The Ultimate Beauty Guide

Red lipstick is one thing, but on a regular weekday, looking like you've got on a full face of makeup can be synonymous with looking like you're trying too hard. It's not that we're trying to hide the fact that we're wearing lipstick, but more often than not, if you're showing major signs of wearing a ton of makeup, people tend to focus on that fact instead of how good you look overall. To help you help others focus on your beauty, not your faux pas, we're sharing our best tips for how to make it look like you're not wearing makeup below.

Use neutral colors: If you're going for the "barely there" look, choose neutral colors that will compliment your skin tone. While it's true that purple shadows bring out hazel eyes and greens bring out brown eyes, keep things looking natural with shades of tan, brown and cream for shadows. When it comes to blush, go for peaches and roses, or the color your cheeks naturally become when you're flushed.

Mix bronzer with your moisturizer: To get a sun-kissed look without looking like you added anything to your skin, mix a liquid bronzer in with your usual face lotion to dilute the color and help it spread easily.

Blend, blend, blend: Obvious as it may sound, blending your makeup can make or break a look. The key to a great smokey eye is blending the shadow, the secret to using highlighter is blending in the product and nothing can ruin a look more than a visible line of foundation on your jawline. With each step of your makeup routine, blend your makeup, then blend once more just for good measure.
Apply a primer: The benefits of a primer are twofold. First, a primer will help your makeup to look smooth and clean, not caked on or uneven. Second, when you apply primer to your eyelids, you cut way down on the likelihood of any creasing that can happen with your shadow.

Choose a lip color two shades deeper: For the ladies who won't leave the house without something on their lips, keep things looking natural with a lip stain or tint that's two shades deeper than your natural color for a "just kissed" look. When you're going for an au naturel lip, avoid waxy lipsticks or dark shades.

Groom your brows: Eyebrow pencil, when used, should be two to three shades lighter than your actual brow color. Before you apply pencil, make sure your eyebrows have been groomed, whether that mean shaped, tweezed or waxed. Nothing takes the attention away from a pretty face like ungroomed eyebrows.

Avoid mascara clumps and flakes: First and foremost, if your mascara is more than three months old, you need to ditch the tube in favor of a fresh one. Old mascara gets dried out, causing clumps, flakes and sometimes even infection. Curl your eyelashes before applying mascara for a good, natural base, then apply by shaking the wand at the root of the eyelashes and brushing up and out. For a more natural look, apply just one coat. To take things a step further, use a brown or clear formula instead of black. Your lashes will look great, but no one will be able to tell why.

Use the correct concealer color: When concealing trouble spots like dark circles or pimples, using the right kind of concealer is crucial. Avoid orange, "fake tan" colors of concealer. Use yellow-toned concealer for redness or dark circles, lavender concealer for yellowish skin or extremely dark circles and green concealer for pimples or other red spots.