Do you love Alicia Keys’ liberating look? If you can’t let go of your makeup just yet, you can achieve a similar result with this no makeup makeup tutorial!
Before I dive into this no makeup makeup tutorial, lemme chat with you a bit. Have you done some wardrobe and makeup cleaning yet this new year? I haven’t yet, but that’s fine. It’s still been awesome so far! We’re on that post-NYE hangover, and that’s expected. Besides, it’s always something a nice cup of tea or dessert on a late afternoon can treat. 🙂 You know, a lot have happened the last year. And for me, one of the most memorable was Alicia Keys going au naturel with her look. Good for you, girl! I am so inspired I decided to dedicate a blog post for a no makeup makeup tutorial.
The Super Easy No Makeup Makeup Tutorial
I know: Alicia Keys doesn’t wear makeup anymore. To know why, just look for her interviews on YouTube, but in summary, she just wants to be honest with herself. Let’s face it, we are always judged by how we look, and that’s not easy, especially for celebrities like her. So I salute her for being really brave. But here’s the thing: not everyone can let go of makeup easily. I even wear light makeup when I’m at the grocery or running errands. Thus the no makeup makeup tutorial. 🙂
So if you want the no makeup look – don’t wear any makeup! It might be hard at first, but soon you’ll get to be comfortable in your own skin! If you’re makeup obsessed like me and ‘no makeup’ is out of the question, you can create a very natural look instead. Here’s how…
This makeup tutorial by Sona Gasparian covers all the bases for a good makeup: eyeshadows, mascaras, brows, etc. However, the technique is all about emphasizing your key facial features and creating a natural glow, as if you’ve woken up refreshed and well-rested. It doesn’t use heavy makeup colors, you don’t create smoky or glam effects here, and you don’t play too much with colors–and you’ll still look beautiful as always!
What You Need For This No Makeup Makeup Tutorial
- Too faced Hangover Rx
- L’Oreal Lumi Cushion Foundation
- Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
- Laura Mercier Setting Powder
- Bobbi Brown Pink Glow Highlighter
- YSL Bronzer #3
- Browgal Pencil
- Glossier Lip Balm in Rose Scent
- Mac Saddle Eyeshadow
- Marc Jacobs Mascara
- NARS Blush Orgasm
- Brushes (get one FREE here!)
- Makeup Wipes
PS: The makeup products are merely your guide. You don’t have to buy all of them. In this no makeup makeup tutorial, I am going to give you some good alternatives and points as well, don’t worry. 🙂
1. Prepare the face
Why do you have to prepare your face? It’s pretty much the same as why you apply primer on your wall before you start painting. You want to make sure your makeup adheres nicely to your skin, you won’t have issues once you begin to blend, and you help keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.
For this tutorial, you’re going to need a hydrating primer like Too Faced Hangover Rx or any of the options here.
Note: A common question people ask if they need a hydrating primer or moisturizer when they already have an oily or, worse, acne-prone skin. The answer is yes, because the excess oil doesn’t moisturize your skin. In fact, not using moisturizers will work against you since it can only increase sebum (oil) production. But you need to use moisturizers or primers designed for your skin like this that are skin enriching and don’t clog pores.
Follow the primer up with a L’Oreal Lumi Cushion Foundation or a tinted moisturizer. Apply it lightly on the face using your kabuki brush. You can still use your fingers, but this is not advisable if you tend to have a “heavy hand.” Don’t forget to extend your foundation all the way to your neck, even if you’re wearing layers and coats. We never know when your neck area gets exposed.
2. Conceal blemishes
If you don’t have puffy eyes, skin pigmentation, or scars, then good for you. You can skip this, but most women including me have one. To create a more seamless look, use the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Dab them around the eye area, skin spots, wrinkles (if you already have them), and scars. For some sheen, you can apply it on your Cupid’s bow, nose bridge, and around the forehead area. Use a brush to dab the areas where you applied the concealer. Don’t brush your entire face with it.
