Nicole Jennifer: "No Makeup" Makeup Routine

Hello everyone!! I know I've taken a few months off from blogging but I am back :) This winter has been so harsh and I just couldn't bring myself to shoot OOTDs outside, so once I gave that up for the winter, my blogging went along with it. But now the weather is starting to get (somewhat) warmer so I've been inspired again and am back with a makeup tutorial. Today was a lazy day off for me so I went with my typical "no makeup" makeup routine. Basically, this is just how I do my makeup whenever I know I am not going anywhere special, or when I am just hanging around the house and I just want to wear minimal makeup. You can't really tell I'm wearing a full face of makeup because I apply it in a way to make it look as natural and possible. The goal of this routine is not to look super glamorous, but to cover up any imperfections such as uneven skin tone, acne, and dark circles.

Step 1:

First, you want to start off with a primer to create a base for your foundation to go on flawlessly and last longer. This will also prevent foundation from settling into fine lines and wrinkles. Most primers have special purposes, like Benefit "That Gal" which is a brightening primer to brighten up your complexion if your skin is looking dull.

Step 2:

On days when I don't want to do a full-on makeup routine, I opt for a BB cream rather than a heavy foundation. What I really love about this BB cream in particular is that it gives really great coverage without feeling heavy like a foundation. It also has a satin finish, as opposed to other BB creams that I have tried that tend to make you look oily. I always apply this with my Sigma F88 brush.

Step 3:

I use this concealer because it is quick and easy to apply. All you do is draw this on underneath your eyes and down the side of your nose, connecting it and filling it in, in the shape of a triangle (hopefully you can visualize what I am talking about just by reading it!) I usually just blend this out with my fingers. I'm going to be honest.. this isn't the absolute best concealer I've used but I like how the stick is easy to apply and it does the job of hiding my undereye circles. Sometimes this concealer does crease, so be sure to set it with a powder, like this one:

Step 4:

This is the powder I use to set my undereye concealer. This gives a really nice brightening effect and also prevents my concealer from moving or creasing at all. I apply this with my Real Techniques Setting Brush.

Step 5:

I dust this powder lightly on my cheeks, chin and nose area with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. This is where my foundation tends to break up the most and I have dry skin, so I don't apply this to my whole face.

Step 6:

Instead of doing a complete contour, I sweep this bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks, sides of my forehead and along my jawline with my Real Techniques Blush Brush, just to bring some color to my (extremely pale) face.

Step 7:

Blush is one thing that I am constantly switching out and experimenting with, but recently I have been loving Benefit Dandelion. I usually stick with a light blush color when I wear minimal makeup, and this one really compliments my skin tone. I apply this to the apples of my cheeks and back to my temples with my Real Techniques Contour Brush. I blend it out with my Buffing Brush again.

Step 8:

I love filling in my eyebrows, but on lazy days like today I skip that step and instead just use Benefit Gimme Brow. This product is pretty unique in that it is a one-step brow product that shapes, fills in and sets your brows all at once. It has a tiny wand that looks like a mascara wand, and all you do is dip the wand in the product and brush it through your brows. Of course, it's not going to shape them perfectly but on days like today, that isn't really necessary.

Step 9:

I apply this nude eyeliner in my waterline. I love this product because it really brightens and opens up my eyes. My eyes are usually always red and I find that putting on foundation and concealer emphasizes the redness in my eyes, so I always use this nude liner to eliminate the redness. Again, this looks very natural because it is skin-colored and just adds to the "no makeup" makeup look.

Step 10:

Like blush, I'm always changing my mascara. I've been using this Buxom Amplified Lash Mascara for a while now and I actually really like it. This opens my eyes and makes me look more awake. I like to just focus on making one aspect of my face more dramatic when I am not using a lot of makeup anywhere else.

Step 11: