How to – Nude makeup with a hint of shimmer

Hi friends!

I’m not sure how the weather is behaving where you live on the globe, but here in the Eastern United States it’s hot, humid and sticky. I can’t imagine anything I’d like less than piling on layers and layers of makeup. That being said, I do like to wear a bit of something everyday that gives me definition, color and a boost of confidence!

I’ve really been enjoying what I call a “nude makeup” look lately. It’s more obvious than “no-makeup makeup” but a lot less dramatic than a really full-on smokey look, for instance. It ticks all the boxes for me in terms of what products I love to wear on a daily basis and the effect I want to achieve:

• sheer but buildable textures that let my skin shine through;
• creams that imbue my dry skin with natural sheen;
• subtle pops of color on the eyes, cheeks & lips;
• hints of shimmer

You could wear this look to work, to school, to the grocery store, to church, wherever! It could suit anyone at any age as well. Depending on your skin type you may want to swap out some of the more dewy products I use for more matte, long-wearing ones.

Another great aspect is that if you want to make it more dramatic at any point in the day, you can simply build on top of it with more color or shape. So think of this as a template look that you can easily customize and change depending on your taste and environment.

I’ve listed all the products I used below if you want to know, and I’ll take you through the steps I did to achieve this nude makeup look.

PRODUCTS USED

• MAC Pro-Longwear Paint Pot in Camel Coat – this shade is discontinued but you could use anything flesh-toned that blanks out any discoloration around your eyes.
• ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter in Smoke n’ Whistles
• Maybelline Snapscara Washable Mascara in Pitch Black
• Pixi Beauty Lower Lash Mascara 
• L’Oreal Visible Lift Luminous Serum Tint in Pearl
• Bobbi Brown SPF 25 Tinted Moisturizing Balm – sadly this product is being discontinued but you can use anything that provides lighter coverage like a tinted moisturizer would.
• Glossier Stretch Concealer
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
• Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in Golden Peach
• L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium – you can only get this online now it seems.
• Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Addiction
• The Sexiest Beauty Matteshine Lipstick in Nympho Nude

Want more in-depth info on these products? Read these articles!

MAC Paint Pots – my most used product of all time

Quick thoughts! ColourPop Super Shock formula

Pixi Lower Lash Mascara – snatch it or skip it? 

Drugstore alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter

Glossier Stretch Concealer Review 

STEPS TO ACHIEVE THIS NUDE MAKEUP LOOK

EYES

I patted a little bit of my MAC Paint Pot in Camel Coat over my eyelids to cancel out discoloration and veins. I then gently swiped a very small amount of the ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter in Smoke n’ Whistles across my lids. I wanted a very subtle silvery shimmer that looked more like a smear than something that was dense or heavily packed on.

I applied two coats of the Maybelline Snapscara to my top lashes to make them look long and feathery. (Review on this product coming next week!) I then applied a quick coat of the Pixi Lower Lash Mascara to my bottom lashes.

COMPLEXION

Most days I want my skin to look and feel super juicy, so I usually start with some kind of hydrating primer. In this case I used the L’Oreal Visible Lift Luminous Serum Tint all over my face, which is a similar-type product to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter but at a drugstore price.

I then dabbed the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizing Balm around my cheeks, nose and forehead and blended it in with my fingers. This stuff is like instant dewy skin in a tub, and I’m so sad they’re discontinuing it! I’m going to savor what I have till the end!

Now onto concealer. I dabbed my new favorite, the Stretch Concealer from Glossier, under my eyes and around my nose for a light layer of extra coverage. This is a very dewy product that I always set with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder when I apply it under my eyes. I also patted and stippled small amounts of the Stay Matte Powder around my nose and top lip to eliminate “bad” shine.

CHEEKS

Even though I want my makeup to look more “nude” with this look, I still do crave a bit of shimmer! I love the golden sheen that the Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Blush Stick in Golden Peach gives my cheeks. I just softly dab it on, placing it a bit higher along my cheekbones so you can really see the sheen. I then lightly blend it in my fingers.

BROWS

I don’t place too much emphasis on my brows in a look like this. I just applied a really light layer of my beloved L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper, a volumizing brow gel, to give them a little color and shape.

LIPS

I wanted to create a slightly ombre effect on the lips using pinks and nudes. First I applied the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Addiction, a matte pink-brown shade, around the outer corners of my mouth to create depth. Then I applied a lighter nude lipstick, in this case the Matteshine Lipstick in Nympho Nude from The Sexiest Beauty, on the center of my mouth straight from the bullet. Once you make sure all the colors are blended together, you’re done!

What do you think of my nude makeup look? What products would you use? I’d love to know!

xo, Erica

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