Genuinely minimal make-up tuition needed

[Connfusion]

I am a lifelong no make-up wearer, now middle-aged. But could do with looking smarter. Know nothing about make-up or how to put it on. So I've looked online at Youtube videos on applying minimal make-up. This turns out to mean plastering on several layers of stuff. Does anyone know of a video which explains how to put on REALLY GENUINELY MINIMAL and easy to apply make-up? Which makes you look as though you've made a bit of an effort (for work purposes)? What is the minimum that would work for this?

I too find it confusing, that people use different stuff, or maybe people have different definitions of what 'minimal' is.

Definition of minimal varies so much! And it also depends on the areas you want to enhance most.

For example I always apply BB cream and concealer as have terrible skin but can skip the rest if necessary (fwiw mascara is next priority, then blusher, then eyebrown pencil).

However my friend who has great skin but small eyes has never been seen without eyeliner and mascara, but she has bare skin quite often.

I came on to recommend Lisa Eldridge too. She’s great. I apply foundation and powder totally differently now thanks to her.

We all have different issues and areas that we want to highlight or cover up - so some people would not leave the house without under eye concealer, other people would not leave the house without foundation or brow products or contour or eyeliner.

Minimal makeup is different to everyone because it can be anything from only wearing a few products to wearing a lot, but looking like a better and more awake, but still natural, version of oneself.

I would suggest:
Foundation (or tinted moisturiser/BB cream)
Blusher (I find that cream blushers look a bit more natural, but that's a matter of preference - it may not last long enough on you, and some people find it difficult to apply because they are used to powder)
Powder if necessary
Brow product if necessary - I tint my brows, so I usually just brush through them, but I do think groomed, but natural brows make a massive difference - even if it's just brushing through and filling in gaps with a brow pencil.
Mascara
Lip product - lipstick/gloss/balm

I'm certainly not a make-up expert, but I would say mine was minimal. Takes probably 1 minute and looks really noticeably better than my naked face.

1. BareMinerals foundation. This is very quick and easy because it's a powder that you put on with a giant brush (a bit like an old-fashioned shaving brush, but dry). So it's not fiddly and it's difficult to get it wrong; you just swish it all over your face (except round your eyes).

1. Mascara. Never found that the brand makes very much difference. If you're very fair then I would go for brown instead of black.

That's it.

If I want to do anything extra:

1. Lipstick in a shade as close as possible to my actual lip colour. Despite it being the same colour, it still looks a lot more 'done', somehow. Clinique and Clarins are good.

1. Soft brown eyeliner (Clinique Quickliner is good and doesn't need sharpening; you kind of wind it up instead like a propelling pencil.)

This might take an extra minute. So 2 minutes in total.

I use blush, mascara and lip balm. 1 minute max.

These are great - thank you. I didn't realise that mascara was seen as so essential. I love the idea of only one thing that you have to apply all over - eg BB cream. Though prefer the feel of nothing.

My minimal is a few drops of foundation mixed with moisturiser, whilst that's drying I put nude eyeshadow, liner & mascara on.

Then Soap & Glory blusher in Rosy chic or MUA bronzer and a slick of Nivea Lip balm in BlackBerry shine.

Takes me five minutes max.

Step one: buy BB or Cc cream in correct shade.
Step two: smear a tiny amount on your face.
Step three: Finish the look with one coat of the simplest wire brushed acj mascara you can find (max factor Di a very good one in a hot pink bottle with a green lid).

I’m with previous poster on the bare minerals, I’ve been a minimal make up wearer all my life and it’s amazing, whenever I try other foundation I always end up coming back to it. Easy to use, looks really natural and doesn’t bugger up my skin like everything else I’ve tried.
1-Buff a foundation all over face
2-bit of concealer over dark circles (lack of sleep due to small people!)
3-Mascara
And as my eye brows have decided to disappear some sort of brow powder stuff, but I wouldn’t bother if my brows weren’t running away from me!!
Takes five minutes, can do it with kids hanging off me!
(I have tried a mineral B.B. cream for holidays which was rather good but eventually gave me bad skin, lily lolo I think, the do tiny samples online so you can test shades before forming out on whole tube!

Red lipstick as recommended on the superb Parisian threads has been a revelation to me. I use BB cream, blusher and no mascara because I've got lash extensions which I absolutely love.

Sorting out my skin first helped.

For me foundation and concealer aren’t nearly as important as blusher and mascara. On a v minimal day I’ll do brow gel (tinted or clear depending on how I’m feeling), Glossier Cloud Paint patted into cheeks with fingers, and a nice tinted lip balm or gloss. For me blusher on my cheeks makes my skin look much nicer all over, I don’t know why.

So ...I was you, if didn't even wear make up until I was about 40, like nothing... I started with a BB cream (garnier) a borjois blush and mascara and lip balm (which to be fair I was using anyway as I get dry lips, I like lanolips). Most days this is still all I do. Sometimes I use primer (for pores) and I have powder and highlighter. I find the Lisa Eldridge videos my most helpful starting point...

I've now bought a few of these suggestions, and will try them out over time. Thanks everyone.

Quick and easy (5 mins) with minimal products (and she swears).

Tinted moisturiser,or BB/CC/DD cream. Lip & cheek tint, benefit do one (mine's a models own copy ) and a neutral eyeshadow. Takes about 2 minutes.

I don't wear mascara as I'm a glasses wearer and hat the feel of lashes brushing the lens when I blink