Wednesday, February 24

nude makeup at its best.

I guess the key to great nude makeup is being a good observer- you should look for what's naturally striking in people's faces.
some people have lovely naturally pigmented lips, some have lush lashes and brows. some have great color combinations on their faces. I have a friend whose cheeks are always naturally flushed in a beautiful dusty rose shade- she's my major inspiration in cheek-accented makeup. another friend has a gorgeous ivory complexion that's somehow naturally glowy, and she's what I mostly think of when highlighting my cheeks. children always have great coloring because they are so fresh, they always inspire me.

here are some looks that I feel like embody this approach to nude makeup.

a juicy, sheer bitten rosewood lip shade and minimal makeup elsewhere- quite remarkable.

how I love childlike, youthful cheeks!

I'm a huge fan of this popsicle pout look. a lipstain or sheer lipgloss in a cranberry shade will do. it just turns the heads- I find well done nude makeup much more exciting and interesting than bright, theatrical looks. 

all you need is not love but lush brows.

warm, bronze-y pink cheeks and a cool-toned mauve lip- how lovely, I must admit I could never ever come up with this idea by myself.

it's all about the skin here- I adore this dewy candlelight glow.

my trick for natural-looking lush lashes is to line the upper lashline with a dark brown/cocoa colored pencil (black won't give the desired effect) and gently smudge it with the tip of my finger, then apply mascara. it truly looks like you have a full, fluffy fan of lashes. gazelle eyes au naturel- it's a very Audrey look! it looks most striking when completed with full brows

here are my favorite products for nude makeup- I'm in a constant hunt for them.


MAC blush in fleur power:
it's a bright and pigmented matte pink-coral powder blush. looks scary in the pan, but the effect on cheeks is gorgeous and surprisingly natural- I guess it's the closest color to how most women have their cheeks naturally flush into. it's such a universally flattering shade, I've heard women of pretty much every kind of coloring to rave about this blush.


Bobbi Brown pot rouge in pink raspberry:
my absolute staple; this gorgeous raspberry pink cream blush doubles as lipcolor aswell. the color is just lovely, it's so striking and natural at the same time. I love the slightly dewy finish it has. a bit expensive but I'm convinced it's worth every penny.

MAC select tint spf 15 tinted moisturizer:
MAC, you should have really hated me to have discontinued this, what am I gonna do once I run out of this bottle full of magic? it's oil-free, it doesn't make my skin oilier, decently hides pores and minor imperfections while letting my skin show up, has a lovely dewy finish, has spf and never ever breaks me out- I'm pretty sure it's not worse for my skin than a plain moisturizer.

MAC cream color base in pearl:
lovely cream highlighter- MAC describes it as "Soft pale gold with icy shimmer" I'd say ivory with a slight champagne hue. ideal for naturally highlighting & emphasizing. I use it everywhere- brow bone, cheeks, bridge of nose, inner corners of eyes.it's very convenient, I usually put it on with fingers straight from the pan.

NYX round lipstick in b52:
I'd describe this shade as wine-stained dusty rose. romantic, natural and very flattering; it's ideal for the days you want to put the emphasis on your lips without being overly dramatic. rather than applying straight from the tube and putting it on thick, I smudge it on my lips with fingers.

NYX round lipstick in circe:
A beige/milky nude shade. I don't really like putting a full swipe of this- I just gently pat it on my lips to tone down the color naturally. it has a nice matte, even slightly powdery finish that's not drying at all.

Max Factor false lash effect mascara:
I don't even remember how many tubes of this mascara I've gone through. it might be the only field of my life in which I've been consistent. its brush legendary- gives amazing lenght and gorgeous natural-looking volume while perfectly separating each lash. even my dad has complemented on how great my lashes look, and believe me, that doesn't happen a lot!

Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm:
besides being a  fantastic, lightweight, eco-friendly lip balm, this one also seems to increase the blood circulation on my lips and give them a naturally rosy look, thanks to the peppermint in it. I don't know if it does that to everyone, but the effect is obvious on my lips. I always put on a swipe of this before going to bed at night and before applying lipstick in the morning, and some days I just don't feel like putting on anything else because it looks good enough to be worn alone!

BeYu soft liner for eyes & more no: 674
it's a lovely soft, longlasting liner (it sets and goes waterproof in 30 seconds) I use for lining my upper lashline. it has a really dark cocoa color, which is dark enough to create drama but still looks wonderfully natural.

H&M bronzing powder
I love my light complexion, but I often feel like I look too pale, so a slight dust of bronzer has become a staple, and I recently fell in love with this H&M beauty. I love its caramel-brown tone because nobody bronzes red except oompa loompas, that's something a lot of makeup brands don't understand. looks like it has some slight shimmer in it on the pan, but shimmer doesn't really show up on your face- just helps to hide imperfections and give that healthy, naturally glowy complexion look. I think I got it for about four pounds- steal alert!

what are your favorite products for a natural, fresh look?


much love.

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