Hi friends!
It’s Friday so that means we’re back to my January series on the gorgeousness that is fresh, barely-there makeup! All throughout the month I’m talking about my go-to products and techniques that help me achieve natural-looking makeup and skin. If you’d like to know more about this series, make sure to check out the intro post here. So far I’ve shared my favorite no-eyeshadow eyeshadows, and my tips for barely-there blushed cheeks.
Today I’m sharing with you how I achieve a fresh, barely-there base using light formulas and a mixture of skincare and primers. The result is an overall evened-out complexion with coverage only where it’s needed. Think: “perfectly imperfect.” This is for the person who wants their skin to look like skin; who’s not overly concerned with perfection, but who still wants a certain amount of coverage.
OPTION 1 – USE A TINTED MOISTURIZER
This is the easiest and quickest way to achieve a light, barely-there base look. One product and you’re done, essentially. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’ll know that on the day-to-day I’m usually wearing a tinted moisturizer. It’s totally my comfort zone when it comes to bases; I haven’t worn a traditional foundation in ages! Personally I don’t think my skin needs much coverage, and I hate that ‘face mask’ look that some heavier foundations can give the skin. No thanks!
There’s so many products on the market now if you like the finish and feel of a tinted moisturizer. My personal favorites at this time are the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue, the Iris & Romeo Best Skin Days and the Glossier Stretch Concealer. They all imbue the skin with moisture, a natural-to-dewy finish, and a very light amount of coverage. If you have combo or oily skin, you may need to use these products in conjunction with some setting powder for lasting effect. Or check out the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint – it’s thin and breathable but not nearly as dewy as the previous listed bases.
Whenever I reach for a tinted moisturizer, I usually tend to blend the product in with my fingers because I think that gives the most natural finish. I will occasionally use a soft blending brush like the Bobbi Brown Face Blender Brush, especially with the Glossier Stretch, to gently blend out product. But honestly you could use whatever blending method you prefer since these textures are so smooth and generally easy to work with.
Once I have applied and blended out the tinted moisturizer, I will always go in with a higher-coverage concealer to spot conceal any redness, blemishes, unevenness, etc. My favorites at this time are the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and the The Organic Skin Co. Hide and Seek Concealer. Et voila! An easy and quick base that polishes the skin a bit but doesn’t over-complicate anything.
Read these posts next!
My go-to glowy base feat. tinted moisturizer with SPF
A 5-in-1 foundation?? Iris & Romeo Best Skin Days Review
Glossier Stretch Concealer Review
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint Review
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue is a gorgeously smooth tinted moisturizer with added benefits, like SPF and plant-derived squalene for prolonged hydration.
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue in the shade Opal, the lightest shade in the range.
Glossier Stretch Concealer in the shade G11. This gives the skin a beautifully glossy and healthy finish.
OPTION 2 – MIX CONCEALER WITH SKINCARE OR PRIMER
This is a great option if you: a) want a bit more coverage all over your face, or b) have a very limited or capsule makeup collection. You don’t necessarily need a foundation and a concealer in your collection; you can create your own base and customize your coverage if you mix products together.
So this is what I like to do.
I take a few swipes of my beloved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – which has medium-to-full coverage – and mix it in with either the Weleda Skin Food Light Nourishing Cream, or the L’Oreal True Match Lumi Glotion. Essentially what I’m doing is creating my own tinted moisturizer, but the coverage level is much more customizable. So you get coverage, moisture and/or illumination depending on the type of primer you may use. Perfect!
Whenever I make my own little concoction I like to blend out the product using a dense buffing brush like the aDesign Professional Finishing Buff Brush, which has short yet soft bristles. You can use your fingers here as well, but depending on how you mix the products the consistency might be a bit thicker than your average tinted moisturizer. It’s totally up to you how you want to achieve your best barely-there base.
Read these posts next!
Weleda Skin Food Original vs. Light: Which should you buy?
Drugstore alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter
Think like an MUA! How to be product resourceful
Mixing Weleda Skin Food Light Nourishing Cream in with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer gives it a boost of hydration, but will dilute the coverage depending on how much you add.
A mixture of NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Weleda Skin Food Light Nourishing Cream
If I want a more luminous finish, I will mix the concealer with something like the L’Oreal Lumi Glotion.
What products or methods do you use when you want a light, barely-there base? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
PIN IT!
I didn’t realize you could mix concealer with skincare products! What a great idea for barely there makeup!
Yup, you definitely can! You can be your own little mixologist and find what works for you and what doesn’t. The creativity is really fun!
Oooh I would love to get that bare minerals tinted cream for summer and try it out instead of their original powder foundation. I have come to love how their products sit on my skin. They just look so flawless. And considering that most concealers that I own are pretty matte, mixing it with primer or moisturizer might give me a little more hydration. I will be trying that trick next time
The Bare Minerals is sooo good! Definitely perfect for summer since it’s light and has SPF. I’m actually pretty fascinated by them as a brand and want to try so many more of their products. Oh if you try the mix let me know what you think!
Definitely, havent heard any negative reviews about their stuff yet lol.
And yes, I got to try the trick a few days ago and I really loved how my concealer wore on my under eyes. Didnt feel like they were as dry as they typically feel during the winter
Oh good! I find most makeup (at least on me) performs very well either mixed with a bit of skincare or over nicely moisturized skin. I forgot to put on moisturizer just yesterday and sure enough my base looked awful and dry!
My makeup certainly looks better on well moisturized skin. 😁 though on the summer that can turn into an oily mess if I’m not careful or use rich moisturizers lol
My gosh, even in the summer my skin barely gets oily (sweat doesn’t count!). It’s always so dry 😔.
I usually prefer a full coverage foundation or none at all but, I do like how subtle tinted moisturizers & BB creams are. I never thought to mix my concealer with skincare!
Def not a full coverage lady personally, but I do still appreciate a flawless look! Seriously, try it sometime! It allows you to customize the amount of coverage to your liking.