No makeup is the new makeup

We live in the world where women are expected to always look on fleek and flawless. Doesn’t it sometimes make you jealous that men get to sleep for 30 minutes longer because they don’t have to do their makeup? I need my beauty sleep just as much as the next person. So at one point in my life, I decided to go with a new motto: no makeup is the new makeup. Here’s a shocker – you actually don’t need makeup to look good at all! I am going to share with you all the tricks I use to jump out of bed and look even better than when I cover my face with different products. I want to build that confidence in you. Because you know what? You’re beautiful just the way you are. So rock it girl.

The first thing you should do to look good without makeup is to not put makeup on in the first place! That’s the trick. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? I know that’s what I thought at first. Because ‘what do you mean I can look pretty without makeup? Have you seen the bags under my eyes?’, that kind of thing. It was difficult for me and it will be tricky for you. The first time I left the house without makeup I felt invisible. I was terrified to look at other people or do anything to attract attention to my oh so plain face. Turns out I was very very wrong. Because it’s not makeup that makes you look good – it’s how you feel when you wear it. Confidence is the best makeup!

I know, I know. Easier said than done. I’m still working on it myself.

To feel more confident you need to show your skin some love. Because if it looks good, you’ll automatically feel better about it. Very often we forget that our skin takes a beating every day – the pollution, makeup, stress, sweat… It all takes a toll on how it looks and behaves. And our skin enjoys revenge like the biggest villain in a story. Treat it right and it’ll show you love. Forget about it and you’ll wake up covered with spots, dark circles and redness. Trust me, I’m writing this as Sudocrem is drying all the spots on my face.

How to look good without makeup:

1. Exfoliate regularly. It doesn’t even have to be every day. Most people recommend to exfoliate twice or three times a week, which is not that much, am I right? It has an amazing effect on your skin. Exfoliating removes the dead layer of skin cells. That layer, if not removed, gives you this tired and dull look that makes you reach for a concealer because damn, these undereye bags. What is more, that layer also stops your other skincare products from working to their fullest potential! You can smother your face with all types of moisturisers and oils, but if you don’t exfoliate, you’ll end up using a lot more of these products and get a lot less effective results. Plus, if you exfoliate you won’t have to use so many other skincare products anyway. It’s a win-win situation.
2. Use a moisturiser. Now that your skin is fresh and exfoliated, you can move on to your favourite moisturiser. Dry skin is not something anyone wants as it makes your face looks really dull and matte. With a proper moisturising treatment you can turn it into a glowy skin that would reflect the light better than any highlighter! Can you imagine? Oh, all that money and time you could save! (A little tip: if you really can’t stand the idea of going out without makeup, use tinted moisturiser. It’ll give you a bit of a colour and it’ll benefit your skin much more than foundation. My friend swears by it at the moment). Most of the moisturisers come with a certain SPF, but if yours doesn’t make sure to put a sunscreen on as well! Overexposure to sun results in wrinkles, dry skin, sunburn and many other skin conditions you don’t need.
3. Drink plenty of water. I feel like a boring person telling you this. We all know it – if you drink a lot of liquids your body will thank you. Hydrated body = hydrated, healthy, radiant skin. I tried it myself for a while, but I realised I need to have an actual app on my phone reminding me to drink because I absolutely never remember.  But that’s only 50% of my advice. I’m going to put a twist on this one and tell you to drink at least one cup of water with a lemon in it. Say what?! Many women around me do that. They call it ‘anti-aging potion’. It’s been proven that a healthy dose of vitamin C clears the bloodstream and gets rid of all the toxins in your body. Less toxins mean that your skin will look flawless and soft. For someone who is not the biggest fan of the taste of water, this is a real nice way to mix things up and make it more pleasurable!
4. Keep your hands busy. I mean do whatever it is you need to do, but keep your hands away from your face. I have this nasty habit of picking on all the pimples and dry skin and just rubbing my forehead or eyes. Let me tell you now – it’s a no no. Think about all the things you touch during the day. All of the germs and oils are transferred from your palms onto your delicate skin on your face. And they don’t just stay there and do nothing. You start breaking out. The skin turns red and inflamed. All the hard work you put into it looking good can go to waste just because you decided to pick on that one spot on your chin. Is it really worth it?
5. Invest in a bottle of castor oil. It is like a magic potion. It helps with absolutely everything. Acne scars? Dab some castor oil on them. Dry skin? Castor oil is going to fix that. Thin eyelashes? Add castor oil to your mascara. Over-plucked eyebrows? Rub castor oil onto them and let it grow. It can be used in so many different ways, you could pretty much forget about all other points I’ve made already and replace them with castor oil.
6. Love yourself. Seriously, when is the last time you looked in the mirror and was happy with what you saw? You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are worth everything. Cut yourself some slack sometimes. Learn to love your fabulous body and the skin you’re in. The minute you feel comfortable with how you look and who you are, you will realise that makeup is just a tiny addition in your life that you don’t actually need. Confidence will give you that extra glow. That spring in your step. And that smile that will make everyone’s heads turn to admire you. So do yourself a favour and love yourself like nobody else ever could.

These are the simple ways you can implement in your routine that could make so much difference. Are you still not sold on the idea of not wearing makeup and still looking good? It’s okay. I love makeup just as much as any other beauty blogger. But just because I wear it, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have days when I can’t be bothered or slept a bit too long and don’t have time to do it. At moments like these, I’m glad I take care of my skin because it means I can feel comfortable whether I am rocking a full natural look or not. And I’m a firm believer that every woman should feel empowered to do so as well.

Thank you for reading! Let me know if you found it useful. Until next time!

Enjoyed my post? There’s more! Read about why makeup expiration dates are important and how to regrow your eyebrows.

How do you feel about not wearing makeup?