This post is all about the best minimalist makeup products you need in your life for your skin type.
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Seldom are the days when full-on glam makeup looks are sought after. Now the natural beauty look is taking over and taking the beauty industry by storm. If you have been on any type of social media, like Youtube, Instagram, or TikTok, then you would have probably seen that the no-makeup makeup look is what women are looking to achieve.
Having a minimal makeup routine is excellent on a daily basis. Sitting in front of a mirror every day doing a full glam look with a million products scattered around can be time-consuming. Also applying so much makeup can sometimes completely change the way you naturally look.
We’re now in the age where hiding behind your natural features is out and enhancing them instead is in. With so many minimalist makeup brands being created, it can definitely get overwhelming as to what to add to your collection. However since not all products are created the same and skin types come into play, luckily you don’t need to try everything out there.
Keep reading to find out the best minimalist makeup brands and products for that minimalist makeup routine depending on your skin type.
What Items Are Needed For a Minimalist Makeup Kit?
Before we get into the best minimalist makeup products, you need to know what type of products you even need in the first place. This will help to keep your makeup vanity cluttered free and you won’t use unneeded products.
- Foundation or a skin tint
- Concealer
- Eyebrow pomade or pencil
- Bronzer or Blush (or both)
- Mascara
- Lip product of your choice (eg. tinted lip balm, lip gloss, or lipstick)
Best Minimal Makeup Products
Foundation (Dry Skin)
1. Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin Caring Glow Foundation
For the medium coverage-loving ladies, this foundation is so beautiful. It blends seamlessly into the skin and gives you that luxurious glow while also smoothing out your skin making it feel hydrated. It’s truly a dry skin girl’s dream!
2. Mac Studio Radiance Face And Body Sheer Foundation
If you are not a fan of too much coverage or have almost perfect skin, you need this in your collection. It has light coverage and gives such a radiant natural look to the skin that looks pretty undetectable. Perfect for a minimal makeup look. It’s also waterproof which is a plus for those rainy days.
Foundation (Oily Skin)
1. Dior Backstage Face And Body Foundation
Being waterproof and sweat-resistant, makes this look stunning on oily skin. It isn’t heavy at all and it dries down quickly to a natural finish that stays consistent throughout the day. It feels like you have nothing on your skin while keeping your skin looking perfectly balanced.
2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Matte Foundation
For that girl that’s always on the go and needs her makeup to last from the crack of dawn to late-night drinks, this has got you covered. It’s a full coverage foundation that makes your skin look completely flawless and won’t budge all day long without looking cakey.
Foundation (Normal Skin)
1. Dior Airflash Spray Foundation
This foundation makes you look like you stepped out of a cover of a Vogue magazine. Airbrushed and snatched are the best way to describe it. It’s super lightweight while giving you medium buildable coverage that looks natural. It almost looks like a makeup artist did your base.
2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear 5-in-1 Foundation Stick
If you are busy and time is of the essence, this stick foundation will be a go-to. Because of the formula, you don’t have to mess around with a liquid that’s dripping from your skin or applying it to your hands first. Just go straight onto the face, and easily blend it out with a brush or sponge. You will have an absolutely gorgeous natural finish in record time
Concealer (Dry Skin)
1. FitGlow Beauty Conceal +
A clean beauty creamy concealer that totally cancels out dark undereye circles without looking caked on. You can also use this to easily cover dark spots around your face and even blemishes as it seamlessly blends in to give you full coverage without looking like you have makeup on.
2. Kosas Revealer Concealer
Being deliciously creamy and spreadable, a little goes a long way. It doesn’t emphasize any dry patches and instead glides over them effortlessly to give a radiant smoothing look that doesn’t crease or separate throughout the day.
Concealer (Oily Skin)
1. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer
For those high heat days you can rely on this concealer to hold you down even in the sweatiest circumstances. Just like the name suggests, it stays in place the whole day and won’t turn patchy. You will be crust free and covered for the longest.
2. Makeup Forever Velvet Skin High Coverage Concealer
Amazing high coverage concealer that doesn’t crease, slip, and slide all over the place. If you want to cover anything from dark circles to blemishes without it looking like makeup, you need to add this to your minimalist makeup collection.
Concealer (Normal Skin)
1. Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Concealer
A beautiful concealer that lays smoothly on the skin crease-free but doesn’t give you that dry feeling or greasy feeling either. It’s like that perfect in between that stays put and gives you maximum coverage without being heavy.
2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer
For those that don’t like thick concealers, this one is a winner. It’s a thin breathable formula that gives you a beautiful soft matte finish that covers imperfections effortlessly without settling into fine lines.
