1. Create flawless skin

Tools: Creamy or solid concealer, fine-tipped brush, translucent powder

Minimalist makeup highlights your skin. The better shape your skin is in, the less makeup you’ll need to make it look great. Be diligent about following a regular cleansing and hydrating routine. Then you’re ready to conceal any imperfections.

Spot conceal those areas that need extra attention: redness around the nose, dark circles under the eyes or the occasional blemish. Make sure you choose the right formula based on what you’d like to cover up:

• Under-eye circles: Use a creamy, yellow-based concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone.

• Redness, blemishes and acne scars: Choose a thicker, more solid formula. The color should match your skin tone; shades with yellow undertones will counter-balance redness.

A set of concealers makes it easy to combine colors to hide any imperfections and perfectly match your skin tone. We like Philosophy Supernatural Airbrushed Color Palette, which comes in light, medium and dark. These award-winning cream-based concealers — recognized as the best concealers by the SELF Healthy Beauty Awards — cover up everything from under-eye circles to blemishes.

Use a fine-tipped brush (which evenly deposits concealer into the smallest area) or your fingers (the warmth of which can make concealer easier to apply) to apply a thin layer of product wherever needed. Dust loose translucent powder over your skin to set your makeup, ensuring a flawless complexion all day.

2. Awaken your complexion

Tools: Creamy blush, brush

A healthy flush makes you look radiant and awake. You can easily fake this effect with a creamy pink blush that mimics the shade your skin naturally turns after you’ve exercised. Grab your blush brush and apply the color to the apples of your cheeks (the fleshy part that pops out when you smile), sweeping the blush up to your hairline.

DuWop Cheek Venom Diamondback, a coral pink color, contains a combination of silicones and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and impart a natural, refreshed flush. If you prefer powder blush, bareMinerals offers an extensive array of pink hues, including warm baby pink, berry pink, bright rosy pink and deep mauve pink.

3. Make your eyes pop

Tools: Eyelash curler, mascara

You don’t need four different eye shadows layered on top of the other to bring your eyes into focus. Define your eyes, no matter the color, in two steps with an eyelash curler and mascara.

• Gently clamp the eyelash curler around the base of your lashes. Carefully clamp and unclamp, moving up to the tips of your lashes.

• Swipe one or two coats of mascara on your upper lashes.

You might be tempted to skip the eyelash curler, but don’t! When your makeup is minimal, it’s important to make the most of what you’re using. An eyelash curler is a quick way to enhance your eyes — and will make your mascara that much more effective. Tweezerman Classic Lash Curler delivers an intense curl with its revolutionary thick, round silicone lash pad.

Choose the mascara formula that meets your greatest need: curling, lengthening or plumping. Colorscience Mascara thickens and curls your lashes, all in one tube. When it comes to color, black and brown are the most common choices. Black works for most women. But if your hair and skin are especially fair, black can look harsh, so brown may work better.

Replace your tube of mascara regularly to avoid clumping and growing bacteria. Most experts recommend buying a new tube every three months.

4. Groom unruly brows

Tools: Eyebrow tweezers, brow powder or mousse

Keeping brows sleek and groomed is essential for a polished look without a lot of makeup. First, clean up any stray hairs with a high-quality tweezers. Billion Dollar Brows Tweezers are made of stainless steel and feature a slanted tip to ensure easy plucking.

Next, fill in sparse areas to enhance your brow line and create face-framing definition. For long-wearing color that doesn’t fade or smudge despite sweat or harsh weather, try blinc Eyebrow Mousse, which moisturizes brows while also adding anti-aging benefits. Blinc Eyebrow Mousse comes in light blonde, dark blonde, dark auburn, light brunette and dark brunette. If you’re more of a powder gal, Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder is easy to apply and comes in a variety of shades to match your hair color.

5. Finish with lovely lips

Now that your face is flawless and glowing, and your eyes are framed with gorgeous lashes, pull your minimal look together with polished lips. Consider how you want your end-result to look:

• Soft and natural: Pick a tinted balm that moisturizes with just a hint of color. MD Formulations Lip Balm hydrates, nourishes and soothes the lips with shea butter, sunflower seed oil, tea tree and peppermint oil. It also contains SPF 20 and provides broad-spectrum protection.

• Youthful and pretty: Glosses add a touch of color and shine, creating an understated, but luscious pout. Philosophy Supernatural Lip Gloss Soft Pink moisturizes, conditions and gives lips a beautiful luster.

• Sophisticated: A bold lip color, like red or fuchsia, is low-maintenance and looks finished, when applied as a stain. Stila Cherry Crush, both a lip and cheek stain, creates a custom-made look by reacting to your skin’s natural pH levels.

Whether you’re just not into makeup, find it confusing to choose colors or don’t have time for an elaborate routine, a minimalist’s approach to makeup simply makes sense.

See also:

Brighten Your Complexion with Blush

Create a Flawless Face with Concealer