Au Naturel Face Make-Up

Besides finding the right dress and pair of sandals for the upcoming summer days, having the perfect natural face make-up is a must! I'm definitely not one of those girls who can run out of the house each morning without some sort of cover-up (I still remember the days of being made fun of in middle school for having a consistent spew of breakouts across my forehead and chin). Always one to feel less than confident about what my skin looks like, finding the balance between light, fresh, and made-up has been a pretty big feat. Thankfully, as my skin gets clearer and smoother with the help of my Clarisonic and AHA, this doesn't seem as impossible an obstacle as it used to.

First things, first, it's most important to have as best a canvas as possible to start with. Some of my skincare must-do's for the warm, summer months include:

1) Clarifying and smoothing face mask: My pick is the Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar ($38). I've previously used the more expensive tube version of this mask and found that the extra $10 allows for a more convenient disbursement and thicker application... which also leads to the product running out much more quickly than the bar version. I've tried a million masks and this one is a true favorite. I like that it's light, quick-drying, non-irritating, and really seems to clean out my pores (making them look smaller!).
2) Eye cream: Using the right type of eye cream helps keep the skin under your eyes from shriveling up and even helps fight off dark circles. Because the skin around our eyes is the most delicate, it's important to give it the targeted moisture it needs. I've been using Dermalogica Total Eye Care with SPF and it's got the right amount of moisture for my (still) youthful under eyes. Eye cream is expensive, but definitely worth the investment! Clinique All About Eyes is another favorite of mine for its super light consistency and cool-to-the-touch feeling.
3) Night cream/treatment: It's easy to want to skip putting on moisturizer at night, but I see night cream as a very essential prep step. Keeping skin well-balanced and nourished while you sleep definitely makes a difference in your overall complexion. My absolute HG moisturizer pick is the Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream. I love how my skin looks like there's a soft-focus on it when I wake up in the mornings! Unfortunately, since I've started using the Acne.org AHA treatment, I've had to take a break from this, but would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't found a night cream yet.

Now, onto the fun stuff! Make-up, make-up, make-up:
1) Tinted moisturizer: I didn't include moisturizer above since my summer routine consists of using a tinted moisturizer (Cover Girl Smoothers in #810 Light to Medium). As mentioned before, this is a simple, light, and long-lasting TM. I haven't had any irritations and will continue using it until someone points me towards a better option for less than $10!

2) Setting powder: The secret to my everyday face! I've tried a bunch of powders (Everyday Minerals Silk Dust, Start to Bronze Powder, Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, Prescriptives Virtual Matte Powder, MAC Blot Powder) and nothing gives me the same natural, soft focus look as MAC Mineralized Skinfinish (Medium Dark). I bought the Medium Dark and Shimmer duo way back when it was a limited edition item and kept lucking out by finding it at CCOs over the years. Although I love the shimmer part for highlighting, I was going through the mineralized powder much more quickly. Thankfully, these days you can buy just the mineralized powder at any MAC counter. I don't think anything else comes close to this one.
3) Cream blush: I've been wanting to try out cream blushes for so long, but have been too scared of ending up with stained cheeks to do so. I finally went for it this weekend and bought Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal as a tester. The color is much more shimmery than I would like, but the texture is amazing for cream blush newbies like myself. Because it really is a mousse, using the product is a lot simpler than it appears! I dab my right middle and ring fingers lightly in the pot and rub in circular motions on the apples of my cheeks for a light, natural flush. For $6, the color payoff is pretty nice and much more low-key than any powder blushes I own. I'm definitely going to try the highly rated Sonia Kashuk in Rosey and MAC Blushcreme in Ladyblush after I get more acquainted with creams.
4) Brown eyeliner: I rely on eyeliner as much as the next girl when it comes to accenting my eyes, but I think the key to a softer look is softer eyeliner. Having the right shade of dark brown allows for a less harsh daytime look. I'm currently using Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner in Mahogany Ink and love that it blends in seamlessly with the roots of my eyelashes. I thinly line my top and bottom lids with the Sonia Kashuk Smudge Brush for quick and easy application.
5) Mascara: Curled, long lashes finish off the look! By using two light coats (no clumpy spider eyes, girls!), this gives your eyes that pop despite skipping out on those shimmery eyeshadows. My favorite is the CoverGirl Lash Blast.

The results of a 5-minute, 5-product make-up routine:

Please excuse the Myspace-esque tilt! Setting the flash directly on my face was too harsh and didn't allow the colors to show up as well. I added a thin layer of Maybelline Pink Please ColorSensational lipstick, but clear lipbalm works the best for a true au natural look. After trying all kinds of foundations to cover up my scars, it's been so nice to find that I don't have to slather on a ton of products to feel okay about being seen in public! Wearing less make-up has actually made me much more confident knowing that people aren't thinking I'm too made-up for the season. This is definitely not to say that the final payoff is as streamlined as a full foundation face, but I think the end result really is as close to au natural as I will ever get (it almost looks like my real skin, right?). It's been a long road from those days of being snickered at for being a pizza face--there's hope for us all!