How To Pull Off Casual Makeup

One thing that I’ve tried to do as I’ve gotten older is to wear less makeup.  When I first started college I had my system down.  Foundation, loose powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner (on top and bottom), mascara, blush, gloss or lipstick…I wore the works! 

But, through the years I’ve traded in my liquid foundation and loose powder for a pressed powder foundation, I’ve skipped lining my lower lash line almost altogether and lip balm is about as crazy as I get these days.  And you know what?  I feel I look younger and more youthful at 26 then I did at 19.

One reason I wore so much coverage was because I was scared of people seeing my true skin, but through the years I’ve realized my skin isn’t so bad and there are ways to work with what you have.  And on a Saturday afternoon when I’m out and about with my husband running to stores like Target and Home Depot, the last thing I want to do is put on a bunch of makeup.  I’ve even traded in wearing my powder foundation for a tinted moisturizer and concealer!

Here’s a few of my tips for getting that “finished casual” look without layering on the makeup or going completely bare:

1.  Don’t be scared of your skin!  I know when you first step out of the shower your skin can look a little red and splotchy, but take a look at your legs and arms too…they’re probably a little red and splotchy too.  You can thank that long hot shower for that.  Give yourself the opportunity to put on your facial moisturizer, brush your teeth and whatever else you do to get ready.  After about 10 minutes your skin should have returned to normal and you can begin with your makeup.

2.  Skip the heavy foundation.  Instead opt for a tinted moisturizer with SPF.  I currently use Lorac’s Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30.  It gives me a bit of sheer coverage with a lot of SPF, it also works well with sensitive skin and is oil-free.  Since my current tinted moisturizer is $30, I’m going to opt for less expensive brand on the next go-around.  Physician’s Formula has just come out with a line of Organic Tinted Moisturizers with SPF and Olay’s Definity line has a tinted moisturizer plus anti-aging, both at drugstore prices. 

3.  Conceal.  If you have flawless skin, then you can skip this step, but those of you with skin like me will have to conceal a few areas.  I like to use my Pur Minerals foundation powder to conceal any red spots or breakouts.  I use a concealer brush and then dab on the powder on red areas of my cheeks (I have a lot of red in my skin), on any past acne marks or on any new breakouts.  I also use a little of the powder to conceal under my eyes.  You can use a brush with both powder or liquid concealer.  If you use liquid concealer you can also use your fingers, but I prefer a brush (which can be purchased at stores such as Target all the way up to Sephora, I received my concealer brush when I purchased the Bare Minerals Starter Kit).

4.  Set with powder.  I like to use a mosiac illuminating powder on my face, but you can also use a translucent loose powder or pressed powder, just make sure that it is sheer.  The powder that I use is by Physician’s Formula and is called Retro Glow.  The powder is sheer, translucent and gives my face a subtle lumination.  The purpose of putting on powder is to set your look and to stop shine, not to add more coverage.

5.  Add the extras, but sparingly!  I like to use a vanilla eyeshadow to cover my whole eyelid with.  After that I use a dark shade of a slightly metallic brown or taupe to cover my lids up to my crease, but don’t layer it on thick, just give your lids a sheer sweep of the shadow.  I use a darker shadow to give my fair skin some dimension and since I have blonde hair and blue eyes it doesn’t wash me out and it makes my eyes pop a bit.  I also use a darker shade so I can skip out on eyeliner.  If you have darker skin then you can just use a sheer shade on your lids with a bit of mascara, or you can use no shadow at all.  Add a few sweeps of mascara and then your eyes are complete.  After this step you can add a pinch of blush to your cheeks or a light sweep of bronzer on your cheeks and nose.  Add a bit of sheer lip balm and your look is complete!

This whole look should take you less than 5 minutes to complete.  It’s perfect for the weekend or when you’re just out running errands.  Give the look a few tries to get used to it, because if you are used to wearing the works you might be a little shocked at first.  But, I’m sure you’ll love the way you look and you’d be surprised how pretty one can look without a bunch of makeup caked on their face.