How To Do Makeup That Men Think Is "No Makeup"

Studies and hilarious social media experiments have shown that when men are asked to choose between pictures of women wearing zero makeup and women wearing light, natural-looking makeup, they almost always pick the latter.

Turns out most men don't mind makeup at all, they just don’t like bold, heavy makeup that they can easily detect. Which is exactly why the “makeup men think is no makeup” routine is perfect.

Soft, glowing skin, subtly defined features, and a rested, fresh look that says I woke up like this even though you didn’t. Because why does he need to know that? This "no makeup" look plays up your natural beauty while disguising the effort, and here’s how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Start with Seamless Skin

Forget full coverage, think barely-there with a tinted moisturizer if you need to even things out. The Kylie Cosmetics Skin Tint is a foolproof choice: featherlight, easy to blend, and makes your skin look like your skin, only better.

Step 2: Brighten, Don’t Cake

Forgo the heavy under-eye concealer and use a reflective highlighter under the eyes instead, something like the Typology one made famous by Melody Miles. It catches the light and fakes a full night of sleep without looking like makeup at all.

Then use spot concealer only where you need it. A dab of MAC Studio Radiance Concealer with a precision brush (BK Beauty’s is a good one) lets you target redness or blemishes without layering on excess product.

Step 3: Sculpt Softly

Bronzer or contour? Both, but very lightly. Use buttery formulas (Anastasia Beverly Hills has fantastic ones) and try this trick: apply a touch under your bottom lip for a fuller pout. It’s subtle but effective.

Step 4: Blush, But Keep It Quiet

Use a warm, muted blush like Lady Bird from ILIA. It gives a soft, healthy flush without screaming blush! Dot some across your nose and up toward the hairline, then spot set those areas with powder so nothing smudges.

Step 5: The Lip Combo No One Will Guess

Rather than a thick lipstick or sticky gloss, use a lip stain like Benetint's cult classic as a liner for a subtle definition, then swipe on a plumping gloss that’s minty, not spicy, and perfectly clear. Think fresh, kissable, and low-effort. MAC's Clear Squirt Plumping Gloss rises to the occasion.

Step 6: Bright Eyes Without the Sparkle

Instead of glitter, use a matte light shade in your inner eye corners and brow bone. It adds depth and brightness without looking obvious. Want your eyes to look bigger and more awake? Add a little under-eye liner just at the lash line and flick it out into a baby wing. Then curl your lashes and swipe on a thin mascara like Ilia’s Limitless Lash.

Step 7: Brush Up the Brows

Tame and tint your brows with a brow mascara, no heavy filling-in required. You’re just defining what’s already there. This formula from Kosas has peptides and castor oil for extra benefits.

Final Look

Now you’ve got glow, you’ve got dimension, your features are defined, but nothing looks caked on or exaggerated. In fact, in natural light, you might convince yourself you’re not wearing makeup either. But trust: your skin, eyes, and lips will all look just a little too perfect to be purely accidental.

So the next time a man compliments you on your “natural beauty,” just smile and say thank you. You earned that.