Rules of Natural Makeup

"You make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman." -Aretha Franklin

1. Prepare your skin: Start by applying moisturizer, followed by sheer foundation, then press a bit of concealer under the eyes. Lightly dust on powder if you're super oily - but the skin shouldn't be completely matte.

QUICK TIP: To get foundation to melt into skin, apply with your fingers. Put a small amount on tips, rub together and then dab onto your face.

2. Define your eyes: To play up eyes without getting dramatic, use a pencil liner to dot between the roots of lashes. Then apply no more than two coats of mascara to curled lashes.

QUICK TIP: Brows should be clean but not overly groomed. Pluck stray hairs and use a clear or light brow gel to keep them in place.


3. Warm up your cheeks: To look as if you've just come in from a frosty night, pick a blush that complements your natural coloring. Light pink for fair ladies, dusty pink for medium complexions, peach or bronze for olive skin and poum for darker tones.

QUICK TIP: If your skin is on the oily side, stick with powdery textured blush. For normal to dry skin, go for creams and mousses.

4. Amplify your lids: Go for a sheer wash of matte shadow applied only to the lids. Pick a shade close to your skin tone. Again, for fair try Laura Mercier Eye Colour in Morning Dew, medium skin try M.A.C. Eye Shadow in Soft Brown, olive try L'Oreal Paris Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Brushed Suede and for dark try Maybelline New York Expert Wear Eye Shadow Single in Nutmeg.

QUICK TIP: Use a bit of concealer on lids. It cuts down on redness and works as a primer to make shadow last.


5. Enhance your lips: Skip matte and glossy textures and go for lipstick with a creamy consistency. Match your lip color or choose a shade or two deeper (I've heard you should match the color that is on the inside of your lips). For a sheer application, dab it on with your finger or apply and then blot.

QUICK TIP: This natural look calls for smooth, moisturized lips. Exfoliate them with a soft-bristle brush and a dab of Vaseline. Then make lipstick last by filling in lips with a pencil that matches your natural lip color before applying lipstick.