How to Look Flawless Without a Drop of Makeup On Your Face

Of course, the transition from heavy makeup to none at all can be terrifying. That’s why we’re here to help! Do you dare to go bare? Ahead, we’re sharing tips to help your skin look and feel beautiful sans makeup.  

Cleanse Daily

Every day our skin is exposed to dirt, pollution, UV rays, smoke, and other aggressors that not only can clog pores and cause breakouts, but can also leave our body’s largest organ looking worse for wear over time without adequate care. To rid skin of filth—and to help avoid any unwanted side effects—it’s crucial to cleanse with a good face wash daily, morning and night.

Need help picking a cleansing formula? Check out our ultimate guide to cleansers—including our favorite picks in each category—here! 

Exfoliate Regularly

As we age, our skin has a tougher time shedding dead skin cells on its surface to reveal the healthy-looking skin cells underneath. This paired with the loss of moisture that can also occur as skin ages can lead to an excessive buildup of rough dead skin cells, resulting in a dull, sallow-looking skin tone. That’s where exfoliation comes in. Gently sloughing the surface of your skin with a scrub or a beta-hydroxy acid can help reveal radiant looking skin and a smooth-clean feel. How often should one exfoliate? It varies from person to person. Some skin types can only handle exfoliation once per week, while others may be able to exfoliate two to three times per week. Come up with a frequency based on your skin’s sensitivity levels, and talk to your dermatologist for additional guidance.

Apply a Clay Mask 

Clay masks are a must-have in any skin care arsenal. Depending on the type of clay, they can help to purify pores and absorb excess oil, restore radiance to tired-looking skin, and smooth and exfoliate the skin’s surface for a more even-looking skin tone. Why count on your foundation to even out your complexion when there’s so much fun to be had with multi-masking? Give L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Masks a try. There’s three creamy masks in total—formulated with a combination of three mineral clays: kaolinite, montmorillonite, and ghassoul—targeted for specific skin needs, including de-congesting pores, illuminating dull skin, and refining skin’s texture.

Use a Glow-Enhancing Moisturizer 

Fact: Dry skin can accentuate the appearance of wrinkles. Another fact: All skin needs moisture. It’s a no-brainer then that moisturizing be part of your skin care routine. Not only can moisturizing keep dry, flaky skin at bay, it can also help your skin look healthy and plump. But that’s not all your moisturizer can do. The right formula can also help you achieve a lit-from-within glow, something you may normally count on your highlighter or strobing stick to provide. Garnier Clearly Brighter Brightening & Smoothing Moisturizer SPF 15 can help turn dull, rough skin into smooth, polished-looking skin with a radiant, even tone in just one week. Bonus points that it is formulated with SPF 15. Sunscreen is a crucial part of any skin routine—makeup or not—to protect skin from harmful UV rays which can prematurely age skin and even cause certain skin cancers. 

Tip: For an extra, dewy glow, add a few touches of Giorgio Armani Armani Prima Nourishing Glow Enhancer Oil-in-Gel to the high points of your face to help naturally brighten the complexion.

Build a Bronze 

If you have pale skin like I do, chances are you rely on foundation and bronzer to not only camouflage problem areas but to also give your skin some natural-looking color. To help your skin tone look even, radiant, and bronzed without makeup, reach for a self-tanning formula like L’Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Serum. Use it daily for 3 consecutive days to achieve a tan that can last up to two weeks. 

Lengthen Your Lashes

Going makeup-free will cause you to bid farewell to your beloved volumizing mascara. But there’s still a way to make your lashes look on fleek without a tint. Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara can help tame unruly eyelashes and brows with a clear gel formula. Comb it through your lashes after curling them.

Treat Your Pout

Don’t forget about your lips! Your face can’t look flawless if your pout is chapped, cracked, and flaky—period. Start with a lip scrub—The Body Shop Lip Scuff exfoliates delicate lip skin—and finish with your favorite lip emollient or hydrating balm for a soft and smooth look and feel. 

Don’t Skimp on Sleep

It’s called beauty sleep for a reason, right? While you sleep, skin cells are working on reparation. If you continually strip that time away with too-few hours of shut-eye per night, you could be left with tired, dull-looking skin, not to mention more pronounced under-eye bags, dark circles, and wrinkles. Go ahead, hit the snooze button.

Want to learn more about how those late nights can affect your skin? A dermatologist walks us through the scary consequences, here!

Drink Water

Dehydration can show up on our skin, as dullness, dryness, or an uneven tone. To combat those side effects, be sure to drink a healthy amount of water each day to stay hydrated. To make your water tastier, try infusing it with fruits and herbs!

There you have it, ladies! You’re ready for your fresh-faced, #nomakeup selfie.