While on my trip to Paris earlier this month, I actually started to feel out of place among the French women. I had been doing a full glam makeup look every day— smoky eye and all— whereas every local woman we passed on the street wore a simple, fresh face. For once, I felt totally overdone! So on my last couple days in the city, I toned down my makeup while still accentuating my favorite features in a way I feel suits my face best.
Yes, I was a total creep and began examining the makeup habits of the Parisian women while standing up close and personal on the Metro. I actually noticed that many of them weren’t wearing foundation, or if they were, it was very light and mostly sheer. I could see people’s complexions clearly, freckles and all. This leads me to believe that they would much rather focus on great skin care than covering up skin concerns. On most women, I only noticed brow, blush, mascara and the occasional lip product used.
Inspired by their minimalistic beauty, this is the makeup look I started to wear. While definitely a bit heavier with face products than the average Parisian, this is just a bit more than a no-makeup makeup look for me. And I’m loving it! I feel polished and sophisticated without as much product on my face.
L’Oreal Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation
I just started using this, and I’m loving it. It’s a great in-between when compared to their Infallible Pro-Glow and Pro-Matte products. It has a very natural skin finish and great coverage, but stays breathable and lightweight.
Revolution Pro Define and Fill Brow Pencil
This pencil is the closest thing I have to my favorite Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil at a drugstore price. It lets me define and fill in my brows with very fine, hair-like strokes that never look overdone.
Essence Extreme Lasting Eye Pencil
I use this to sightline the upper waterline to make my lashes appear thicker.
Covergirl TruNaked Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
I only used the darkest shade in this palette to smudge slightly at the outer corner of my eyes. Since I didn’t use any shadow on the lids, I feel that this just gives my eyes a bit more definition.
NYX On The Rise Volume Liftscara
This is one of my favorite mascaras at the moment. It adds a ton of lift and length for fluttery, flared out lashes that aren’t clumpy or thick.
Pixi Natural Contour Powder in Shape & Shadow
This is a re-discovered favorite that I’m wearing nonstop now. This cool toned contour powder mimics shadow very well, accentuating the cheekbones in a natural way.
NYX Sweet Cheeks Matte Blush in Risky Business
I love cream blushes for making my skin look more bouncy and healthy. This one has been part of my daily routine recently, with a creamy texture that dries down to a powder finish.
Essence Pure Nude Sunlighter
As much as I love a beaming highlight you can see from space, I’ve been using this highlight when I want something a bit more subtle. It still catches the light in a beautiful way, with a warm champagne reflection. It’s just a little more understated.
Revlon Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish in Au Natural
These have been my recent obsession— see swatches of all the shades in my post here. These are highly pigmented gloss-like lip products that are so comfortable to wear. The shade Au Natural is a perfect neutral beige.
The Parisian women may be on to something, because this minimal makeup routine makes me feel confident and fresh. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still definitely be rocking some awesome fall glam looks this season. But for more everyday scenarios, this is probably going to be my new go-to look.
How often do you wear fresh faced makeup vs. full glam?
Leave a Reply