How To Create A Perfect Natural Make-Up Look, According To Lisa Eldridge

Celebrity make-up artist and brand founder, Lisa Eldridge, has curated the perfect “no-make-up make-up” routine for countless A-listers, many of whom swear by her advice when it comes to glam. Eldridge has worked with modern beauty icons such as Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey and Nicole Kidman, to name just a few.

If that wasn’t reason enough to take note of every word Eldridge says, she is also a collector of vintage beauty products that offer a glimpse into how women in the past crafted their own routines. Think: thousand-year-old compacts and blushers from the 1920s.

One of Eldridge’s calling cards is effortless, fresh make-up that is almost imperceptible. We asked her to share her advice on creating the always aspirational look at home.

How to create a natural make-up look

Prep, prep, prep

“The prep work starts even before you bring out your brushes,” Eldridge says. Making sure that your skin is well hydrated and moisturised is important. The better your skincare, the less make-up you’ll need. The most important thing is that your face feels comfortable, as well as hydrated and plump.

“I like to call it secret make-up,” she explains. “It’s the kind of look you can wear even when scrutinised in harsh daylight, and people still won’t quite be able to tell if you’re wearing make-up or not.”

Work with your real skin

For a no make-up-make-up effect, Eldridge advises applying your foundation only in the areas it’s really needed – generally in the centre of the face. “For me, it’s around my nose, mouth and chin area and a little bit on the forehead,” she says, name-checking her own foundation as a great product to try. “It’s not a tinted moisturiser or a full coverage formula, but something in the middle that you can sheer out if you want to. It self-sets, so you don’t need to powder on top of it. I really like it because it doesn’t feel like you’ve got any make-up on, but it’s still got good coverage.” She applies it with her fingers or a flat brush.

Don’t be afraid to mix formulas up

If you’re struggling to achieve the right consistency in your base product, Eldridge suggests adding some moisturiser to it. This trick also helps to avoid that cakey finish you can get when certain foundations cling to dry or flaky skin.

Highlight

“Really well applied, natural-looking highlighter should look as if it’s part of your skin and totally in synergy with the rest of your make-up,” Eldridge explains. Ie: not a separate entity sitting on top of your make-up, as we saw in the Instagram Baddie era of the 2010s.

“A nice tip when blending the edges of your highlighter is to go back in with the same brush that you used to apply your foundation or base,” she notes. “A tiny amount of foundation will still be left on the brush, and this will help it to melt in with the rest of your make-up.”