Instabrows. Kylie Jenner lips. Clown contouring. Divas, the internets is CHOCK FULL of extreme beauty. And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for self-expression and experimentation. All. For. It.
But I also believe in simplicity and small tweaks to enhance natural beauty on the regular. Sure, you can pull out all the stops. But what if you don’t want to?
DIVAlicious contributor and team member Melanie lives for minimalist style. But she’s not mad at a touch of glamour here and there.
So I showed her a makeup look that would definitely be a departure from her normal – but wouldn’t feel inauthentic.
A mini makeover.
Because so much of badass beauty is the confidence that it looks amazing AND the certainty that it complements the vision you have of or want for yourself.
Here is Mel before a stitch of diva magic.
To keep it lush and natural, I used the Mehron Celebré Pro HD foundation palette to highlight and contour – verrry subtlety. I wanted to give a touch of definition via sculpting and also even out the skintone a bit.
I also added a cream, not powder, blush for a fresh finish. I used Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Manet and did this step *before* setting the face with any powder. A lot of times, people tell me they have trouble with cream blush and I find they add it after dusting their face. This doesn’t allow for a smooth even application so keep like products together. A cream foundation and a cream blush work as a team. Dust later. (This principle applies to liquid and powder too – keep like with like.)
Now to cut shine and keep the placement of the blush, highlight and contour, I *lightly* swept on some Marc Jacobs #instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder in Mirage.
Then I softly filled brows with Eylure Brow Palette in Dark Brown. When you want to look polished but not done, my reco is to keep the focus on the arch and the tail and leave the start of the brow natural. With this product, you can start with gel, then set with powder, then accentuate the brow bone with the light shade. It’s really all-in-one.
For a pop of some fun color while the sun is still shining down, I painted Mel’s lips in Maybelline Color Sensational Coral Crush – one my most fave shades EVAHHH.
Here she is looking all sorts of GORGE. PS, these photos are NOT photoshopped!
Now in the spirit of showing how small beauty add-ons can make major (but not shocking) impact, we had to bring lashes into the look. HAD TO.
We went through several sets and decided on Eylure Enchanted Grace, which is described as “a longer length, textured lash for a cool, flirty look.” Yep, sold!
For lower lashes, we used Mattese #49, but really any natural, wispy, short lower lash pair would do. The goal here (with lower lashes) is to get the strip to line up right at the base of the lower lashline under your natural lashes.
To amplify upper and lower lashes, rim the tearline (above) and waterline (below) with your favorite longwear black eyeliner. This will hide the band of the fake lashes and also totally pop the eyes. This was truly the finishing touch of Mel’s look. Only thing left was to snap her after shots.
And to bring us full circle, how about a side-by-side before & after?? Below is minimalist Mel as a barefaced beauty (left) and a simplistic stunner (right). 
Let us know your thoughts on #instabeauty as well as mini makeovers – and what you’d like to see us showcase in the future!!
xoLC
NOTE: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own. Samples were provided for editorial consideration and/or my use as a professional makeup artist. All photos are property of DIVAlicious.
Lauren Cosenza is the creator and editor-in-chief of DIVAlicious, a trusted beauty/fashion expert, an on-camera personality and spokesperson, a leading NYC-based professional makeup artist, a published contributor and writer, a brand consultant, a product junkie and an insatiable style seeker — with a former life at Cosmopolitan and Shape magazines.
Serving up style with a side of attitude, her site DIVAlicious gives women (and men) the confidence and permission to be fabulous. The site is filled with must-have products, pro tips and tricks, how-to DIY tutorials, makeovers, style inspiration and insider access. Topics range from beauty, fashion, culture, career, fitness, wellbeing, men’s and unisex offerings.