It’s officially holiday season, and between all the Christmas parties, work events, family gatherings and bottomless brunches with the girls, it’s safe to say your social calendar is a little more, er, full at this time of year. And, apart from having all your outfits sorted for each, you’re gonna wanna make sure your makeup is on point.
Here, we consult Clint Dowdell, Global Brand Ambassador for Nude by Nature as he shares the most common questions he receives about makeup application, PLUS the best tips he has for achieving a flawless base and effortless ‘no makeup, makeup’ look for all of this year’s holiday festivities.
Question 1: Do I need a primer?
YES. It’s the easy step that helps your make-up apply more smoothly and last longer.
Question 2: How can I find my perfect shade of foundation?
The colour should disappear into your complexion, so choose three shades that look close to your skin tone, and swipe on your jawline. The one you can see the least against the skin tone is for you.
Question 3: Do I need to use a makeup brush?
Not always. This depends on the product and desired effect. With foundations I generally feel you get a better effect with a brush, but I will always finish with my fingers to “melt” the product into the skin so it looks more like skin, not sitting on top. My rule is easy… there is no rule!
Tips for achieving a flawless base:
“Make sure your skin is prepped as best you can,” explains Clint. “Exfoliate and moisturise so that there’s no rough texture, always apply a primer and pick a foundation that suits your complexion (moisturising or oil control).”
“Often for me—less is more, so no heavy application in areas that crease like eye or smile lines, this helps you look younger.”
The products you need to achieve this look:
The Airbrush Mineral Primer is perfect for all skin types and is free from silicones so it won’t feel heavy on the skin.
Shop here.
The Liquid Mineral Concealer is my “desert island “ product. It’s lightweight, luminous and makes you look rested (It’s my ‘8 hours sleep’ in a tube!). Perfect around the eyes and any areas that you want to cover imperfections.
Shop here.
Finally, the Natural Mineral Cover is the best foundation for all skin types, plus feels and looks just like perfect skin. It’s buildable from light through to full coverage, and your perfect skin waits after a few buffs of a makeup brush.
Shop here.
How to pull off the natural, dewy ‘no makeup, makeup’ look:
“I absolutely adore our Sheer Glow BB Cream because it gives you a really soft coverage that just makes your skin look like you’ve had a facial but doesn’t look like you’re wearing makeup at all,” explains Clint.
“For those of us who don’t have perfect skin and need help to cover some imperfections you can add a little bit of coverage with the Liquid Mineral Concealer. If you’re looking for that extra coverage, try the Natural Mineral Cover Foundation over the top. Once this melts into the skin, it sets more like a liquid and you will honestly have the most flawless, beautiful, and glowing foundation of your life, without looking like you are wearing anything at all.”
Knowing when you need to use a brush:
“I think this is definitely something that is dependent on the formula,” explains Clint. “With a lighter, more dewy foundation, you can definitely get away with blending it with your fingers but if you’re looking for a more professional approach, then you usually get a better, more evenly laid out application of the foundation by using a brush.”
“I always tend to use my fingers to finish the application and blend it into the skin seamlessly. With the Flawless Liquid Foundation for example, the flat Buffing Brush is by far the best way to apply it as this foundation has a silicone free formula that contains no synthetic emollients, and therefore dries a little bit faster than what you might be used to. Quick blending and buffing with this brush makes it super easy to apply and just gives you that flawless finish with great oil control.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for Nude by Nature’s new product launches in the new year! “In January it’s all about highlight and glow,” shares Clint. “We have an amazing new Highlight Collection launching, including a range of liquid highlighters. Very exciting but I shouldn’t tell you much about them. Watch this space!”
Visit nudebynature.com.au for more.
