Many college girls, myself included, have been wearing makeup pretty much daily since middle school. However, your twenties is one of the few times in your life when you might still feel comfortable getting away with going makeup-less. With all the sand, surf, and sun, the summer is a great time to give this hassle-free look a try. Even better, skipping makeup now and then can be really beneficial to your skin, keeping it clean and allowing it to breathe.  Read on to get a few tips on looking your best without bothering with layers of cosmetics:

Cleanse

To prep your skin for the day, start by taking off the grime from the night before. Use a gentle cleanser to remove any oil, dirt, or leftover makeup from the night before. Don’t use anything too deep-cleaning or abrasive, as these might cause redness and irritation on your skin. I also find I get a build up of leftover eye makeup when I sleep at night, just underneath my eyes. To rid this black smear, dab a Q-tip with eye makeup removed and swipe it underneath each eye.

Tone

Now that your skin is refreshed, use a toner to close up pores and reduce redness in your skin. Pour a toner onto a cotton swab, and swipe it all over your face. I like Biore Triple Action Astringent, Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner, or a natural toner like witch hazel.

Moisturize

Smooth on a moisturizer with SPF to smooth your complexion and protect your skin during the day. Make sure to re-apply a facial sunscreen throughout the day if you’re going to be in direct sunlight a lot, like at the pool or beach, because no matter how lovely you look sans-makeup, nobody can pull off a lobster-red sunburn. There are many popular skincare brands such as Arbonne, Kiehl’s, and Clinique, that feature fantastic moisturizing products. Trial-and-error and customer reviews are the best way to figure out what works for you.

Shine

Just because you’re going without makeup, doesn’t mean you can’t do a few extra things to accentuate your natural beauty. An eyelash curler can do wonders for brightening up your eyes and making your bare lashes look darker, fuller, and longer; just look at the difference! Some natural lip balm can not only protect your lips, but make them look brighter and smoother. And light exercise, such as a brisk walk, swim, or playing touch football on the beach, is a great way to add colour to your cheeks and a natural glow all over. By the end of the day, you’ll wonder why you ever wear makeup at all.

What Do You Think?

Do you ever go without makeup? What are your tips for looking your best without the help of cosmetics? I love going to the beach and not having to worry about melting mascara or fading foundation, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Beauty Featured

39 Comments

  1. avatar sarah john says:

    I was looking for a good toner and thanks you shared which one to use. Can you please guide about wearing the natural looking makeup as well?

  2. avatar Tunki says:

    I am 17 years old..but I hv genetic extremly brown under eye dark circle and hollow problem….so I had been using make up on my face everyday..l used all home remedies and under eye cream…but it is still same and increasing day by day….

  3. avatar Anonymous_male says:

    I really really really hate cosmetics and feel like I’m living in a makeup apocalypse where all women have been brainwashed into wearing it. It makes women uglier to me and I know most of it has carcinogens and other bad shit in it that also washes off into the water supply (thanks women). Please stop wearing cosmetics women, you look like clowns with it on. You either have natural beauty which is vastly superior or you simply aren’t attractive and cosmetics won’t fix that. Take care of your health… detox once in awhile if you must, cleanse the skin, etc. but don’t wear cosmetics.

    I can hardly find any women that don’t wear cosmetics ;_;

  4. avatar India says:

    I used to be very self concsious about my skin because I suffer from acne I used to cover up my face in makeup to hide them but the more I put the worse my skin got. I was so scared to go out in public without makeup that my friends couldn’t remember the last time they’d seen me without it! After years of being nagged by mum to listen to her and stop wearing makeup I finally listened and it worked my skin has cleared up I have no pimples although I do have some scars but am working to get rid of them. It helped by having a routine that worked for me as well as drinking plenty of water.

  5. avatar Likextheyxsay says:

    Okay, I have no problem with acne whatsoever-(very fortunate) but my face is red like 24/7. I live in a small town and it’s very rare that I ever go to the city to buy products. Any DIY solutions to get rid of redness???

  6. avatar Izzi says:

    I dye my eyelashes, because they are basically invisible otherwise. And to make my skin look OK in the morning I open my pores up with a really hot steamy wet flannel, before splashing under the cold water tap concentrating on dark circles and redness for about a minute. That tends to sort the worst of my dark circles and tone down any spots. Then use some E45 moisturising cream.

  7. avatar Neha says:

    i hav dark circles…. n my face looks dull as soon as i step out….. wanna look pretty… any suggestions???

