10 of the best buys for a natural make-up look

All of the neutrals you'll ever need

Natural Make Up
(Image credit: IMAXtree)

All of the neutrals you'll ever need

While we love glitter, contouring, strobing and the like (although admittedly not at the same time), sometimes you just want to create a look that's fresh and natural and enhances your natural beauty. So, where do you start? We've rounded up 10 hero make-up and skincare products that, once you've tried them, you won't be able to live without. Scroll through to find your new beauty favourites.

Face

The secret to any good make-up look is with a good skincare routine. After cleansing, use Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic, £14.50, John Lewis, to both refresh and soothe the skin. Enriched with Aloe Vera, cucumber and chamomile, it'll leave your face feeling soft and clean, and ready for you to apply your make-up (plus it smells amazing).

We recommend investing in Bobbi Brown's Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm, £42.50, fabled.com as your next step. If dry and dull skin is your biggest bug bear, this is a great first step in your daily make-up routine. It provides a glowing base while also hydrating the skin, and glides on really easily.

If your biggest concern is discoloured skin or dark circles however, look to Stila's One Step Correct, £24, fabled.com. A primer and corrector all-in-one, pink, purple and green help to neutralise your skin tone before you apply your base. As well as minimising the visibility of your pores, it will also help to regulate your skin's oil levels. If you don't like the heaviness of foundation, try Erborian's BB Cream, £36, fabled.com, next. This hero Korean beauty brand is one of our favourites, and their BB doesn't disappoint: It's non-greasy and provides a nice, light coverage for a slightly dewy look.

Want more BB cream recommendations? Look no further than our sister site, Powder. They'll find the best BB cream for you!

You may want to dust off any shininess with a little mineral powder, in which case bareMinerals Bare Pro Foundation Core Coverage Brush, £24, fabled.com should be your go-to. The retractable feature and lid mean that it's perfect to take on the go, and it blends in any powder or cream foundation. Plus the angled shape makes overall application so much easier. Laura Geller's Balance and Brighten, fabled.com, is the ideal light foundation. It makes you look seriously radiant, evening out your skin tone and adding a healthy glow. We love it.

highlighter

(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

For blush, reach for Nars Blush in Orgasm, £23, fabled.com. Arguably one of the brands most famous products, the powder formula is buildable and will give you that natural 'just pinched' look, whether you want very subtle pink cheeks or a bright and rosy glow.

Eyes

We probably don't need to tell you that you need Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette, £38.50, fabled.com. Naked Palettes are legendary for a reason, and they have just about every shade a girl could ask for. In this particular palette, shades such as 'Foxy' and 'Tease' are a subtle addition of colour to your lids. Should you want a neutral shadow with a touch of sparkle that's not too much, 'Chopper' and 'YDK' are both great pinky-bronze hues.

For feathered and fine eyelashes, choose YSL's Babydoll Luxurious Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara, £25, fabled.com. This will separate out even the tiniest of lashes for that extra bit of definition, and is great for if you want to add lots of length. A couple of strokes will really make your eyes pop.

Lips

Need to look after chapped and sore lips? Enter Skin and Tonic Naked Lip Balm, £3.50, fabled.com. It's a completely non-greasy formula that doesn't leave your lips feeling tacky or sticky, but is still incredibly nourishing. The Naked flavour is completely clear too, so it's ideal if you're not really feeling a heavily flavoured or coloured lip balm.

Winter is when your lips need a bit of extra TLC because of the harsher weather conditions, so what better excuse to treat yourself to a new one? If you do want a subtle touch of colour however, these are the best nude lipsticks for your skin tone that you can layer over your new balm.

There you have it: Everything you need to create a natural make-up look.

Lucy Abbersteen
Beauty Contributor

Lucy is a freelance beauty editor and contributor at Marie Claire, and has written for titles including Glamour, Refinery29, Popsugar, woman&home and more. She was previously Marie Claire’s junior beauty editor. During her career, she’s covered everything from backstage beauty at fashion week to interviews with famous faces like Drag Race royalty and Little Mix. As for her beauty ethos, she’s a big advocate for not having to spend a fortune on beauty products to get good results, and when she’s not got beauty on the brain you’ll find her reading or hanging out with dogs.