Minimum make up to look groomed?

[oneperfectlimousine]

I'm guessing foundation, some sort of eye make up and lip balm?

I'm not really used to make up and a lot of eye make up makes me itch - does anyone have any (preferably cheap) brands to recommend? Can I get away with BB cream or CC cream? I'm not sure of the difference. I heard a lot about the Naked palettes for eyeshadow, but not sure which would be best.

Colouring wise, I'm soft Summer in the colour analysis system, albeit self-analysed with www.cardiganempire.com/2012/08/color-analysis-3-degrees-of-cool_6.html

I'm 37 and feeling like I've let myself go a bit, so need to up my game a bit. Baby steps...

Foundation - something light and easy to apply. I like Bourjois Healthy Mix serum foundation, it's lovely and light and quite moisturising too. I use my fingers, it comes in a handy pump so I just apply it after my moisturiser.

A cream blusher - I like the Clinique blusher sticks - just swipe some on and blend. Makes me look much more awake and healthy, if I only wore foundation I'd look a bit ill.

Lipgloss - Rimmel do good ones, just try a few colours to find a 'your lips but better' shade - their lip vinyl gloss in 'Snog' is v neutral and natural.

Mascara - Max Factor 2000 Calorie. Cheap and cheerful and the only mascara that doesn't give me panda eyes.

If your skin is reasonably good, then a BB/CC cream would be fine. My skin is horribly hormonal, so I need a fuller coverage.

I with ThisBitch in using a cream blusher - I use MUA from Superdrug - only a couple of quid.

As far as eyeshadows go, MUA (Superdrug) has palettes that are good dupes for the Naked palettes, and at £4 a go, worth checking out, their matte shadows are my fave.

Lipstick wise again MUA, or Rimmel & Maybelline do great lippes.

Boots No 7 tinted moisturiser, Maybelline mascara (the pink and green one can't remember the name) and a coral lippy does me unless I am having a night out

Boots No 7 tinted moisturiser, Maybelline mascara (the pink and green one can't remember the name) and a coral lippy does me unless I am having a night out

If you are a soft summer, Burts Bees soft shimmer tinted lipbalm in Watermelon should look good, and doesn't feel like make up.

I don't think that you do necessarily need make up to look groomed. A good hair cut with well maintained hair, tidy eyebrows in a natural shape and clean, filed short nails, well kept shies and ironed clothes probably make more of a difference.

For make up if you aren't keen on make up, then I'd go for a BB cream, either masvata or dyed eyelashes, a tinted lipbalm and possibly some blusher.

If you are a soft summer, Burts Bees soft shimmer tinted lipbalm in Watermelon should look good, and doesn't feel like make up.

I don't think that you do necessarily need make up to look groomed. A good hair cut with well maintained hair, tidy eyebrows in a natural shape and clean, filed short nails, well kept shies and ironed clothes probably make more of a difference.

For make up if you aren't keen on make up, then I'd go for a BB cream, either masvata or dyed eyelashes, a tinted lipbalm and possibly some blusher.

In summer just a little blusher, mascara and clear lipgloss. I might use something like touche éclat to conceal dark shadows but not full foundation. I would go gently with foundation if you don't usually wear much make up. It can be mask like. In winter I might use a little light foundation. Perhaps a tinted lipgloss too.

Eyebrow pencil, mascara (I use brown/black lengthening not thickening ones), a bit of concealer on any dark shadows and a neutral lipcolour. I'd avoid foundation, BB cream etc, and blusher, it's too easy to overdo them. I use a dab of Body Shop cream to powder compact to neutralise a couple of areas of uneven skin tone on my cheeks but that's all.

Also, if your lashes are dark (I've no idea what soft summer means) the Bourjois intuitive liner gives emphasis to the upper lash line without looking as though you're wearing eyeliner.

You may be able to start with concealer, rather than foundation. Just a little on eye bags and where the nostrils meet the face, and on any uneven colouring, blended well in.
If your skin is sensitive, I'd steer clear of the BB creams, as their selling point is doing lots of jobs in one, which means lots of ingredients and so more likely to irritate.
Mascara, even without any other eye make-up, makes a big difference but won't make you feel overly made-up.
But I think that good hair makes the biggest difference, more than any make-up, in terms of looking groomed.

