The “Girls of Plenty” I know are either full-blown makeup mavens or refuse to wear makeup at all. I fall somewhere very near the spectrum of those that refuse to wear makeup, but I actually do. Most of the “Girls of Plenty” that refuse to wear makeup espouse the same rhetoric – “It doesn’t look natural”, “I sweat too much”, “I don’t have time”, or “I don’t really need it”. Admittedly, I was one of those people who thought wearing makeup would take away from the naturalista image I had created and coveted since my early teens. Forget that! As a grown woman, I want to look like a grown woman, and nothing helps me to achieve that look like makeup. Granted, my makeup will look NOTHING like the women who create tutorials on Youtube, nor mirror the makeup you see in advertisements. But it suits, me. And it makes me feel a little more polished. So see how I create a very minimal, everyday makeup look using products that offer polish, without braving into the vast sea of makeup application I have no knowledge of.
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| Me, Au Naturel
STEP ONE
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| I use Dudu Osun on my face, twice a day. It is the best Black Soap I have ever used. This is it, this is all. I am not a product junkie, so it’s either this or Cetaphil, but as of late, it’s been this.
STEP TWO |
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| After I wash my face, I promptly slather Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion on my face and neck. I was introduced to this moisturizer over 15 years ago, and there is nothing else I trust to moisturize my face. If you have oily skin, they also offer this in a gel formula. |
STEP THREE
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| After moisturizing, I add my version of foundation with the incredible Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Mocha. This moisturizer tops the “Best of” Lists in almost every fashion and beauty publication as the best tinted moisturizer ever. If your skin is not as dry as mine, feel free to skip the moisturizer and go straight to this step. But even over the Clinique moisturizer, it still feels virtually weightless and goes on super sheer. And Laura Mercier offers this tinted moisturizer in an incredible range of skin tones, especially for brown women. Some people use their hands to apply this, but I prefer to use a wide, flat foundation brush to ensure even coverage. I use about a half-a-dime sized amount to cover my entire face, and it gives me the minimal coverage I need to allow my natural skin to shine through. |
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| After applying tinted moisturizer
STEP FOUR |
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| Next, I apply the brown shade of this wonderful quad from Black Radiance. This is a staple in my makeup arsenal, and at less than $5.00, has been an everyday go-to for me. |
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| In keeping with my makeup being as natural as possible, I use the shade that is as close to my skin tone as possible, but it adds a shimmer and some depth, giving the appearance of nothing but a natural glow. |
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| After applying brown eyeshadow
STEP FIVE
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| My eyebrows are arched professionally every 2 weeks religiously, but I refuse to fill them in with anything. An eyebrow brush and comb does the trick and works just fine in between eyebrow waxing. |
STEP SIX
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| Next, I apply an eyeliner. I love the smudgey formula of this Mac Eye Kohl in Smolder and it is super black and easy to apply. |
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| After applying eye liner |
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| After applying eye liner. Notice how I’m starting to look a little brighter?
STEP SEVEN
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| Next, I apply mascara to my lashes. My father blessed me with super long, unruly lashes, and I have attempted to tame and define them with every mascara under the sun, even trying the super-hyped DiorShow for a while. But nothing, but nothing, elongates and makes my lashes appear fuller than Maybelline’s classic Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black. |
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| After applying mascara to top lashes
STEP EIGHT |
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| Now, I try to add some color. I will admit, that I add most of the color in my face through blush, and I use peaches, plums, burgundies, fuschias, etc., but for a sheer, barely there natural flush, this Tarte Cheek Stain in True Love does the trick every time. So light, sheer, and weightless, this is my go-to all the time. |
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| After applying cheek stain |
STEP NINE
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| For a sheer, natural lip, no liner or mirror required, I use MAC’s lip gelee. It provides a gloss with minimal sparkle appropriate for daytime, and because it is in a tube, application is fool-proof. Too bad MAC discontinued this lip product. |
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| This is my what my makeup looks like after application. I follow this routine everyday, and sometimes switch my look up by using other blushes or lipsticks, but generally, this is is. I have timed how long this look takes, and seriously, it logs in at UNDER 4 minutes! Who doesn’t want to look like they exerted some effort without looking overly drag queenish? |