Natural beauty

As most of us know, makeup is here for us to help enhance our natural beauty. Whatever it is that we want to “enhance,” we have to make sure that it will still look as “natural” as possible. You could, of course, go for the fastest way to do it, with makeup. Or you could wait for a few days or weeks if you decide to “freshen up” by doing certain cosmetic procedures by a certified dermatologist.

If you decide to work with makeup to get your most natural I-just-got-out-of-bed look, work with the natural colors of your skin. For all skin tones, make sure that you know what colors to put. To give you a picture of your own color palette, observe your face when you blush, when you sweat after working out or when you get a little flushed after a glass of wine. Those are your natural color palette. Enhance it.

First, choose a lip color that is close to the natural color of your cheeks. Soon as you apply the lip color, notice how your face will instantly look like you applied a blush. It is just, in fact, the shade of the lip color picking up the natural color of your cheek, making it seem like you put makeup on. Grooming your eyebrows, applying your sunblock, putting your lipstick on and curling your lashes are all you need to do to look fresh even after breaking a sweat. Your skin is still bare and breathing. Exercising alone will make you look tired. Take advantage of this state, your skin will be glowing and will be a little flushed after sweating, so the right lip shade will make you look “healthy.” If you have more time, curl your lashes. This will instantly open your eyes. You’ll be surprised what putting the right lip color and curling your lashes will do. You’ll love the results. Trust me on this.

Finding the right color is the first step, the next is how to apply it to make it look natural. If you have thin lips, then you need a lip pencil. “Draw” your upper lips with a nude colored lip pencil so that even during the day, it will not appear obvious. Then, apply your lip color. Finish by loading a little bit of color on the tip of your finger then dab it on your lips. This technique will help create the illusion of “natural pouted lips.” If you want to create a pout, then use a lip gloss to finish this look. Make sure to use pale colors to make your lips appear thicker. If you use dark to plum colors, your lips will appear smaller. 

As for your lashes, just make sure to use the right formula so that your lashes will look natural. Make sure it does not clump. The hairs should be looking as natural as possible that you could even brush it with a clean mascara brush when you’re done. There are lash implants, too, if you do not have eye lashes. It is very surprisingly inexpensive to get this. But please make sure that your “new” lashes appear as natural as possible. The really long ones do not look natural at all so try to take it easy. It is very exciting to have it done. But remember, your goal here is to make it look like they are your own — naturally.

If you decide to get certain procedures like Botox, Restylane or Juvederm to enhance the lips and remove laugh lines, I suggest you do it slowly. Meaning in a span of a few months, the “improvement” should slowly build up. Some can be impatient and would want to see the result in a matter of days. In my opinion, make sure that any procedure you do will look “natural.” I don’t think it is wise to rush it. Let the medicine sit in your body. It will need time for it to “”adjust” and “settle in.” Don’t forget you’re doing all these things to make it seem like you slept straight for a week and woke up looking refreshed and youthful. So take it easy, do it in phases. It is a process. My good friend had hers done in a span of about three to four months and it looked so natural. She looked great and fresh. I told her she looked like she slept for a hundred years. She explained what she wanted to her doctor. And together, they did this slowly but surely process of making her look natural and fresh.

There are so many options that you can choose from. It does not have to be expensive. Work with your budget. If you have a tight budget, then start with buying the right shade of lipstick. Then slowly work your way up to building your makeup kit. If you feel that you need more than just makeup, then make time for it. Try not to rush it. If you have events that you feel you want to look “refreshed,” then make sure to create your time table so you don’t rush into any drastic procedures that you might regret later on. It is important that you and your dermatologist work on this “project” as a team. It’s best to be safe and naturally beautiful.

Get the look:

1. Cleanse. Tone and moisturize if needed.

2. Groom eyebrows.

3. Even out skin color with foundation.

4. Set with loose powder.

5. Curl lashes.

6. Line eyes with black eye pencil.

7. Line lips with a nude colored lip pencil.

8. Finish with a gloss.

9. Apply Lash Extension mascara.

Photography by Sara Black • Makeup by chechel joson • Cosmetics by Max Factor • Hairstyling by John Valle • Model: Val Weigmann