Beauty

Beauty Minimalist's Dream: 27 Products You Should Try For A No-Makeup Makeup Look

Rooted in the sentiment that less is more, the "no-makeup makeup" look is all about simplicity and enhancing your natural features.

By Simone Sydel6 min read
shutterstock 2036389967 (1)

Beauty minimalists, rejoice! There are now more makeup products available than ever that can help you create a natural, clean makeup look without all the fuss.

From "your skin, but better" foundations, cheek and lip tints that make you look naturally flushed in all the right places, to brow gels and mascaras that give you just enough color and definition, we've rounded up 27 of the best minimalist makeup products to help you achieve the perfect no-makeup makeup look.

Skin

When doing a clean, no-makeup makeup look, the first thing you want to focus on is your skin. A good base is essential for creating a smooth canvas, and there are plenty of options for those who want to keep it minimal. Here are some of our favorites:

UNDONE Beauty – Glowed Up Foaming Facial Tanner

For those who want to simplify their skincare routine but still achieve a natural-looking, sun-kissed complexion, the UNDONE Beauty Foaming Facial Tanner is the way to go. Its buildable, fast-absorbing formula is streak-free and easy to apply, making it perfect for beginners (or anyone short on time).

Buy Now - $20

MILK MAKEUP – Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer

MILK's Hydro Grip Primer is a game-changer for dry, flaky skin. It's formulated with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to provide a surge of hydration and lock in moisture for hours. Plus, it blurs the look of pores and fine lines while creating a smooth canvas for makeup.

Buy Now - $36

ILIA – True Skin Radiant Priming Serum

ILIA’s True Skin Radiant Serum is pure radiance in a bottle. It’s fragrance-free, oil-free, breathable, clean, and vegan. The key ingredients include hibiscus extract, beta-glucan, and mastic to firm skin, make pores appear smaller, and improve skin texture. The elegant and minimalist-friendly bottle has a dropper for easy application and seamless distribution.

Buy Now - $52

Complexion

After prepping your skin and creating a smooth base, it's time for complexion products. For a no-makeup makeup look, we recommend using light-coverage foundation or tinted moisturizer and only concealing where needed. Here are some of our favorite complexion products:

Glossier – Perfecting Skin Tint

Dermatologist-tested, suitable for all skin types, and formulated without drying alcohols and irritating fragrance, the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is a minimalist’s dream come true. Its light-as-air, buildable coverage evens out the complexion without masking the skin or creating a cakey layer that alters its natural tone.

Buy Now - $26

ILIA – Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

The ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 is a clean and natural foundation that provides buildable coverage with a dewy finish. Made with hydrating and brightening ingredients such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and squalane, the tinted serum aims to even out the skin tone while delivering a healthy dose of hydration. Additionally, SPF 40 protects your skin from UV damage.

Buy Now - $48

ROSE INC – Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been making waves in the beauty industry with her clean and cruelty-free products, and the Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation is no exception. This foundation provides buildable coverage with a serum-like consistency and dewy finish that leaves the skin looking healthy and glowy. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and skin-softening squalane, it’s an excellent choice for those with dry and sensitive skin types who are looking for a gentle and lightweight foundation to give their skin a boost of radiance.

Buy Now - $49

MERIT – The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick

MERIT Beauty is the queen of minimalist beauty brands, and their Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick is an excellent choice for anyone who appreciates light coverage complexion products packed in elegant, minimalistic packaging. The foundation offers light to medium buildable coverage with a dewy finish, while the concealing component helps cover up blemishes and dark circles without looking cakey or dry.

Buy Now - $38

MILK MAKEUP – Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten Concealer

Vegan, clean, and free of parabens, silicones, and irritation-inducing fragrance, the MILK Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten Concealer is an excellent choice for those looking for a way to cover up but also brighten their dark circles. The tinted concealer contains vitamin C, a powerhouse antioxidant that instantly brightens dark spots alongside hydrating hyaluronic acid to keep the delicate under-eye area hydrated and smooth.

Buy Now - $28

Kosas – Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer and Daytime Eye Cream

The Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer and Daytime Eye Cream is a two-in-one product that can be used as a concealer or an eye cream. Formulated with hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, arnica, and panthenol, this brightening product blends into the skin like a dream and provides a natural-looking coverage that visibly brightens hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone.

