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Go barefaced for beauty.

Mastering the natural beauty look is about using makeup sparingly and strategically, so that your natural skin and best features come forward.

Some of today’s most gorgeous celebrities are frequently caught on camera with little or no makeup—and they don’t care. These “barefaced beauties” have decided to emphasize clean, fresh skin and have adopted a natural beauty approach when it comes to cosmetics. It’s no coincidence that for the last few years runway models have been appearing deliberately barefaced. It’s a trend that’s here to stay. The latest look shows models with beautifully enhanced brows and an ethereal glow, but they’re certainly anything but plain. Ladies, wouldn’t we all love to capture that beauty that doesn’t seem to come from a bottle?

If you want to go for a natural look, start by taking a good look at yourself in the mirror. Take careful stock of your features. Think about the final look you want to achieve. Natural beauty techniques can highlight the areas you like and downplay the areas you don’t. It’s all about allowing your natural complexion to shine through.

Here are some ways you can achieve a luminous natural look.

Start with a clean pallet.

The first step towards a natural look is to start with a fresh, clean face. Choose a facial cleanser that is best for your skin type. Wash thoroughly using warm water. Pat your face dry with a clean towel and make sure you have removed all traces of makeup. Even the slightest makeup residue, especially around the eyes, can drag your look down. So if you need to use makeup remover please do.

Exfoliate and Moisturize

A good exfoliation is another sure-fire way to get started. By removing any excess dry skin from the surface your skin will not only have a more youthful glow but, your skin care products will be able to penetrate better as well. And, best of all makeup will go on smoother and look fresher throughout the day. When skin isn’t moisturized it looks dull and drab. Be sure to use a daytime moisturizer with SPF to keep skin hydrated and protected during the day and a rich replenishing night cream for bedtime.

Go light with coverage

Less is always more when you are capitalizing on your natural beauty. For a super sheer look, skip the foundation and opt for a tinted moisturizer. Use your fingertips to apply in small areas, starting with the center of the face and working your way to the edges. If you want to stick to solid or liquid foundation, apply it with a brush, stroking from the center of the face outwards and blending well.

Bronzer and blush

Use a bronzer and/or blush to emphasize features. Bronzers provide a warm sun-kissed tone to skin. They’re a great way to create a natural glow. You can either dust bronzer along the T-Zone and cheekbones, or you can add it to your entire face. Apply bronzer lightly to the areas that are most frequently in the sun’s glow, such as the bridge of your nose, cheeks and forehead. Bronzer can replace a blush, or you can apply a very fine layer of blush over the bronzer. The most important thing to remember with bronzers is that less is more.

Illuminators

Illuminators or highlighters contain reflective ingredients, such as mica or other minerals, to catch the light. Apply with a large Kabuki or stippling brush. Start with a very small amount and increase as needed. If you want to find your best features to highlight, step into the natural light to see what parts of your face capture the light. Maybe it’s your cheekbones, bridge of your nose or chin. Focus on those areas. I always add a little highlight to my cupids bow.

Concealer

First, make sure your concealer matches your skin color. You may need a lighter shade for underneath the eyes, or use a concealer with blue undertones. It’s important to only . dab concealer on blemishes, spots and red areas, not around, to prevent a halo effect. Gently blend to achieve the natural look. Some people find fingertips work as well as a concealer brush when applying.

Eye makeup

Use eyeliner and mascara lightly. Bold liquid eyeliner does not belong in the natural beauty regimen. Instead, use an eye pencil in a velvety brown and do what’s called tight lining: apply your line directly in between your eyelashes and on the underside edge. Use a brush to gently lift your lid and draw the pencil across the underside edge. Remember my favorite tip: curl your lashes with an eyelash curler, and then apply mascara.

Eyebrows

Pay careful attention to your eyebrows. First, get them in shape and clean up stray hairs. Using a soft eyebrow powder and small brush, carefully fill in the bare spots with subtle color that matches the natural color of your brows. Finish with a brush-on gel to keep your brows perfect all day long.

Lips

Avoid shiny gloss and chalky lipsticks. Instead, use a neutral or sheer gloss and skip the lip liner. Apply a lipstick that’s a few shades darker than your natural lip shade. Wait a few minutes then wipe it off. It leaves a bit of stain behind that really looks like your bare lips, only better. My favorite tip is to find a shade of lipstick that is the same color as my tongue. Sounds crazy but it looks totally natural with a bit of a punch.