No-makeup makeup refers to natural-looking makeup looks that enhance your natural beauty without appearing obviously “made up.” The goal, as the name suggests, is to look like you’re not wearing makeup—think of the typical “model-off-duty” vibe (flushed cheeks, glowy skin, maybe a hint of nude lip gloss), and you’ll have a good idea of what no-makeup makeup looks like. The effect is created using subtle, natural-finish products, like those that you’ll find in our Bare With Me Collection.

While the goal with no-makeup makeup is to look like you’re not wearing any makeup, minimal makeup is a little more flexible. It’s still low-key but may incorporate more visible makeup products, like highlighter, contour, and mascara, to further enhance your natural features. Minimal makeup may even include using nude eyeshadows to make your eyes “pop”—with minimal makeup, the idea is to keep your makeup looking subtle but not necessarily invisible.

The best makeup for no-makeup makeup looks depends on a few factors, including your skin type, concerns, and end goal, but generally speaking, we recommend using a primer to help smooth your skin’s texture, a concealer to cover up imperfections and even your skin tone, and a subtle cheek tint or bronzer to add a little depth to your features. Other products that may work well for creating a no-makeup makeup look include highlighter and contour for giving your face added dimension. Just keep in mind that with natural makeup, less is more—start with a light hand and add product as needed.

How you apply your products depends on the types of formulas you’re using. Liquid products, like those in our Bare With Me Collection, can often be applied with the tool of your choice. For a natural finish, we recommend using your fingers or a blending brush, like Bare With Me Skin Serum Brush. The unique brush has three silicone wells and a tapered head for precise blending in hard-to-reach areas. You can use it with any liquid face makeup (or even with skincare products) for a seamless, streak-free application.

Keeping your skin moisturized can help ensure your makeup looks hydrated, too. Other than that, using liquid products with a radiant finish (especially those that also help hydrate the skin) can help keep your skin looking dewy and fresh. For an all-day moisturized look, prep your skin with a hydrating primer, like Bare With Me Cannabis Primer, then apply your foundation (a dewy-finish formula is best) and concealer as usual. Once you’re done perfecting your makeup, spritz your face with a hydrating makeup spray, like Bare With Me Cannabis Multitasking Spray, to set it all in place. You can also mist this multitasking spray onto your face throughout the day to refresh your makeup and give your skin a burst of light hydration.

At NYX Professional Makeup, we adore makeup in all of its forms (obviously). It’s fun to experiment with and can give you a major boost of confidence. But you don’t need makeup to look beautiful— you’re naturally gorgeous all on your own. That said, if you’re looking for ideas on how to achieve a natural-looking makeup look, we have a few tips.

First, find a foundation that matches your skin type and tone. If you need help, we break down the need-to-knows in our article Meet Your Match: How To Match Your Foundation and Find Your Formula. Then, figure out what kind of makeup you need to achieve your desired effect and go from there. Like flushed cheeks? Learn How To Apply Blush and Flatter Your Face Shape. If you’re after a more luminous look, learn how to achieve a natural-looking radiance in our article Get Your Glow On With This 5-Step Glowy Makeup Tutorial. Ultimately, how you do your makeup is up to you. Figure out the features you want to accentuate and experiment until you find a look you love.