Buy Now - $28

Cheeks

After you've perfected your complexion, it's time to add some color to your cheeks and define your features with a pop of blush, bronzer, and highlighter. Here are some of our favorite cheek products:

ILIA – Color Haze Lip & Cheek Cream

ILIA's Color Haze Lip & Cheek Cream is a versatile cream that can be used on lips and cheeks. The hydrating formula contains jojoba and sunflower oils to nourish the skin, while the buildable pigments provide a natural flush of color that looks beautiful on all skin tones.

Buy Now - $32

UNDONE Beauty – Water Bronzer

An ultra-blendable, water-based bronzing stick that delivers a healthy, sun-kissed glow without looking orange or muddy, the UNDONE Beauty Water Bronzer is perfect for all skin types looking for a bronzer that will boost glow, hydration, and radiance.

Buy Now - $10

Minori – Cream Highlighter

Minori's Cream Highlighter is a natural-looking highlighter with a soft, cream-to-powder formula that effortlessly melts into the skin to deliver a dewy, healthy-looking glow. Enriched with softening shea butter, the highlighter leaves the skin looking hydrated and plump, making it an excellent choice for dull skin that desperately needs healthy radiance.

Buy Now - $32

Eyeshadow

For a natural makeup look, we recommend using cream eyeshadows or neutral-toned powder eyeshadows. Here are some of our favorite options:

Kosas – 10-Second Eye Gel Watercolor Eyeshadow

Kosas 10-Second Eye Gel Watercolor Eyeshadow is a gel watercolor eyeshadow with a long-wearing, water-resistant formula that delivers a sheer wash of radiance in just 10 seconds. The eyeshadow comes in a range of beautiful, buildable shimmer shades that can be used for a natural, barely-there pop of glow or combined with standard eyeshadows to create a more intense smoky look.

Buy Now - $15

EM Cosmetics – Cosmic Pearl Dewy Eyeshadows

The Cosmic Pearl Dewy Eyeshadows from EM Cosmetics are perfect for anyone who loves a dewy, glittery eyeshadow look and the ease of application that comes with its unique, ultra-creamy formula. The eyeshadows can be applied with a finger or a brush, and they offer a beautiful and buildable color payoff with a multi-chromatic effect.

Buy Now - $26

Glossier – Monochromes: Essential Eyeshadow Trio

Glossier's Monochromes Essential Eyeshadow Trio is a trio of monochromatic eyeshadows that come in minimalistic, refillable packaging and offer a range of versatile looks, from a natural wash of color to a smoky eye. The eyeshadows come in three finishes – matte, satin, and metallic – as well as 10 essential shades inspired by colors found in nature.

Buy Now - $26

Setting Powder

Now this one is a little tricky because you don't want to use a heavy setting powder that will make your skin look cakey and overdone, but you also don't want to end up looking like a greaseball and have your makeup slide off your face before noon. So the trick to avoid both is to use a very fine powder and go in with a light hand, just enough to set your look without looking like you're wearing a ton of makeup. Some of our favorite setting powders for a no-makeup makeup look are:

UNDONE Beauty – Over/Under Prime+Set Powder

A weightless, translucent setting powder that blurs the appearance of pores and fine lines while setting makeup in place and extending its wear, the UNDONE Beauty Over/Under Prime+Set Powder is a must-have for anyone who wants their makeup to last all day long. Excellent for all skin types but particularly beneficial for those with oily or combination skin, this setting powder leaves the skin with a matte finish that's never flat or cakey.

Buy Now - $12

Glossier – Wowder Weightless Finishing Powder

A soft, translucent powder that sets makeup in place and eliminates shine without looking cakey or drying out the skin, Glossier's Wowder Weightless Finishing Powder is perfect for anyone who wants their makeup to last all day long without compromising on the skin's natural radiance. Enriched with kaolin clay to absorb excess oil and vitamin E to protect the skin from free radical damage, this powder leaves the complexion with a soft, velvety finish and blurred imperfections.

