It sounds a little counterintuitive: the “no-makeup look” if you want to look natural. But it’s much more than a simple forgoing of your cosmetic bag: This effortless glow takes some skill to truly get right. It strikes the perfect balance between natural and polished—like you just so happened to wake up bright and refreshed, along with a strong brow game.

When it comes to makeup, sometimes less is more. A glamorous look is all well and good, but it’s just not practical for everyday occasions like school or work. Natural makeup will enhance your features, rather than disguise flaws. It’s a simple approach that focuses on a few key areas – skin, eyes and lips – and brings out their best in a subtle way.

Here how to get flawless make-up to look natural.

look natural

Clean your face of any previous makeup

Put makeup remover or water on a cotton ball. Dab or rub the cotton ball in small circles to remove old makeup. Determine your skin type and cleanse, tone and moisturize with suitable products twice daily. If you have skin problems like spots/blackheads, exfoliate your skin.

Moisturize your face

Using a small dab the size of a pea, gently rub in an unscented, oil free lotion. Scented lotions can aggravate your skin and cause breakouts or an allergic reaction, and oily lotions will encourage acne. To look natural, instead of using foundation, use a tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizers blend in while evening out your skin tone and commonly contain SPF. Those lucky girls with clearer skin will look best using tinted moisturizer.

Apply concealer around your eyes

Applying your concealer before foundation helps keep foundation to a minimal amount. Make sure this is the exact same color as your skin. When you apply the concealer, do so directly on the spot and not around it. This is to avoid a halo effect and emphasis of the spot. Optionally set with beige powder. Be careful not to overdo it on the concealer if you want to look natural; you only need enough to cover the spot.

Apply a powder foundation

Before you start, it’s best to determine whether or not you’re using the right foundation color. Get in a natural light and test the foundation to make sure it’s the right color for your skin. Dab a few marks on your cheek and angle your face different ways to see if the color matches.

Take your finger or a sponge dab in the foundation, and dab it on your face, blending it until it looks like your skin tone. Be sure to go underneath your jaw line; if you stop at the edge of your face, there will be a clear line where the foundation ends, making it look like you’re wearing a mask. You don’t need to apply foundation to your entire face. Just put it on areas that don’t have a consistent color and blend it in. If you have bags or discoloration under your eyes, make 3 dots on the line of the circles under your eyes. Blend it gently using your ring finger.

Get that sun kissed glow

Some people wait until after they have applied makeup to their eyes to add bronzer or blush. Bronzer is a great way to give yourself a natural glow and look natural. Lightly brush bronzer all over your face (or just along your cheekbones and T-Zone for a natural suntan appearance). However, bronzer can look silly on people with pale skin if applied incorrectly.

Apply Blush

If you were not happy with bronzer, you can apply blush instead. Crème blush generally works better than powder because it gives you a dewy look and lasts longer. Using a champagne-tinted crème blush, rub a little on your ring finger and blend onto your cheekbones.

Define your brows

As you want look natural, you will simply give your brows subtle definition rather than use the pencil to redefine them completely. Brush up first and then fill in your brows with a pencil. Remember, go for gentle strokes, not harsh strong lines.

Line your upper lash line

Some women prefer not to do this, as eyeliner looks a little less natural than an eye with just mascara.

Curl your lashes and apply one layer of mascara

Curling your eyelashes will give you a bright, awake look. If you want to make your eyelashes stand out against your skin, put on one layer of your favorite mascara. If you use mascara, avoid clumping by using a de-clumping brush or an eyebrow brush.

Apply a sheer nude lip color

To look natural avoid using chalky lipsticks or shiny lip glosses. Lip stain is generally best because it looks natural and lasts all day. Use a color that’s close to your natural lip color.