Are you looking to try some new makeup looks but don’t want to spend hours in front of the mirror? If so, you’re in luck! We put together eight simple, trendy and easy styles that are perfect for any occasion. These effortless makeup looks are minimalist and designed to enhance your natural beauty without taking up too much of your time.
From eyeshadow hacks to brow inspiration to various colored eyeliner wings, these will make you look and feel beautiful without the hassle. Many of them might look familiar, either as staple choices from your favorite celebrities’ red carpet glam or current trends found on BeautyTok.
8 Simple Makeup Looks:
Read on to learn more about these amazing makeup looks and how to achieve them. We also checked in with professional makeup artists Mandie Brice, Margina Dennis, Mary Winkenwerder and Lindsay Katsuk as well as Vivi Mintara, CEO of Eye Makeup Lab and Kerrin Jackson, creator of The Makeup Refinery blog for tips, suggestions and insight when trying them out for yourself.
READ MORE: 10 Top Beauty Trends: What’s Hot In 2023
1. Fluffy Brows
Fluffy eyebrows à la Keira Knightley are totally in. This TikTok-trendy style can help you stand out in all the right ways by adding dimension to your face and enhancing your eyes. With the help of some brow gel and a tiny brush, achieving Keira's signature fluffy eyebrows is easier than ever.
Dennis says that additionally, she recommends filling in your brows after with a “stiffer thinner brow pencil for more control.” This, she adds, is so that you can “draw hair-like strokes using light pressure.”
2. Glossy Lids
After trends like glazed donut skin dominated the beauty world last year, glossy and shiny eyelids are a great way to make a statement while also rocking a natural look. As celebrity makeup artist Ash K. Holm told Vogue regarding this makeup style, it's best to "add the gloss as the very last finishing step" after priming and prepping your eyelids.
"The glossy-eye trend is definitely a look that anyone can recreate no matter how long you’ve been practicing makeup because all you need is a blending brush and a clear gloss to add to any makeup look as a finishing touch," she said to the outlet.
3. Subtle Eyeliner Wing
While siren eyes, bold eyeliner looks and vintage cat-eye wings are always popular, it's still possible to create a delicate, more dainty winged look that is still just as gorg! As seen here on Olivia Culpo, you can use a brown eyeliner or even blended eyeshadow to create the shape of your wing rather than a thicker liquid tool.
For the perfect subtle wing, Brice suggests a "light touch, and just applying product to the outer two thirds of the eye on top" when making the wing. She also says to "skip eyeliner altogether on the bottom (or make it look very light on the outer two-thirds and blended or smudged into the lash line for some slight definition)."
4. Monochrome Makeup
If you’re looking for a modern and fashion-forward makeup look that is easy to create, the monochromatic trend is for you. This style involves using only one color of eye, cheek, and lip color products to create a unified look that is sure to turn heads. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned makeup artist, this trend, as seen here on Emily Blunt (who uses similar shades for her shadow, blush and lipstick) is simple to master. To find the best colors for your skin undertone, Brice shares that looking at your favorite jewelry can help.
"If you look better in gold jewelry, you're likely a 'warm' undertone, and colors that have more of a red base will be best," she says, listing "corals, bronze-toned pinks, and even a muted red." If you're cool-toned, silver jewelry looks best on you, she adds, and you can do products with a "hint of blue like more purple-ish pinks." Those with a 'neutral' undertone can wear "any color for the most part," she notes. Some brands actually use either "warm" or "cool" or "neutral" (or N, C, W) in the names of the colors, which can helpful as well.
5. Nude Lipstick
Nothing can enhance your natural beauty quite like a great nude lipstick. Whether you’re a lipstick aficionado or just getting started, finding the perfect nude lip product can make all the difference in your look. With other Y2K and 90s trends coming back in full force, nude lipsticks are definitely in. If you don't want to use too much lipstick, grabbing one that matches your complexion like Rita Ora is always the way to go.
Before adding anything to your lips, however, Jackson recommends using a "lip pencil to define your lip line" first and foremost. Then, she says you can fill in the shape you created with a nude lipstick. "Fill in your lips with your favorite nude lipstick," she says, stressing to "stay away from any shade that is too dark or cool in tone." These, she warns, will "instantly make your lips appear thinner, and undo your beautiful makeup illusions created already." Good to know!
6. Sheer Smokey Eyes
A sheer, light or gentle smokey eye is a great way to make your eyes shine without having to blend too much or add a lot of product to your lid. To achieve this look, it's best to add a bit of silver shadow like Kim Kardashian, not putting on as much black or darker shades. With early aughts-inspired frosted makeup re-emerging on TikTok and elsewhere, it's never been a better time to test out this trend.
For a timeless smokey eye and to prevent smudging, patchiness or a more crepey look, Dennis says to choose an eyeshadow with a satin finish. For the "late 90s trend of a soft smokey eye," she also suggests trying "muted tones like khaki, brown, taupe, grey, deep lavender, and bronze in a satin finish or talc-free mattes." These, she explains, are the most flattering choices, and they don't "draw attention to crepey lids."
7. Standout Underliner
If you're used to black or brown eyeliner, giving a colored one a go can instantly change up your look for the better (plus, it's not hard to do!) Colored liner (in shades like blue, purple, red, etc) is nothing new, but a more modern trend involves only placing a colored liner under your eye, at the lower lash line like Dianna Agron did here.
As for finding the right non-black or non-brown liner for your eyes, Katsuk says it’s important to opt for something "less harsh" than black if you want your eyes to look bigger. She suggests finding a product that is "still in the natural color palette," such as a "gray or navy blue." In addition, she recommends a "nude or even a gold tone to open the eye up and add a bit of brightness."
8. Colorful Eyeliner
As noted previously, wearing a colorful eyeliner can dazzle up your eyes easily. Like Selena Gomez, you can try a cat-eye look with blue liner, and use it on your top lid for an extra oomph. When it comes to finding a great hue to highlight your eyes best, Brice has some helpful advice.
"A color that is near the opposite end of the color wheel as either the main color of someone eyes or the flecks of color within can really brighten the eye," she says. "For example, a copper or orange-ish brown on blue eyes, purple on eyes with flecks of yellow or gold, etc. can make a person's eye color pop," she continues, and this can "brighten up the face."
Tips And Tricks
Generally, when it comes to makeup, how you prep your skin before it matters before anything else, Winkenwerder says. "Prepping your skin with natural hydration is a must when approaching any kind of topical makeup product," she notes. The skin must be "exfoliated, cleansed, and nourished" in order for any type of color or enhancement makeup to "truly enhance the appearance," she says.
Mintara agrees, and points out that whether you're prepping your eyes, face, lips or lashes, caring for the area where you're about to apply makeup is always an essential step for the best look possible. Priming your skin, Mintara stresses, will "not only fill in any fine lines and wrinkles," but it also encourages any concealing products to "stick to your skin in an even and long-lasting manner."
Brice's one last tip (that isn't any less crucial) is to be on top of cleaning your brushes, makeup sponges and other applicator tools for a seamless finish no matter what look you're going for. "I think so many of us are guilty of not washing our brushes as often as we should," Brice shares. "Even applying with our fingers can be a mistake, if we don't first wash our hands," she concludes, as "this can lead to breakouts, or even infection." Good to keep in mind!