Eyebrow Pomade/Gel (All Skin Types)
1. Benefit Gimme Brow Gel
For those looking for an easy foolproof brow product, you won’t be disappointed in this brow gel. All you need to do is brush it onto your brows with a couple of swipes and you’re ready to take on the day with voluminous-looking defined brows that won’t fade.
2. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade
Easily control your eyebrow shape with this pomade. If you like to try out different brow looks, this is perfect. You can control how much product you use and can pick your brush of choice for the application. It glides on smoothly and has an amazing pigment payoff for those sparse areas.
Bronzer/Blush (All Skin Types)
1. BareMinerals Gen Nude Blonzer Blush + Bronzer
Speaking of minimalist makeup, using multi-functional products is a great way to knock two birds with one stone. This acts as both a blush and bronzer in one and makes it look like you just stepped off the beach after a day in the sun. It’s a stunning flush of color that adds a sun kissed color to the face.
2. Laura Geller Baked Blush-N-Bronze Marbleized 2-in-1
Imparting a stunning wash of color on the skin, this product is easily blendable and pigmented so you only need to use a little as a little goes a long way. Because it is also both a blush and bronzer in one, you can also multi-task with it and not have to worry about having too many products.
Mascara (All Skin Types)
1. Maybelline – Sky High Mascara
If you want lengthened lashes that are also volumized, you need this in your life. Surprisingly enough it makes it look like your normal lashes just amped up and leaves no clumps behind and is super long wearing. What more could you want from a mascara?
2. L’oreal – Lash Paradise
For those of you who love the fluttery lash look, this is definitely one to get your hands on. It’s very volumizing, and it makes it look like you have a million lashes. They don’t look matted or clumpy and it separates your lashes to look more full. Not to mention there’s no flaking throughout the day either.
Lip Products
1. Tower 28 ShineOn Jelly Lip gloss
With lots of minimalist makeup brands coming out, comes juicy lip products. This one is no exception. It is not heavy or sticky and it feels nourishing to the lips and gives a healthy plumped look. Great for the no-makeup makeup days.
2. Givenchy Sheer Matte
For those that don’t prefer a glossy finish but a matte one, you need to try these! They transform your lips in a way that they look blurred or as if your lipstick faded but in the evenest way possible. It feels comfortable on the lips with no drying and piling. Almost as if you are not wearing anything.
What Is Minimalist Makeup?
When talking about minimalist makeup, it doesn’t mean you have to now throw out every red lipstick, or dark eyeshadow. You can still use those for special occasions. However, for a daily basis where you value time over a beauty routine, minimalist makeup is the best route to go. It just simply means to use only the products that are necessary to achieve a natural skin-like makeup look that highlights and brings out your best features that are fuss-free and clutter-free.
Tips To Perfect And Nail Minimalist Makeup
1. Prep Your Skin
Applying your makeup without any sort of skin prep is a recipe for disaster. Skincare matters more than makeup because when your skin looks good, your makeup looks good, but when your skin looks bad, your makeup is always going to look bad. Putting on a good moisturizer and eye cream prior to makeup application will do the trick. Doing your skincare routine beforehand will provide a smooth base for your makeup which will help to keep your makeup as flawless as possible. It will prevent creasing and separation from occurring and will prolong the wear time.
2. Start Light Handed
Less is more for a minimalist makeup look. The goal is to look like your skin is your skin but perfected and not like foundation has been caked on. Starting your makeup light-handed at first and then slowly continuing to build upon it will make sure that you don’t waste product and use more than you need.
3. Only Conceal Areas That Need Coverage
Once you have applied your base that evens out your skin tone and covers redness, you then don’t need to go in with concealer and use it all over the base you just created. If you have dark circles, only use it on the dark circles and not anywhere else. Also if you have blemishes you want to cover, only use the concealer on the actual blemish and gently blend the perimeter. That way, you will look more flawless without sacrificing the skin-like finish.
4. Choose Enhancements Wisely
When you have a minimal routine, the idea is to use less product, so trying to enhance every single feature will look too glam and not minimalistic. A happy medium is to choose 1-2 of your best features to stand out. If you are going to play up your cheekbones and eyes, then go soft on the lips. Or if you are going to bring out your lips and cheeks, tone it down on the eyes.
5. Stick To One Color Palette
Because you are using fewer products, sticking to one color palette is helpful. Using this technique will perfect your minimalist makeup look because you look more uniform and effortless, rather than having a bunch of different colors clashing with each other. Plus the monochromatic look looks clean and elegant. You can even use your blush on your lips or your blush on your eyes to make it easier and use even fewer products.