The red carpet at this year’s Grammy Awards was flooded with stars done up to the nines. Glam was definitely the vibe celebs were feelin’, but what really stood out to us — after we saw past all the intense, smokey eyes and contouring — was one star’s refreshingly natural, minimalist take on event-worthy beauty.
Demi Lovato made all our low-key makeup dreams come true (and when she released her NYC makeup line). She showed up ready for the cameras looking fresh-faced, with flawless skin, rosy, radiant cheeks, a slightly flushed lip and eyelashes for days. Since the rest of your look will be pretty lowkey, having next-level lashes is key to this look. Here’s how to achieve it.
Step 1: Hydrate + Create a Smooth Canvas
When you’re going to go light on your makeup, it’s important to wear a super hydrating moisturizer — this creates a smooth canvas that will be the basis of your dewy look. Once you put on your moisturizer of choice, apply a *tinted* moisturizer to even out your skin and give you a lit-from-within glow. I am a big fan of Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer ($44).
Step 2: Get a Healthy Glow
Don’t even think about reaching for your contouring products — it’s all about having a healthy glow instead! The bronzer and blush you sport for this look should be neutrally-hued and mostly matte instead of super punchy in color. Caitlin is wearing Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer ($29) which is buildable and a really pretty shade. Her rosy cheeks are thanks to a soft peachy-pink shade with a subtle sheen to it to help reflect light — it’s also by Benefit Cosmetics Sugarbomb ($29).
Step 3: Conceal + Luminize
Let’s take the flawless face one step further. Apply concealer underneath your eyes in a triangle shape and blend it in with your fingers to really melt the product into your skin — this technique will give you a more natural look. When it comes to highlighter, you want to keep it luminous, light and natural instead of glittery and overly-shiny. Instead of using a regular cream highlighter, go for an illuminating primer like a favorite of mine, Japonesque Radiance Primer ($32). This is a much softer way to achieve that dewy look without overdoing it.
Step 4: Create Strong + Long-Lasting Brows
Demi’s brows have that perfect balance of being bold but also natural looking, so keep this look in mind when you’re working on your brow game. We filled in Caitlin’s eyebrows using a shadow that’s the same color as her natural brows instead of going a shade darker and then brushed through them with an eyebrow brush to make sure the product was evenly distributed. Top ‘em off by adding a small spritz of hairspray to the brow brush, brush through again and bam: You’ve got bold and natural brows that’ll stay in place all day and night.
Step 5: It’s ALL About the Eyes
First apply a peach or champagne eyeshadow along the lower lash line and on your eyelids for a neutral subtle shimmer of reflective light. Then it’s time to call in reinforcement: seriously long, super lush lashes are an absolute must-have for this look. They’re the main feature that’s played up, so they need to be straight up amazing – this is where a set of false lashes comes in. When wearing minimal makeup, you want to really exaggerate your lashes and give them a little oomph without going overboard, so it’s important to find a pair that’s light and airy instead of thick and over-the-top. We’re fans of Sephora Collection Luxe False Lash ($17) because they look so natural. Swipe on a coat of mascara to blend in the falsies with your natural lashes and start fluttering away!
Step 6: Put on the Finishing Touches
Now you’re looking like a minimalist makeup goddess! To finish this look while still keeping things light and bright, skip lipstick. Instead, apply a light berry-hued lipgloss like Covergirl Queen Collection in Iced Berry ($7) to your pucker and call it a night!
Want to see us break down another celeb’s beauty-ful look? Email us at beauty@brit.co!