For a really simple no makeup makeup look, you can end at applying your concealer and a lipgloss or a lip balm. But if you’re spending a lot of time outside, then you need to set your makeup with Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder. This helps prevent cakiness and patchiness, which usually happens when you’re out and begin to sweat.
3. Highlight and contour
As I said, you can already end your look with the concealer and a lip stain, gloss, or balm. Nevertheless, to make you look not only natural but also glowing, you can get some help from Bobbi Brown Pink Glow highlighter (get this for a cheaper option), which you apply and blend lightly just around the cheekbone area and some on your nose bridge, chin, and forehead.
For contouring, you can use the YSL Bronzer #3 or this and apply and blend it lightly using your kabuki brush on the hollow of your cheeks. (Don’t know where it is? Suck in your face and feel your cheeks. The indentation you feel is the hollow part of your cheeks, that’s where you contour.)
Brush it on the hairline, which is also a good way to even this area of your face.
Of course, since this is all about contouring, you should never forget the jaw area. Brush just underneath the chin and the sides of your jaw to create an angled or structured face effect (a perfect makeup technique for those with a round face).
PS: A quick and easy way to contour is by using the sunstripping technique. This is great if you want to create a warm glow.
4. Fill in the brows
If you already have a full brow, then you don’t need to do much. If you have sparse or scattered ones, you can benefit from filling the brows in with a Pencil. Don’t get too carried away as you may end up making your brows thick and too–fake. You can get some awesome brow ideas here.
5. Create natural-looking lips
The secret to soft, plump, and luscious pair of lips? Hydration. To recreate the look, use a lip balm like Glossier in Rose Scent. (Don’t forget to remove the excess foundation on your lips before you apply the balm!)
Note: I’ve got a nifty trick for you. Use your tea bag! Before you set aside or discard your tea bag, get a few drops of tea on your fingers and dab them on your lips. Tada! Instant lip moisturizer. It keeps your lips soft and hydrated for hours. Trust me.
6. Open the eyes
Remember the old saying “The eyes are the windows to the soul”? You can have the most amazing sun-kissed skin look, but if you have dark, heavy, droopy eyes, people will instantly know you’re tired. And they make you look old! You can drink lots of water, rest well, or apply makeup to make them appear open without going overboard with your eyeshadow. Use Mac Saddle Eyeshadow just a little above your crease line. Don’t try to contour your eyes.
You can also enhance your eyes by lightly lining your outer lower lashline with a dark brown eyeshadow. The more they go outward, the more your eyes appear bigger. Line the edges of your upper and lower eyelashes with the help of a tapered brush. Another possible option is to use a non-black eyeliner, like light brown, depending on your skin tone or color.
Lastly, apply a mascara. You can use a volumizing mascara, but dab it very gently and lightly as you don’t want to overpower your lashes with it. Skip the false eyelashes, but if you want to use one, find something that is made of human hair since the strands are softer and more natural looking.
Optional: Enhance the glow
If you have a pale or yellow skin, you may need a blush like NARS Blush Orgasm to add more color.
Get my favorite makeup brush the Meioko for free here!
Final Look!
And this is the finished look. As you can see, it’s similar to Alicia Keys’s! It’s clean, it’s smooth looking, and it looks really refreshing.
Curious how to apply all these products for our no makeup makeup tutorial? Watch this video:
How do you find this no makeup makeup tutorial? Does it make you feel close to Alicia Keys’s natural look? Don’t be intimidated by the products used. Again, they are just guides to help you get started. Also, don’t forget to pick the shades that are complementary to your skin. After all, we’re trying to make a “no makeup look.” Either way, experiment, be inspired by the techniques and products here, and find out your best natural look!
What do you think of this Alicia Keys makeup inspired tutorial? Share your comments below! For an amazing collection of makeup tutorials, click here.
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