By Greer Barnes
You know that woman. Maybe you see her dropping her kids off at school when you pull into the same parking lot. She may even frequent the same grocery store. Her skin is glowing and her eyelashes are long and dark without looking false. She’s a natural beauty…or is she?
In recent years it seems like everyone has been trying to pull off the “I woke up like this” look à la Beyoncé. Long gone are the days of looking like you meticulously applied your eye makeup and straightened your hair. For many moms, this laissez-faire approach to beauty is very welcome. The hard part: looking natural isn’t as easy as it appears.
Thankfully there is an assortment of products on the market that caters to women who want to look naturally beautiful without all of the work. When you use these five products, you’re five steps away from looking naturally, and like the title of a recent Beyoncé hit, flawless.
When it comes to achieving the no-makeup look, great skin is key, but a busy mom doesn’t need a time-consuming, multi-step skincare routine. That’s why the SimySkin Face Serum collection is a dream. The serum comes in two types: Phase I for women ages 25 to 45 and Phase II for women 45 and older. Phase I is a hydrating serum that protects against signs of aging, while Phase II repairs and firms skin. Both serums provide sun protection, so applying a heavy sunscreen is one more step you can mark off your to-do list. Simply apply the serum twice a day post cleansing to start seeing results.
2. Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation
Finding a foundation to match your skin can be difficult. What’s even more difficult: finding one that doesn’t look and feel like foundation. Maybelline is known for its impressive liquid foundations, and the SuperStay Better Skin Foundation may be one of the best ones yet. This baby provides medium-to-full coverage and improves your skin over time thanks to the bonus ingredient Actyl-C, a stronger form of vitamin C. Users claim the foundation looks and feels like real skin and they’ve been complimented on their skin since they started using it. Sign us up!
3. Physician’s Formula pH Matchmaker pH Powered Bronzer (for lighter skintones)
These next two products are take-your-pick options. Physicians’s Fomula, the reigning queen of drugstore bronzers, hit the ball out of the park with the pH Matchmaker pH Powered Bronzer. Unlike most bronzers, this bronzer (available in Light Bronzer and Bronze) has a brown undertone rather than orange so you won’t have to worry about that dreaded fake tan look. The product’s formula also reacts to light, transforming into your perfect shade in 60 seconds or less. Dust the powder on your cheeks, nose and the sides of your forehead for the perfect sun-kissed glow.
4. L’Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Highlighter Deep (for darker skintones)
If you have deep or dark skin, then you’ve probably had difficulty finding bronzers or contour shades to suit your skintone. Drugstore products and makeup brands in general are notorious for not having a wide enough range of colors to suit darker skintones. When it comes to creating a natural look, however, you don’t need a ton of bronzers, contour shades, or different concealers. You just need a little highlighter. The L’Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Highlighter in Deep doubles as a brightening concealer as well, so any signs of a late night can be covered up using this handy highlighter. Apply the product under and in the inner corners of your eyes, down your nose, across the middle of your forehead, and above your cupid’s bow for glow that looks lit from within.
5. Milani Color Statement Lipstick – Nude Creme
Behold; this may be the nude lipstick to end all nude lipsticks, and it’ll only cost you around six dollars. The Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Nude Creme has a creamy formula that is easy to apply and is neither matte nor super shiny. While most nude lipsticks work on just a few skintones, Nude Creme is a neutral pink that looks great on everyone. The color will look like your natural lip color, just better. Want something a little brighter? Milani offers a variety of shades in the lipstick, ranging from pinks to purples and corals to reds. Plus, the gold packaging is super chic.
