Beauty

It's Back! The No-Makeup Look And Why You NEED It

We all try to work in a “no makeup” day that lines up with our social schedule (much like the absolute task of lining up our hair-washing days) and it’s a good routine to have since letting our skin breathe is important to its overall health. If you’ve been wanting to try the No-Makeup Look but aren’t sure how to pull it off, here are a few of our best tricks to do so:

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Skin Care Routine

First and foremost, taking care of your skin with a regular skin care routine is the most effective way to ensure a healthy complexion. We’ve shared a detailed nighttime skin care routine that we stand by but we understand not everyone has time to work in a complete routine every day. Luckily, a little effort goes a long way when it comes to caring for your skin. A few-step routine that includes a cleanser, an exfoliator, an eye-cream, and a moisturizer are great steps to take in treating and maintaining a healthy glow.

Essential Oil Diffuser or Humidifier

Both a humidifier and a diffuser are going to spray a steady source of humidity into the air as you sleep. This high humidity is going to make sure your skin doesn’t dry out excessively during the night (especially in winter). When we go to bed well moisturized after our skin care routine, it's important to make sure that your hard work isn’t wasted. Creating a humid environment when we sleep is going to make sure we stay moisturized and not surrender our hard-earned hydrated skin to the dry air.

Many people report health benefits from using various essential oils in their diffusers stating that they alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, depression, nausea, and insomnia (Johns Hopkins Medicine). The hormone imbalances involved in these conditions are huge contributors to acne and breakouts. So, creating a soothing environment is just as important to great skin as moisture is. Hello Lavender Waterfall dreams!

Drink Lots of Water

The secret to looking amazing sans makeup is putting effort into hydrating from the inside. Our bodies are comprised, in large part, of water so it's important to keep ourselves from becoming dehydrated. All of our tissues and organs depend on hydration to keep them functioning optimally - and skin is our body’s largest organ.

We’ve talked about the importance of drinking at least sixteen ounces of water as soon as you wake-up to get your digestive system running and to keep you hydrated for the morning, but it’s important to keep that up throughout the day. Adding a water bottle to your pretend British Vogue: In The Bag episode is an easy reminder to drink-up periodically. Drinking plain water is great and sufficient but adding a slice of lemon adds a bit of vitamin C and can help our bodies produce collagen (the compound that keeps skin tighter and younger looking). All of these things will combine to keep your skin cells working proficiently and producing healthy new skin cells (US National Library Of Medicine).

Lip Care

Image: Well + Good

Our lips are the most sensitive skin on our face, which is why they need specialized care. We recommend carrying around a lip balm or moisturizer with you to apply throughout the day. Like the rest of your body, your lips should be exfoliated a couple of times per week.

DIY Lip Exfoliator:

A super easy, DIY lip exfoliator that Valeria swears by is simply coconut oil and sugar. Dip your finger in coconut oil and then sprinkle any form of sugar on top. Lightly exfoliate your lips with your finger. The coarse sugar will gently remove any dead, dry skin while the coconut oil replenishes the moisture. Exfoliation will bring some added blood flow to the lips so expect a nice, product-free, classic red lip - free of charge!

Fake Makeup Hack:

When you feel like spicing things up a bit, use a tint lip balm (the only makeup adjacent product we are going to recommend on this list) to add some color at any point during the day. Don’t be afraid to dab a bit of balm on your cheekbones as well to add moisture and a tint of color for that every-so-slightly blushed look. This winter to spring season we're using a slightly muted tone that subtly adds to our complexion. Our favorites at the moment are Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm and Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm.

Eye Patches

The skin under our eyes is usually among the first places we show signs of aging by way of fine lines and looser skin. That’s why the under eye area is the second place that needs extra attention. When applying your everyday moisturizer, apply the cream in upward movements and towards the outside of your face rather than downwards, which stretches your skin and adds extra pressure on collagen and skin elasticity to work even harder. Most eye patches on the market are easy sources of moisture as well as other vitamins that nourish our skin. Valeria makes her own DIY Green Tea Eyepatch with cucumber, lemon, and green tea.

DIY Eye Mask Recipe:

Cucumber has a brightening effect on your skin, lemon adds vitamin C for collagen production, and green tea is a source of caffeine which is anti-inflammatory and vasoconstricting, so it reduces under-eye puffiness. Blend the ingredients together in a blender and soak some halved cotton pads in the mixture to create little at-home eye patches.

Coconut Oil

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

The seemingly magical powers of coconut oil have been widespread for the better part of the last 4,000 years and likely longer, as the Pacific-origin beauty product is a popular ingredient in everything from haircare products to cast iron skillet cooking - it’s just that good. It’s an essential piece to the puzzle of pulling off the No-Makeup appearance because it’s great for your skin and you can use it as a makeup cheat to still look put together.

Fake Makeup Hack:

Smear a little coconut oil on your brow brush and mascara brush to give a bit of extra fullness and tidiness to your hairs. The vitamins and essential fatty acids in coconut oil also promote hair growth so you're also ensuring future hair health while shaping your brows and lashes. A small swipe of coconut oil across the cheeks can also act as an all-natural highlighter and your skin will thank you. Apply coconut oil to any dry patches on your face, body, or hair and expect overnight results.

Fuel Your Body

Image: Dan-Cristian Pădureț

Proper nutrition is paramount in keeping your entire body healthy, and that includes our skin. Having a diet well-balanced with fruits and vegetables is going to give your body all the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep your skin naturally beautiful, so you’ll feel and look great. The four main vitamins that keep our skin looking youthful and healthy are C, D, E, and K. Vitamin C is found in citric fruits, tomatoes, and potatoes. Vitamin D is produced naturally by our bodies when our skin comes in direct contact with the sun. Because this is not always possible for those in colder climates, taking a vitamin D supplement is recommended by most health professionals. Vitamin E is a fat found in several nuts and seeds as well as mango and avocado whereas vitamin K is found in dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collard greens (Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials).

Rose Water

Rose water is adored for its toner-like ability to hydrate our skin, reduce the appearance of fine line and redness, and balance our skin’s natural oils (Healthline). If you’ve kept up with Valeria’s tried and true skincare products through the years, you’ll recognize her love for rose water. Keep a rose water toner bottle in your purse so you can spritz your face at any time during the day when you need some hydration (it also smells heavenly).

DIY Rose Water:

Image: Popsugar

You can make your own DIY rosewater at home by boiling rose petals in a little bit of water. All you need is about seven stems of organic roses (you don't want pesticides or chemical sprays on them) and enough distilled water to cover the rose petals (about 1.5 litres). Remove the rose petals from the stems and run them under lukewarm water to remove any residue. Add them to a pot and cover them in water and warm over medium-low heat. Once the water begins simmering, cover the pot. Let the petals simmer for 20-30 minutes until the petals have turned a pale pink color. Strain the mixture, discard the petals, and pour your homemade rose water into a glass jar.

It’s All About Attitude

The most important thing about pulling off a great no makeup look is your attitude. Own your natural beauty. People remember a great attitude and a confident demeanour regardless of how made up you are. So be that person who lights up any room with your energy and confidence, no matter what occasion. Positive energy has a great effect on our hormone levels and, as a result, on the appearance of our skin. So not only are you going to exude an air of confidence, you’re also treating your skin right.