  8. avatar evelin brand says:

    while i go out, i just wash my face with my face wash and apply some sunscreen. after that, i put some lip color lipstick that’s it.

  9. avatar Taylor says:

    Hi, there i am at my 20’s and begin to realize that i should religiously use moisturizer for my skin. However when using one, especially at daytime. I feel like my whole face gets really messy and too oily. Do you know of a product which can protect and moisturize my skin without making it to oily?

  10. avatar Danielle says:

    Im older than all Of my friends by a month or so but I’m smaller and I look younger.
    I don’t want to wear make up and they always do so this was awesome advise, thank you.

  11. avatar Natalie says:

    These tips are very useful thanks <3

  12. avatar alllyyson says:

    i rarely ever wear make up because im make up challenged and lazy, hahah, and im looking forward to trying out these tips!

  13. avatar kenneth says:

    i have wheaty complexion,and lots of dark circles under my eyes,as i wear spectacles also i am having acne problems .i want my skin to look fresh always,coz it seems dead.
    and want it to clean up from those damn cirlces and acne.
    i need to go outside in sun everyday.
    please suggest me some remedies about how to do so.. and look fresh. i’am a collage student
    home remedies’ll realyy be appreciated.

  14. avatar sarah says:

    my skin colour is very dark n i feel very inconfident about it. Even if i apply makeup, i feel as if i am not looking good. Can u tell me some natural home remedies that can make my skin look fairer?

  15. avatar Angela says:

    For those of you who have uneven complexions that make you self-conscious about going out barefaced- listen up! Try using a weekly Salicylic-Acid chemical peel. I have always struggled with make-up and when I was younger I picked at my face in a vain attempt to ‘fix’ it. Needless to say, it didn’t work. However this peel has made my face so smooth it almost erased years of damage- making me much more confident about my face and side-profile. DISCLAIMER- Do NOT overuse this product, because it will burn your face. However, if you use it responsibly you’ll have nothing to worry about and your face will be gorgeous! :)

  16. avatar Amy says:

    I swear by Dawn dish soap for removing oil from skin, whether it’s using it on your face every once in a while (not too often) or in your hair, before you shampoo, just once every one or two weeks. Seriously! So if you have pimple issues, that’s a way to reduce the oil.

    Also, of all the trouble you could have with going without makeup, dark circles are kind of one of those that most people don’t notice. The girl in the photo at the top of the article has shadows under her eyes–I didn’t notice it first time, and I bet you didn’t either.

    Red cheeks? Just start calling it “natural blush” and people will look at it positively. (Don’t believe me? Try saying “The sky looks kind of green today” and see how long it takes for people to start agreeing with you.) It IS natural blush, and once you start calling it that, you won’t think of it so badly.

  17. avatar Jessica says:

    I gave up makeup for lent. At first it was the hardest thing ever cause I was so used to always wearing makeup when I go out. I really recommend doing it though! I have a new confidence that is actually me- not hiding behind makeup. In actuality, most people didn’t even notice when they found out I wasn’t wearing any. Make up should only help enhance your beauty, not create it!

  18. avatar Kira says:

    I used to be TERRIFIED of leaving the house without makeup, but I don’t mind it so much anymore. I tried ProActive, pills, and just about every facewash out there before finding PanOxyl (the 10% one). Seriously, it’s the best thing ever and cleared my face up way fast. I finally cut back on the makeup to save money, but I’ve noticed that there’s another benefit too– I get more compliments without makeup than with it! :)

  19. avatar Maddie says:

    Im too insecure to go without makeup :(

  20. avatar belle says:

    i meant ‘go out without makeup’*** in my second sentence!

  21. avatar belle says:

    i never wear makeup, but get complimented a lot. i think people that go out with makeup automatically get bonus pretty points for looking decent without trying. it also makes you eyes look brighter and in the long run your skin will look a lot better! it’s also one less thing to worry about. another bonus is if someone thinks you’re attractive with no makeup, it’s such a relief because you never have to worry about how you look around them. a compliment means so much more when you are complimented on how you look, naturally!

  22. avatar Genelia says:

    if you want to remove blackheads , then mix baking powder with water and apply it your nose … your blackheads would be gone .

  23. avatar sandra says:

    *darker
    ^_^

  24. avatar sandra says:

    eversince i learned how to put makeup on my face.. i get really fond of it…
    then i noticed my skin became barker.. (which is before, i have a perfect skin.. ) what should i do?? please help..

