How to Achieve a Natural Makeup Look

By: Margaux Reese
July 15, 2025

Looking for a makeup routine that enhances your beauty rather than making you feel unrecognizable? Natural makeup may be the answer. This minimalist makeup style aims to give you a dewy and radiant complexion without heavy layers of makeup and a million products. Instead, it’s about selecting a few smart products that keep you looking gorgeous. 

Ready to try your hand at natural makeup? Read on to learn all about the products you need for a natural makeup look, how to apply them, and our favorite products for makeup that looks naturally beautiful.

What do I need for a natural makeup look?

The goal of natural makeup is to create a makeup look that doesn’t look like makeup. In fact, natural makeup looks are commonly referred to as “no-makeup makeup” looks. But with the right products, it’s a totally achievable and universally flattering makeup style. 

Natural makeup essentials

To build your natural makeup arsenal, look for these products:

  • Primer: To achieve a natural makeup look, you’ll need to apply your makeup lightly. A primer creates a sticky surface that helps ensure your makeup stays in place all day long without having to cake it on. 

  • Lightweight foundation: A natural makeup look starts with a subtle base. A lightweight foundation or tinted moisturizer can blur your skin while maintaining a natural complexion rather than covering it up. 

  • Concealer: Look for a concealer that’s very close to your natural skin tone and use sparingly. Focus on blemishes or dark spots, but don’t cover up every spot of color or variance on your face. 

  • Cream blush: Cream blushes are a much more hydrating and blendable alternative to powder blush, allowing for a dewy finish.  

  • Brow pencil: Rather than filling your brows in with a brow pomade, a brow pencil will enable you to lightly fill in sparse sports for a natural pair of fluffy brows. 

  • Neutral eyeshadow: Skip the colorful cut crease and opt for a neutral shadow in a champagne, pale pink, or light brown color. 

  • Lip balm or gloss: We’re looking for subtle shine and lots of hydration. A little tint is great but skip the lipstick.

  • Setting spray: The last step is to lock your barely-there makeup look in place. Like a primer, setting spray helps your subtle makeup last all day. Look for a setting spray with a dewy finish rather than matte.

Quick and easy natural makeup tutorial

Now that you’ve assembled the key tools for a natural makeup look, it’s time to put it all together. To do your natural makeup, follow these steps:

1. Start with clean, hydrated skin

To enhance your natural beauty with a “no-makeup” look, it’s essential to start with clean and hydrated skin. Applying a face moisturizer under your makeup will allow your natural, dewy glow to shine through. 

2. Apply primer 

Next, it’s time to prime your skin. If you haven’t washed your hands yet, do so now. Applying primer with dirty hands can spread dirt and bacteria across your face, leading to acne and other unpleasant skin concerns. 

Dispense a small amount of primer to your fingertips and blend across your entire face, including your eyelids. Let sit a few minutes before moving to the next step. 

3. Conceal where you need it 

If you apply a color-correcting concealer before foundation, you can address your problem areas directly without having to layer on a ton of foundation. Apply a small amount of concealer to dark spots or blemishes, but keep it light. Variation in your skin helps makeup look natural and adds to that barely-there makeup look.

Woman applying makeup for the no-makeup makeup look

4. Use a lightweight foundation or BB cream

Follow concealer with a lightweight foundation or tinted sunscreen with light to medium coverage to blur any remaining imperfections. Apply to the back of your hand, then use your fingers or a damp sponge to apply to your face. Use upward strokes rather than downward, especially under your eyes. Downward strokes can put undue stress on your skin and may contribute to wrinkles or sagging skin. 

5. Add color with blush

Next, it’s time to rosy up those cheeks. Apply your cream blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend upward towards your hairline for a lift. Start with a light layer; you can always add more. 

6. Fill in your eyebrows 

Add hair-like strokes to your eyebrows to achieve a naturally full brow. Focus on sparse areas and lightly flick your brow pencil across your skin to mimic natural eyebrow hairs. 

