Beautifully Bare

Beautifully Bare

By: Kayla Roberts

On the runways during Spring 2014 Fashion Weeks, there was a major statement being made through makeup, and that is, making no statement at all. ELLE Magazine recently did a post to their website showing some of the bare cosmetic looks we saw on the runway this year.

Pulling off the “all natural” look doesn’t have to mean “no make-up”, right? Right. That’s why almost every cosmetic line has introduced “naked palettes” and a wide line of concealers, foundations, bronzers, and illuminators... all of which will give you that naturally beautiful, fresh faced look. 

To create that smooth, bright, flawless complexion, start by dabbing concealer on any noticeable blemishes try mixing a liquid illuminator into a tinted moisturizer that matches your skin tone and apply the mixture evenly all over your face using your fingers, being sure to rub it in completely to avoid streaks and blotchiness. 

The next step is in my opinion, the most important... Bronzer! Bronzer is my go-to for any look. Anyway, every girl looks better with a tan and some shimmer, right? Using a medium coverage bronzer brush, circle the bristles around in a bronzer for a few seconds to make sure the bronzer is evenly distributed onto the brush. Next, in small circular motions, apply the bronzer to your temples, nose, chin, and jawline, blending onto the neck. Using a higher-coverage brush, apply the same bronzer right under your cheekbones in an upward, streaking motion. 

TIP: The best way to find this spot is to make a fish face in the mirror, and apply the bronzer where your cheeks are indented. 

Highlight, highlight, highlight! Using a small, medium coverage brush, apply a matté compact illuminator to the cheekbones, sweeping upward towards your ears, the bridge of your nose, and forehead. This will create sky-high cheekbones and give you an all-over dewy glow. I also recommend dabbing a liquid illuminator on the bridge of the nose and around the eyes and arch of your eyebrows to brighten up your whole face.

Last but certainly not least, eyes! It’s easy to get carried away in eyeliner and mascara while applying our eye makeup, but when we are trying to achieve a natural look, it’s important to keep it to the bare minimum. Using a cream based eyeshadow, apply it to the lid, and right under the bottom lash line. Outline your bottom waterline in a white liner, and use a brown liner directly under the lash line. Curling lashes first, apply one coat of clump-free mascara to top and bottom lashes. The white and brown contrast great to brighten the eyes, but it won’t look overdone!

Here are some of my fav products to create this look, great for everyday make-up:

From top to bottom: MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Cream in Taupe $23, NARS Illuminator in Laguna $30, Victoria’s Secret VS Pro Radiant FX Face Illuminator $15, NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna $36, DIOR Diorshow Mascara in Black $25, MAKE UP FOREVER Full Cover Concealer in Sand $32, NARS Blush in Natural Glow $29,  Victoria’s Secret Tinted Moisturizer and Primer SPF 15 in Medium $15