  25. avatar cali says:

    i wear make-up to hide my dark spots and imperfections and to hide the few break outs i have by using b=neutrogena acne foundation mascara,and all the above. but i am going to try your techniques and not wear makeup that often anymore.

  26. avatar gurpreet says:

    which type of suncream want be used by me i have oily skin in summer days

  27. avatar Kaitlyn says:

    Jessica- I have the same problem. It’s horrible :( Drink loads of water, it truly helps. You may just have a lot of toxins in your skin which is making it worse than it actually is.

  28. avatar Renee says:

    I only wear eyeshadow cuz i am not allowed to wear eye makep until im a certian age but i want to look good! Ima try theses steps tho to c if the man j like will notice me

  29. avatar lyta says:

    for acne i used lacto calamine..and it has shown effects…it reduced my acne problem…a lot of water intake is also suggested..n avoid oily food stuffs…n yes last but not the least acne is also caused by taking a lot of tensions….have a proper sleep …being awake too long @ nyts makes the matter worse…avoid a few bad habbits for good younger looking skin

  30. avatar shelly says:

    ma eyes r huge, but ma frnds say me dat its gud bt i need dat dey look more attractive through eye makeup…
    but i dnt know how 2 do it….??

  31. avatar Norah says:

    I have mild/severe acne and I know wearing make up makes it worse. I don’t wear make up all the time, just sometimes when I’m going somewhere or when I just feel like wearing it. I’ve tried things like proactive and some prescription things to treat acne but nothing seems to work. Any advice on how to get rid of this acne?

  32. avatar Kelly says:

    Abby – you’re probably beautiful! you might have rosacea (my ex had it; personally I think it’s kind of cute). also, shu uemura eyelash curler = great. i have small eyes, and i used to want big ones, but there are tons of gorgeous girls without em (taylor swift, alessandra ambrosio, etc.). don’t sweat!

  33. avatar Abby says:

    I wish I could go out the house with makeup, but I have red-ish cheeks that make me look a little flushed and I have under eye darkness that always make me look tired even when I’m not. I also am very insecure about my looks which is why I feel the need to wear makeup. My best friends never wear makeup and they are all so beautiful, I don’t know how they do it! But do you have any suggestions about getting rid of my red cheeks and making my eyes look more awake (I have small eyes) ? Because I don’t really like the feeling of makeup on my face all day and I don’t like being the only one in the group who wears makeup. It makes me feel fake.

  34. avatar yee says:

    Use 100% pure camellia oil, its good to remove dark circles reduce, scars and so much more do a search on google and you will know.

  35. avatar Kaleigh says:

    Sari–that’s great. Another bonus is that when you *do* decide to get all dolled up, maybe for a night out or something, people notice more than if you wore makeup daily! :)

    Jessice–I’m the same way, and it’s hereditary, although lack of sleep can make it worse. You have two options: you can mix a dab of concealer with a dab of foundation to cover up just the circles, leaving the rest of your face bare or you can try treating the circles by placing cool tea bags or cucumbers on them for a few minutes and drinking lots of water. There are also lots of strange home remedies (like pouring saline solution in your nostrils!) that are said to reduce under eye circles…I may have to write a post just about them!

  36. avatar Sari says:

    I never wear make-up, mostly out of laziness. It’s not that I don’t like wearing it, it’s just not a priority for me. But I do feel like I have clear skin because of it, and it’s one less thing to worry about.

  37. avatar Jessica says:

    I would love to go without makeup, but I’m always afraid to because I have dark circles under my eyes (seems to be genetic as no amount of sleep makes them go away). Any suggestions for covering those up without layering on makeup?

    • avatar Sheerie says:

      Jessica- even though I don’t have a solution for it, I wanted to let you know that I completely understand where you’re coming from and you’re not alone in it. I have dark circles around my eyes and it seems tobe something I’ve had since a baby. I wear makeup every day. I have no clue what I will do when I get in a serious relationship where the guy may think I don’t even wear makeup or look the same without it then have to one day see me without it.

    • avatar JustWannaHelp says:

      Hi Jessica!
      You can do a lot of things to try and get rid of dark circles, my friend had a lot of trouble with them too. You can get cold tea bag and put them on your eyes, or a cold spoon. I’ve even tried a cold, wet napkin, it reduces puffiness. You can look up homemade creams on the internet to get rid of them too.
      Hope I helped!

      Robin
      XOXO

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