If you're not mad on makeup you could always apply a light fake tan to give you a glow, get your lashes tinted and get your brows threaded and tinted. Then in the mornings just apply a moisturiser and a tinted lip balm. You'll be glowing, and look very groomed

Ginvera green tea bb cream, blusher, eyeshadow or eyeliner, lip gloss. Done.

Sorry about the multiple posts. I have no idea how I did that.

For me, a tinted moisturiser (light foundation in the winter); eyebrow pencil, mascara (I have thick, dark hair on my head and bizarrely light and thin brows and lashes, I look weirdly unfinished without them) and a cream or liquid blush.

Tbh though most days I don't bother with most of that and just rub on a little blusher to stop me looking half dead (am v pale).

It really depends on your face. For me, eyeliner makes me look old and over-made up for example. On others it looks subtle and lovely. On the other hand I look terrible without mascara but have absolutely no need for any brow enhancement. So you need to know your own face.

The UD naked palettes aren't great for summer colouring, a lot of their tones are too warm. I prefer too faced, eg. I use one of the pale colours all over my lid, a little of a slightly darker colour in the crease of my eyelid.

Some good neutral lip colours for summers include this, this, and this.

I think a bb cream or tinted moisturiser helps to even out skin tone and give a more groomed look, but it's really again dependent on your skin. If you have relatively good skin then you'll probably get more mileage out of well-groomed hair and nails as a pp said. I also think primer is more important than foundation for making skin look good.

groomed is tidy hair, clean tidy nails, clean tidy clothes, not smelling of anything.

makeup is not needed. Obvious makeup certainly wrecks it.

wear the stuff if you want, but happily you don't have to.

I never wear foundation it's mid-winter and I'm looking pale and tired.

My idea of minimal make-up for basic grooming is:

Concealer where required (usually just under the eyes)
A light dusting of loose powder to set concealer, prevent shine, and give a "put together" look
Mascara and a touch a dark brown eye liner for a little definition
Natural blusher and natural lip gloss

That's my "every day" look, it only takes 5ish minutes, but evens out my skin, makes my eyes a little more obvious and gives me a little colour.

For me blusher, mascara and eyeliner.

Lips lipstick or gloss but both can wear off.

Cream blush MAC or Bobbi Brown.

Collection 2000 supersize mascara in black is excellent for everyday and £2.99 I think.

Oh and concealer for under eyes and foundation to even out L'oreal do a newish one in small glass bottle amazing.

Eye shadow works for some and not for others. I never wear eye shadow but do tight line the top of the eye with Laura Mercier pallette eye liner and then add a LM eye primer which lightens the lid and wakes up the eye. I then add mascara. The primer and liner last for ages.

I always ensure eyebrows are threaded also and use an eyebrow pencil lightly.

Having done the above my eyes look pretty natural but awake I'd say.

I don't always wear make up, but I always have dyed and threaded eyebrows, dyed eyelashes and neutral short, polished nails (plus colourful toenails).

I'm not saying I look ultra-groomed, but it makes a hell of a difference. Bonus is all that threading and dyeing only takes 5 min once a month.

Day to day I use loreal bb cream, Avon mascara and a touch of lip balm. For me to look groomed, its more important that my eyebrows are nicely shaped. If they are needing a pluck, I look shabby no matter what makeup I put on.

Thanks everyone! Fortunately I started out by finally getting a decent haircut and am keeping it up. It sounds like finding a decent eyebrow person might be a good idea as well - I keep the worst of them under control but am sure I could get a better shape.

I shall head to Superdrug tomorrow and have a look at the eye stuff and lippies. I do like the Burts Bees ones actually so shall definitely have a look for Watermelon, and check out the Too faced palette as well. The Bourjois foundation sounds like something I'd like, quite light.

After all this, a wardrobe rethink - I'm expecting that to take a while though so thought a bit of make up might help in the meantime. Just enough so that I look like me, but better. Thanks again

I agree with the poster who suggests a light fake tan; I use Dove Holiday Skin body moisturiser every couple of day, so I never look completely white, and on my face i use a Clarins gradual tanner. This means I don't need foundation, and generally look fairly healthy without too much make-up.

I have the Dove stuff, actually - it does work, I think I'm just so pale that even the fair skin one seems a little orange. It still might be an improvement on fishbelly white!