7. Opt for soft eye makeup

When doing your eye makeup, think neutrals. Swap in brown mascara for black and look for neutral eyeshadows.

8. Apply a sheer lip balm or gloss

For the lips, a light layer of balm or gloss adds hydration and shine. If you’d like to add a bit of color with a lip tint, apply it directly to the center of your lips and use a finger to lightly blend out. You’ll end up with a natural-looking color rather than a thick and artificial look. 

9. Finish with setting spray

The final step of your no-makeup makeup look is a setting spray to lock it all in. Gently close your eyes and spray the setting spray evenly across your face. Keep your eyes closed for about a minute to let it dry.

Do’s and don’ts of natural makeup looks

Tips to make your makeup look more natural

Just because you’re going for makeup that looks natural doesn’t mean you can’t experiment and have fun! Use these tips when playing around with your natural makeup looks:

  • Skincare matters most: The healthier your skin, the less makeup you need to apply to look flawless. Think skincare first, makeup second. 

  • Focus on anti-aging: Wrinkles and fine lines present perfect cracks and crevices for makeup to settle in. To achieve a no-makeup look, focus on anti-aging skincare to keep your skin smooth and wrinkle-free.

  • Blending is key: Harsh lines are a clear sign of makeup. Blend more than you think you need to in order to keep your makeup looking natural. 

Skincare matters most: The healthier your skin, the less makeup you need to apply to look flawless. Think skincare first, makeup second. Focus on anti-aging: Wrinkles and fine lines present perfect cracks and crevices for makeup to settle in. To achieve a no-makeup look, focus on anti-aging skincare to keep your skin smooth and wrinkle-free. Blending is key: Harsh lines are a clear sign of makeup. Blend more than you think you need to in order to keep your makeup looking natural.

Our favorite products for the no-makeup makeup look

The best natural-look makeup products don’t just create flawless makeup looks, but improve the health of your skin, too. Shop these products for makeup that pulls double-duty as dermatologist-recommended skincare.

Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Flex SPF 50

Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Flex SPF 50 is a tinted sunscreen with an all-mineral formula for a natural foundation and sun protection all-in-one. It provides lightweight coverage and defense against UVA/UVB rays, blue light, pollution, and other forms of environmental damage. 

This formula includes encapsulated iron-oxide pigments that bloom in your fingertips for tone-adapting, buildable color. To achieve makeup that looks natural, start with a thin layer and add more coverage only where you need it. Choose from different skin tones or blend two tones for your ideal color. 

Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Color Balm SPF 50

For an all-in-one cream blush, tinted lip color, and eye color, shop Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Color Balm SPF 50. This lip, eye, and face balm adds a touch of color, sun protection, and deep hydration. Build lip and cheek color, hydrate and condition your lips, and safely apply around sensitive eyes. 

Peptide Lip Shine SPF 30

Looking for lip color with a bit of shine? Discover Peptide Lip Shine. Get sun protection for your lips and more from this lip shine. It’s formulated with collagen-supporting peptides, smoothing and hydrating hyaluronic acid, nourishing Vitamin E, and protective Zinc Oxide. Choose from various natural-looking colors for a barely-there makeup look. 

Total Lash™ Serum Mascara

Naturally gorgeous eye makeup starts with long, full lashes. This all-in-one lash serum, conditioner, and mascara is clinically proven to increase lash length, nourish and strengthen your lashes, and reduce breakage. Thanks to a tubing formula, Total Lash™ Serum Mascara gently wraps each lash in color that easily slides off during cleansing—no lash breakage here.

Let your natural beauty shine

The no-makeup makeup look is all about enhancing what’s there, rather than creating something totally different.

For the best in natural makeup, look for products that pull double duty as makeup and skincare. Colorescience offers a wide selection of protective and enhancing mineral cosmetics to protect your skin while adding natural color and shine.