““Nude isn’t devoid of makeup. It’s just devoid of obvious makeup. The look is shocking in its subtlety: smooth skin, bright eyes and groomed brows, with a hint of color on the lips and cheeks that suggests you’ve just taken a brisk walk uphill to get fresh-pressed juice. It’s an aesthetic that’s right at home in San Francisco, where “effortless” beauty is worn like a badge of honor and the natural look is only, well, natural.” -Maghan McDowell
While I may not have thought my look had much to do with my locale, it looks like being from San Francisco does seem to have an influence on my overall approach to make up (<–check out this great article!). I LOVE products that give a pop of color in the right places, a little concealing to hide the wrong places, and generally anything that provides a nice glow. It’s not about perfection and airbrushing; we don’t want to hide behind our make up. We just want to look a little more lively, a subtly improved version of ourselves. The key is subtlety.
Once in a while, I like to experiment with different colors on my lips and my eyes, but on an everyday basis, this ‘nude’ / ‘natural’ look is my definite go to. This San Franciscan beauty guide reminds me of “Beauty Base Zero,” a concept from the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Basically, the idea is to look like the best version of your stripped down, natural, most minimal state. Of course, most of us, if stripped down entirely, might not look as polished as we would like… like base zero minus beauty. Beauty Base Zero, allows for make up and grooming, but nothing that looks artificial in any way. For example, my BBZ would be a flawless, glowing face, a bit of mascara, slightly filled in brows, and a bit of tinted lip balm… as well as perfectly groomed pastel colored nails. This is very in line with the article in the link above. Subtle adjustments using cosmetics, but the real YOU shines through.
I disagree that the nude and natural look is the most difficult to achieve. I am a middle maintenance beauty girl. I’m all about beauty hacks, multitasker products, and everything that will get me looking spruced up super fast. If it were that hard to achieve, I wouldn’t even try. In beauty, I strive for improvement, not perfection, and that’s all we are trying to achieve. The products you’d use to create this look are very versatile and buildable – no heavy liners, lash glue, tricky brushes, or sticky lipgloss. In fact, I bet that you could put together a beauty base zero using a limited number of products… a tinted moisturizer, a mascara, bronzer, cheek / lip tint (these can be the same product if they’re in liquid or mousse form). You might even try out the big five face challenge for a very easy and minimalistic look.
What’s your beauty base zero? Does your locale influence your make up and overall aesthetic? would definitely love to read some of your influences, so drop a line if you write about it!
XOX
Trace
Trace in the Place 
Love it 🙂