How to Do a Soft and Light Makeup Look for Day

Sure, a full face of makeup is beautiful, but there are times when light makeup better fits the situation. Maybe you’re off running errands, having a seriously good skin day or don’t want to risk a heavy makeup look melting away in the heat. Or maybe you're just embracing the skinimalism trend after years spent opting for full glam. Whatever the case, we’re here to let you know that doing soft makeup is easy—you just need the right products and techniques to let your natural beauty shine. If you’re wondering how to do a natural makeup look that you can whip up in no time, keep reading—we’re sharing our go-to light makeup tutorial below. 

What Products Do You Need for a Light Makeup Look?

We love a glam makeup look as much as the next beauty aficionado, but no-makeup makeup days call for comfortable and light makeup products that don’t take tons of effort to apply. This could mean swapping out your full-coverage foundation for a tinted moisturizer or serum or swapping your pigmented powder blush for a lighter liquid option. It’s also a good idea to stick to neutral colors that complement—rather than compete with—your natural coloring. For blush, soft peaches, apricots, and baby pinks provide a more natural effect than bolder hues like violet or plum; earthy browns and bronzes, meanwhile, can create dimension around the eyes without looking over the top. 

Finally, don’t neglect your pre-makeup routine. Because light makeup typically adopts a less-is-more approach, proper skin prep is the best way to ensure your skin doesn’t look flat. Start with clean skin and apply a fast-absorbing moisturizer before getting started on your makeup for a fresh-looking, naturally-radiant complexion.

How To Do Light Makeup in 10 Simple Steps 

You can easily achieve a simple daytime makeup look with just a bit of concealer and lip balm, but if you’re looking for something with slightly more oomph, here are 10 steps we recommend following.

1. Moisturize

As we mentioned, the best light makeup looks start with hydrated, healthy-looking skin. Wash your face, then apply a moisturizer with SPF to hydrate your skin and protect it from harmful UV rays. We love the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30, as it helps brighten the skin while protecting against damaging UV rays. If you're looking for a higher SPF rating, the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum Spf 50 Daily UV Lotion, which has the added benefit of improving the look of sunspots, is a good option. It also layers beautifully under makeup and blends seamlessly on all skin tones without leaving a white cast.

2. Apply primer

Primer is just as important for soft makeup as it is for heavier makeup looks. While some formulas help prolong the wear of your makeup, others can help replenish moisture. We suggest opting for a primer that aligns with your specific news. The L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab primers come in three different variations to suit a range of skin types and concerns, and all help extend makeup wear for up to 24 hours.

3. Use a lightweight foundation

Light makeup looks are all about keeping your base weightless, fresh, and not overdone. With this in mind, you’ll want a foundation with a lightweight formula, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Infallible 32 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation or the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder. Both are lightweight, breathable, and feel comfortable on the skin. 

Editor’s Tip: If you want a more natural finish, opt for a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. We love the L’Oréal Paris True Match Hyaluronic Tinted Serum for its hydrating formula and skin-like finish.

4. Conceal

For areas that may require a bit more coverage—such as the under eyes or any dark spots—go in with a light layer of concealer. Using (clean) fingers to blend will help melt the product into the skin versus sitting on top, further adding to that diffused, soft makeup look. The L’Oréal Paris True Match Radiant Serum Concealer is infused with hyaluronic acid and provides up to 24 hours of hydration, plus it comes in 24 shades to suit a variety of skin tones.

5. Add blush 

To prevent your face from looking one-dimensional, add a bit of color to your cheeks by applying a liquid blush, like the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush, to your cheekbones. Remember that less is more here—start with one dot on each cheek then blend. From there, if you want to add more pigment, you can build up the color to your liking. Consider adding just the smallest amount to the bridge of your nose for a natural-looking sun-kissed effect. 

6. Highlight the high points of your face 

After securing your flush, give your skin an added boost of luminosity with the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer. The multi-purpose formula hydrates and illuminates the skin for a lit-from-within glow. For a natural-looking finish, you’ll want to (lightly) dab it onto areas the light would hit. Typically, this includes the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, your brow bones, and your Cupid’s bow.

7. Keep eyeshadow simple

While you don’t have to wear eyeshadow when rocking light makeup, a little bit of color on your lids can go a long way. Simply dust a thin layer of the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in your color of choice onto your lids, making sure to blend into your crease with an eyeshadow brush for a diffused effect. If you’d prefer something that requires even less effort, snag your favorite L’Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick and use the rounded tip to color your lids, using your fingers to blend out the pigment if needed.

8. Use pencil eyeliner

Just as with eyeshadow, eyeliner isn’t a must. That said, if you can’t part ways with a bit of liner, opt for a pencil formula—the softer finish looks more natural than ultra-pigmented liquid eyeliner. Use the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Brown to tightline your upper lash line for an invisible eyeliner effect that helps make your eyes look bigger, brighter, and more defined.

9. Apply mascara

A coat of mascara can instantly wake up your eyes. Apply a washable formula that won’t feel heavy on your lashes, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Bold Eye Mascara in Black Brown. This deep chocolatey shade is better suited to a natural daytime makeup look than your typical black. And, as the name suggests, it’s washable—which means removing it at the end of the day requires little more than a bit of warm water. 

10. Color your lips

When it comes to the lip portion of your light makeup routine, remember that less is more. You can skip the lip liners and ultra-pigmented lipsticks here—instead, opt for lightweight tinted formulas with a satiny or glossy finish. 

If you want to keep your lip makeup as understated as possible, reach for a tinted balm, such as the L’Oréal Paris Glow Paradise Balm-In-Lipstick With Pomegranate Extract. The hybrid formula comes in 10 buildable, luminous shades that help hydrate the lips for a softer-feeling pout. For those who can’t resist a glossy lip moment, we suggest using one of the pinky-nude shades in the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 8 Hour Pro Lip Gloss Hydrating Finish line instead. The pigmented gloss provides up to eight hours of fade-resistant wear with a glassy, high-shine finish.

11. Set your look

Whether you opt for light makeup or decide to go for something a bit more glam, you’ll want to make sure that your hard work doesn’t melt away over the course of the day. That’s where a setting spray comes in. To help lock in your look and prevent it from fading as you go about your business, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist. One three-to-four-second spray is all it takes to help extend your makeup wear for up to 36 hours. Plus, because the product disperses in a microfine mist, you don’t have to worry about stray droplets ruining your look—it applies evenly and dries instantly, leaving behind a natural, glowy-looking finish. 

Next Up: 11 Tips for Applying Makeup to Dry Skin