.
