By: Donna Freydkin
From Mila Kunis on the back-cover of "Glamour" to Demi Lovato in the pages of "Vanity Fair" to Alicia Keys' fresh-faced visage at the Democratic National Convention, the no-makeup trend is the prettiest look of the summer (as an extra, see our interview with Kunis above).
Keys, in fact, has publicly embraced the #NoMakeup movement, sick of slathering on cosmetics to fit in and live up to society's idea of what's beautiful.
"'Cause I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing," she wrote in Lenny Letter.
She looks radiant, natural and mind-blowingly gorgeous. As did Lovato during a 1995 "Vanity Fair" shoot in which she banned makeup and retouching.
So we consulted with a few beauty industry pros to see if the rest of us, those not blessed with Kunis' and Keys' bone structure, could follow suit.
Dior celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin, who works with Jessica Alba and Amy Poehler, says the trend is here to stay.
"Social media has created this whole platform for makeup. You go on Instagram and see contouring and strobing and a smoky eyes. We're so inundated with this that we need to see skin again and real people and real light. The more comfortable people are with not wearing makeup, the more comfortable they are with who are," he says.
The key, he says, is to emphasize the positive. "The makeup is to event out discoloration, if anything, or a random pimple and dark circles. No one is going out with nothing. They want to look as even and natural as possible," he says.
He points to Jessica Biel, who "does no-makeup makeup so well. It's about enhancing your natural features without overdoing anything, flushing the cheeks with a bit of color. You don't see her overly done."
Martin says to focus on adding touches of color to cheeks and lips."Curl your lashes and add maybe just a bit of mascara. Curling the lashes helps open up the eyes. Have a great cream brow. Add a bit of radiance to the skin, with a heavier moisturizer," he says.
And he points to one of our favorites as a go-to. "Face oils are great for that too. Don't use too much in the summer because the oil can sit on the skin and it cooks your face if it's hot out. For lips, use a lip stain. Not liquid lipstick, but Sisley Phyto Lip Twist," he says.
Sana Cordeaux, makeup pro at beauty-on-demand app Veluxe, says going natural is doable. For everyone. Yes, everyone.
"The no-makeup makeup look is in because it's a classically beautiful look. A lot of women are seeking a natural and clean face these days. The no-makeup look provides women with an effortless and clean appearance for everyday wear," says Cordeaux.
It's especially ideal for summer, when your makeup sweats off anyway. "The no-makeup makeup look works well when done with BB creams because they are a lot lighter than foundation. Powder and liquid foundations tend to look and feel too heavy during the hot summer months, so BB creams are the best beauty bet when battling a heatwave," says Cordeaux.
Her how-to:
Always moisturize and hydrate skin. This is the best base for the no-makeup look
Use neutral eye shadows, creams, nudes and light browns. Eye shadows should be matte, not shimmery.
Brown pencil liner is best. Avoid using anything too dark — black is a definite no for the no-makeup look.
Fill in brows so there is still some open spaces between the hairs. Leaving spaces allows the look to appear more natural.
Always lighten and brighten the under eye area with a concealer that is 2 to 3 shades lighter than your skintone. This gives you a natural and effortless "awake" look.
A light dusting of blush on the cheeks is plenty to give a little color to your look. "Gingerly" by MAC is a great versatile color for all skin tones.
Use a nude tone lipstick or skip it altogether and opt for a neutral gloss.
Portrait of singer Alicia Keys, New York, 2001. (Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)
Alicia Keys (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage for The Recording Academy)
Alicia Keys, winner of multiple NAACP Image awards, including Outstanding Female Artist (Photo by Jason Merritt/FilmMagic)
Eli Harris and Alicia Keys at the Lower East Side in New York, New York (Photo by James Devaney/WireImage)
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 20: Alicia Keys performs during the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama is hosting ten Inaugural Balls this eveing. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States today, becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the US. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Alicia Keys attends the Chanel Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Grand Palais on March 6, 2012 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tony Barson/WireImage)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: Alicia Keys attends the 98th Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
(Monica Schipper via Getty Images)
Alicia Keys arrives at The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction at Cipriani's Wall Street on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Swizz Beatz, left, and Alicia Keys, attend Keep a Child Alive’s 2014 Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
US singer Alicia Keys performs during the 13th music festival Mawazine in Rabat on June 7, 2014. AFP PHOTO / FADEL SENNA (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats attend the 8th annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom on November 3, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys attend 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' Costume Institute Gala on April 2, 2011 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys attend the screening of 'Five' at Skylight SOHO on September 26, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
Riccardo Tisci, left, and Alicia Keys, right, attend Keep a Child Alive’s 2014 Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attends the 2014 Angel Ball, hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attends the 2014 Angel Ball, hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2014 file photo, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attendsthe 2014 Angel Ball, hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation in New York. Keys announced Tuesday, Oct. 21, that her husband, producer-rapper Swizz Beatz, will co-host the 11th annual Black Ball on Oct. 30 at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys enjoy the sounds of Janelle Monae at The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction at Cipriani's Wall Street on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Alicia Keys arrives at the 56th annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys arrive at the 56th annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 13: (L-R) Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz peform at Webster Hall on December 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 04: Alicia Keys attends the 2014 Essence Music Festival on July 4, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
RABAT, MOROCCO - JUNE 7: American singer Alicia Keys performs during the last day of 13th Mawazine Music Festival on 7 June, 2014. (Photo by Mustapha Houbais/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Alicia Keys performs during the outside broadcast of the MTV EMA's 2014 at on November 9, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for MTV)
In this photo provided by StarPix, recording artist Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attend Niche Media's annual Gotham gala in New York, Monday, March 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Dave Allocca, StarPix)
Singer Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz arrive at the "Keep A Child Alive Black Ball" at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Director Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz attend the Lifetime and Sony Pictures Television premiere screening "Five" at Skylight SoHo on Monday, Sept. 26, 2011 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Alicia Keys, left, her husband Swizz Beatz, second from left, Cassie, center, and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, and an unidentified woman, right, attend to Kanye West presentation for Women's Fall-Winter, ready-to-wear 2013 fashion collection, during Paris Fashion week, Tuesday, March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Zacharie Scheurer)
Alicia Keys, left, and Swizz Beatz arrive at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys arrive at the 2012 Billboard Awards at the MGM Grand on Sunday, May 20, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by John Shearer/AP Images)
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys attend Keep a Child Alive’s 10th Annual Black Ball on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Singer Alicia Keys arrives at Unite4good And Variety Host 1st Annual Unite4:humanity Event on February 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys enjoy the sounds of Janelle Monae at The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction at Cipriani's Wall Street on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, celebrating Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, Monday, May 7, 2012 in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
Alicia Keys, left, and Swizz Beatz arrive at the 55th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
American actress and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz arrive at the Cannes festival palace, to take part in the NRJ Music awards ceremony, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Cannes, southeastern France. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
Recording artist Alicia Keys, left, and her husband, producer Swizz Beatz, right, attend a screening of "The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete" hosted by the Cinema Society & Tommy Hilfiger on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
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