Among the array of skills that I learned from my 8:00am class this semester – such as fixing a coffee in thirty seconds flat and speed-walking from the cafe to my classroom – was the art of mastering the five-minute minimal makeup routine. This is an essential skill for anyone who is running late or simply wants an all-natural and fresh glow without a lot of effort before heading out the door.
For the most part, these are all organic and green products (or as close to them as I could find without sacrificing quality). Over the years, I’ve streamlined my makeup collection down to a few favorite products that I use every day. One quick side note … this post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
And now, here is my favorite method for reaching that minimal makeup look, au naturel …
1. Brows (Honest Beauty): I’ve found that filling in your brows always makes for a more natural and elegant look. You can use a pencil or gel, but I prefer to fill my brows in with simple brown eyeshadow — same result, but a case of eyeshadow lasts much longer than other products.
2. Tint Skin (BeautyCounter): Whether you use BB cream or concealer, brightening up the under-eye area always makes a difference. Personally, I don’t like to use foundation — I like to let my skin breathe, but I have found that dabbing a smidge of this product goes a long way to making me look fresh and well-rested.
3. Mascara (Maybelline): One trick that I learned years ago from my mom was to use brown mascara, because it suits my skin tone better than the black shades. I’m not certain if this brand is necessarily “natural,” but I haven’t yet found a healthy alternative that doesn’t flake (if you have any recommendations, please let me know!). Until I find one, I’m happy enough to return to this product year after year.
4. Blush (Physician’s Formula): As a finishing touch, a faint dab of rouge gives an effortless sun-kissed look. In summertime, a bronze shade looks more tanned. In winter, I like to switch to a rose-pink shade. Using a subtle bit of blush really ties together the whole all-natural and minimal makeup vibe.
5. Tinted Lip Balm (Burt’s Bees): This brand is far and away the best all-natural makeup company around. My favorite shades are “fig” and “plum” in the lip shimmer line, but let’s be honest, almost any of the shades look lovely. When in doubt, the peppermint lip balm is a perfect go-to. For a natural look, stick to shades that fit your skin tone (there’s plenty of charts on Pinterest or websites you can look up for reference, if you’re not sure).
By no means do you need these specific products to get to this look — these are simply the products that I’ve found work best for me. I know this post is a little shorter than usual, so I hope you’ll excuse me (finals are nearly upon us, I’m sure you understand).
Warmly,
<3 Olivia Grace
