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Trends come and go, but accentuating your authentic, natural features never goes out of style—which is precisely where minimalist makeup comes in.
“To me, minimalist makeup means using less product in a smarter way to have more impact,” says Jason Hoffman, veteran makeup artist and vice president of beauty and product experience at Amyris (the parent company behind efficacious clean beauty brands from Rose Inc to Biossance). Think skin-perfecting tinted moisturizers, foolproof brow gels, and multitasking color pigments to achieve a natural-like glow perfect for daily wear, sunny days outside, or simply when you’re low on time and energy.
Minimalist Makeup Essentials
- The Lightweight Foundation: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation, $65
- The Concealer: Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer SPF 27, $75
- The Brow Gel: Kosas Air Brow, $24
- The Lip: Merit Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil, $24
- The Mascara: Ilia Limitless Lash Lengthening Mascara, $28
- The Cream Blush: Jones Road Miracle Balm, $38
- The Highlighter: Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick, $48
- The Weightless Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish, $48
Over the past decade, we’ve seen iterations of this across runways, on our favorite stars, and even in our social feeds. “The minimalistic look will definitely be here to stay,” says makeup artist Alexx Mayo—the pro behind Lizzo’s beauty moments. “It’s quick, easy, and great when you just want to look like you and get a boost of confidence.”
And thanks to the entrance of minimalist makeup brands like Merit, Westman Atelier, and Saie, it’s that much easier for anyone to get their hands on a high performance formula that encourages them to depart from a full face. Hoffman, though, encourages wearers to reflect on what minimal means to them: “Coverage is subjective. Full coverage to one person could be sheer to another. Minimal implies less product, so if it’s less than you would normally wear, that is minimal for you.”
With that, our experts break down the nine quintessential steps to nail an effortless, your-skin-but-better makeup look to sport this spring, summer and beyond. All signs are pointing to embracing the skin you’re in.
Skin Is In
“Proper skin care is a must,” Hoffman notes. “The skin should be hydrated and exfoliated, which will enhance any product you put on it.” And as Mayo puts it: “Well-prepped skin gives you a beautiful, hydrated glow, which in return helps you use less product.” Thus, like preparing for the Oscars or the Met Gala, it’s clear that skin prep is the most important step to achieve the look. We’d reach for the SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel, a hyaluronic acid-infused serum crafted to replenish and retain the skin’s moisture post-cleanse, or the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum, a hydrating, brightening, and firming salve. Follow these with the Tata Harper Illuminating Moisturizer, a silky formula infused with diamond dust to improve luminosity and plumpness. With this sequence, you’ll have a lit-from-within glow even before step two.
Sculpt & Tone
Thanks to an array of hi-tech beauty tools, it’s easier than ever to lift, sculpt, and tone the face from the comfort of your home. Devices can help promote a healthy, glowing complexion that will complement your no-makeup makeup look. One such gadget is the buzzy Solawave wand, which pairs four treatments into one (red light therapy, microcurrent, therapeutic warmth, and a gentle massage), or Jillian Dempsey’s vibrating tool, which instantly relaxes facial muscles.
Even Complexion
“Next, I would even out the complexion—using the least amount of product to get the desired coverage,” Hoffman says. So, swap that medium-to-full-coverage foundation for a lightweight formula like Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint, which earns bonus points for its featured SPF 40. The Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow is equally as good, particularly for those with mature skin. You certainly don’t have to use a tinted option all over, though. As Mayo notes, you can spot correct or conceal any areas of concern instead—even if you want to veil bags under eyes, rouge pimples, or dark spots. “The best way to hide areas of concern is to use a color-correcting concealer with a small, precise brush to specifically target any problem areas,” he says. Clé de Peau Beauté’s stick, YSL’s brightener, or your favorite clean concealer will definitely do the trick.
Accentuated Arches
Masks on or off, perfecting your brows is always a must, and step three of minimalist makeup. While Mayo recommends a clear brow gel, you can definitely opt for a tinted formula or fill in sparse hairs with a brow pencil. There are gels by Rose Inc and Kosas to fluff, lift, and set brows while conditioning them without a hard, flaky hold. On the other hand, give Glossier’s Brow Flick or Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Brow Wiz a try to subtly etch faux hairs and add fullness.
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Lengthened Lashes
Next up is enhancing your natural lashes. For Mayo, that means incorporating “a clean mascara, one that leaves the lashes separated and voluminous at the root,” rather than a clumpier formula or faux lashes. Ilia’s Limitless Lash is a clean formula that lifts and lengthens, while La Bouche Rouge’s formula will give you next-level glamorous length. Then, there are the tried-and-true classics like Diorshow, or one of our new favorites: Surratt’s tint, which instantly supplies denser-looking lashes.
Soft Focus Cheeks
While you could certainly stop there, amp up your no-makeup makeup look with a gentle wash of color to the cheeks by applying a liquid or cream blush. Saie’s Dew Blush offers six creamy water-based gels, which melt into the skin despite their vibrant pigment. Chanel’s multitasking lip and cheek balm is infused with red Camellia flower to nourish skin whilst delivering a healthy flush. Otherwise, Jones Road’s Miracle Balm or Merit’s Flush Balm will impart a buildable sheer tint wherever you place it.
Skin-Mimicking Highlight
“I’d finish by adding one accent to the face,” says Hoffman, who might go for a subtle highlight. With a creamy formula like Westman Atelier’s Lit Up stick, Rare Beauty’s Liquid Luminizer, or RMS Beauty’s clean pigment, you can customize your glow to be as luminous as you’d like. Just remember: The goal is to make it look like it could be your skin.
Featherlight Powder
Mayo recommends setting your base with a light touch of powder for all-day wear, which is a useful step during warmer seasons or for those with oily skin types. Luckily, today’s best powders offer a weightless, mattifying effect, without looking cakey. To maintain your lit-from-within glow, dust Charlotte Tilbury’s or Kosas’s pressed formulas along your T-zone, under-eye area, or wherever you’d like to set your look. For loose powders, on the other hand, look no further than Ami Colé’s pigment or Supergoop!’s mineral SPF powder if you’d like extra sun protection.
Tinted Lips
Lastly, you can apply a tinted balm or oil for a soft, pretty lip moment to round out your look. Take your pick of formulas by Merit, Bobbi Brown, Hourglass, and NARS to experience their moisturizing benefits, while delivering buildable, barely-there pigments with just one swipe.
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