Award season has us thinking about celebrity makeup a lot lately, but not the heavy, caked-on TV makeup you can see from space. Lately we’ve been noticing more and more celebs rocking a fresh-faced, natural look that somehow manages to be red carpet-ready. And it’s like...how did they do that?
Ok, it’s not fair to compare ourselves to famous people who have seemingly unlimited time and resources, a full-on glam squad, and all the best makeup, skincare, and hair products at their disposal. And there’s nothing wrong with a bold brow, a strong contour, and a full-coverage foundation either. But who doesn’t want to trick everyone into thinking their look is just naturally flawless? Luckily, getting a natural look that’s still photo-ready isn’t as hard as you might think.
Here are some of our favorite products and techniques.
THE SKIN
A good skincare routine is the first step to flawless photos and perfect makeup application. We love The Ordinary for gentle but effective skincare solutions. Their products range from $5-$18.
Pick up their No-Brainer Set which has all the best basics for $29.
Yes, celebrities are naturally beautiful and that’s wildly unfair, but don’t get it twisted; they need some extra coverage to get photo-ready just like we do.
BB or CC creams are great for a super hydrated, natural look. Try IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. IT also makes a great finishing powder which you’ll wanna dust on top to be shine-proof.
For a lightweight, soft-matte, medium coverage try Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation
If you have drier skin check out Too Faced Peach Perfect Matte Foundation
To add some life to your cheeks and lips, Glossier's the way to go. Try their cloud paint cream blush and sheer matte lipstick
One of the best things about Fenty beauty is how naturally flawless it looks.
*Note: Rihanna IS naturally flawless, but her makeup helps, too.
THE BROWS
So, brows have been trending for a minute. We’ve seen all shapes, styles, and sizes. Based on photo evidence, most celebs who were alive in the 90s ended up plucking their brows into oblivion just like everyone else. Science tells us not everyone's follicles are able to make a comeback for the thick brow trend of today. Fortunately for them (and us!) pretty much every makeup brand has expanded their brow product collection to try and keep up.
To get a precise but soft look, peep Colourpop’s Precision Brow Pencil
For full, fluffy, and natural brows check out the super popular Glossier Boy Brow, as seen on Beyoncé and SZA at the Grammys.
And don’t forget about microblading, a huge step up from when permanent makeup first came out. If microblading isn’t in your budget but you still want bolder brows, maybe it’s time to look into brow tinting. It’s a super easy DIY and makes a world of difference for all the baby brow hairs you might not even know you have.
(thanks to our friend Moe Dabbagh you can get 20% off your first Glossier order of $30 or more + free shipping. Support the homies!)
THE LASHES
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered why your lashes aren’t as fluttery or as flawless as your fav celebs are all the time, even when they’re supposedly rocking the natural look? Well, that’s because eeeeveryone is wearing lash extensions or falsies these days. We’d get extensions ourselves, if we felt like getting them touched up every 3-4 weeks. Instead, tinting your lashes has been a great DIY way to keep them bold and beautiful.
If you don’t mind quickly swiping your look on in the morning:
For extra drama on thin or fine lashes pick up Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara. We’ll stop mentioning this one when we find another that compares!
If you’re on a babe on a budget, try Essence Lash Princess.
We love to label Kourtney the surgery-free Kardashian, which may be true. But there's power in those products, y'all.
THE HAIR
It’s safe to assume that 9 out of 10 celebs are wearing extensions or a wig on the red carpet. It’s pretty rare to be naturally blessed with full, luxurious, shiny hair, you know? Hair pieces are more mainstream and more affordable than ever before – you can get a pretty decent lace-front on amazon for $34! But don’t get it twisted, the amount of hair product that goes into these “natural” styles are the make-it or break-it of what keep hair looking flawless and perfect.
If you’re rocking curls and you need some hydration and separation grab Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie which can be applied on wet or dry hair.
If your waves need a little oomf spray in the Ouai Wave Spray on damp hair and scrunch.
To get volume, and tousled texture try Oribe dry Texturizing Spray on dry and already styled hair.
To finish things off, generously apply the Kenra Volume Spray 25 to set your style and keep things in place all day.
The right products and expert application can make almost any haircut look Oscar-worthy, sure, but a good haircut can be a game-changer for more effortless styling and easier product application. Maybe a lob and some textured pieces would really spice up your look. We put together a list of some helpful haircut vocab to guide you and your stylist to your ideal haircut.
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