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How to get a natural makeup look

Guys are always blabbing on and on about how much they love the natural makeup look. The truth of the matter is — so do we! It’s simple, yet has the ability to accentuate all your best features — believe it or not. So go ahead: Try something new this season and get rid of the heavy foundation and false eyelashes. We caught up with celebrity makeup artist, Julia Papworth, to find out how.

“Barely-there makeup gives every woman’s skin that gorgeous, healthy, youthful glow. Not to mention, it’s quicker and easier to pull off than a face full of caked-on products,” Papworth explains.

Step 1: Wash and moisturize

To start, you’ll need to make sure you wash your face. After doing so, moisturize and dab on a great eye cream to help combat tiredness, puffiness and dark circles. This is especially important if you stayed out late or didn’t get enough sleep the night before.

Step 2: Foundation

Let your moisturizer sink in for a few minutes, then apply a primer to help smooth away any fine lines, brighten your complexion and prep your skin for foundation application. “I love Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation (Nordstrom.com, $59),” says Papworth. “It’s weightless and goes on so nice and even.”

Step 3: Concealer

Once you’ve fully blended in your foundation, it’s time to put on concealer. Add coverage wherever you need it, but before doing your under-eye area, dab on a hydrating primer to prevent any caking or dryness. Papworth recommends Smashbox’s Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer (Smashbox.com, $29).

Step 4: Bronzer

Next, to fake a good glow, dust bronzer onto the areas of your face where the sun would naturally hit — in other words, the top of your forehead, the bridge of your nose and your cheekbones.

Step 5: Subtle color pop

Speaking of your cheeks, for a subtle flush, apply Stila’s Convertible Color in Peony (Stilacosmetics.com, $25). It’s a cream blush that not only glides on flawlessly, but provides the perfect pop of color as well.

Step 6: Your eyes

Finally, moving on to your eyes: tame any unruly brow hairs with an eyebrow gel, curl your lashes to really open up and awaken those peepers and then swipe on a couple coats of a fab lengthening and volumizing mascara.

Step 7: Lips

Finish off the look with a neutral lip gloss, and you’re good to go.

Expert Tip

“Don’t forget to use a Beautyblender sponge to avoid that streaky look,” says Julia. “These innovative, egg-shaped applicators make foundation application simple to control.”

More beauty and style how-tos

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How to create an ombre nail design
How to do a chevron pattern with nail polish

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