Buy Now - $22

ILIA – Radiant Translucent Powder SPF 20

Formulated with skin conditioning aloe, anti-bacterial rosemary, and oil-balancing bamboo to help leave the skin’s surface shine-free, the ILIA Radiant Translucent Powder SPF 20 is a must-have for anyone who wants a natural, healthy-looking finish to their makeup. The powder also contains SPF 20 to protect the skin from the sun's harmful rays, making it an excellent choice for days spent outdoors.

Buy Now - $34

Eyelashes

If you're going for a no-makeup makeup look, you definitely don't want to go overboard with your lashes. Instead of using falsies, focus on lengthening and volumizing your lashes to make them look fuller and more defined, as this will give your eyes a more natural look. Some of our favorite mascaras for a no-makeup makeup look are:

Saie – Mascara 101 Lengthening and Lifting

With its special hydra-mineral complex, Saie’s Mascara 101 strengthens the lashes while yielding impressive volume and lift. It’s buildable, so one coat offers a your-lashes-but-better effect, while two-plus layers take you into the more intense, feathery territory.

Buy Now - $25

MERIT – Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara

MERIT's Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara is an innovative product made with unique ingredients, such as plant-powered rice bran wax that gracefully smooths over lashes to nourish, lift, separate, and define.

Buy Now - $26

Vapour – Mesmerize Mascara

Vapour’s lengthening and volumizing Mesmerize Mascara makes good on its moniker. It delivers an intense black pigment and extension-like definition with a formula composed of lash-health-supporting acacia flower wax, amino acids, and jojoba oil.

Buy Now - $28

Eyebrows

Full, defined brows are a must for a no-makeup makeup look. They help to frame the face and give you a polished look, even if you're not wearing any other makeup. Here are our favorite eyebrow products that are made for a minimalist makeup look:

GLOSSIER – Boy Brow

GLOSSIER's Boy Brow is a creamy, brushable formula that effortlessly shapes, thickens, and grooms any brow. The solution contains healthy conditioning agents like oleic acid, lecithin, and soluble collagen, making high-profile celebrities go nuts for it.

Buy Now - $17

Well People – Expressionist Brow Gel

Well People's Expressionist Brow Gel has a unique clear formula that boasts clean, plant-based ingredients while sculpting and defining the eyebrows without feeling stiff or getting flaky. Besides the fantastic wear power, your eyebrows will also thank you for using its strategic growth-enhancing ingredients like castor oil, olive oil, and aloe. As a bonus, you can use this one on your lashes too!

Buy Now - $17

Make Beauty – Clear Brow Gel

The Clear Brow Gel by Make Beauty not only makes brows look plump and lifted, but the cutting-edge formula features advanced polymers for definition and hold plus phytobioactive silver linden, which is rich in polysaccharides and protein to promote healthier, fuller brows in the future.

Buy Now - $25

Lips

Lastly, you want to bring everything together by adding a touch of color to your lips. But since you're going for a natural look, you don't want to go too crazy with the color. A light pink or nude lip with a little gloss is always a good choice for a no-makeup makeup look. Some of our favorite lip products for a no-makeup makeup look are:

MILK MAKEUP – KUSH Lip Gaze

If you want a lightweight, non-sticky, high-shine gloss that delivers hydration and buildable color, look no further than MILK's KUSH Lip Gaze. Packed with natural ingredients like hemp and jojoba oils, as well as moringa butter to soothe, calm, and soften the skin, this gloss is perfect for those who want an all-in-one product for daily use.

Buy Now - $18

Vertly – Lip Butter

Vertly's Lip Butter is a shea butter-based formula that feels exceptionally soft and decadent on the lips. Due to its intense pigment, a little definitely goes a very long way; just a quick swipe leaves a bold berry finish that lasts all day.

Buy Now - $20

SIMIHAZE – Super Slick Lip Balm

The SIMIHAZE Super Slick Lip Balm is a luscious, buttery lip balm that melts into your lips upon contact and adds a beautiful, natural-looking shine. It's made with a unique blend of oils and extracts that help nourish, hydrate, and plump the lips and comes in various shades ranging from nude to pink to a beautiful clay color.

Buy Now - $28

Closing Thoughts

That was our rather extensive roundup featuring some of the best minimalist makeup products on the market that will give you a natural, clean, no-makeup makeup look.

Is any product on our list already a favorite of yours? Let us know in the comments below!

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