We Italians, much like the French, favor simplicity, elegance and timeless makeup styles, or as it's known the no-makeup, makeup look. A touch of color perfectly placed in the right areas of the face to look put together and natural, without appearing exaggerated or older than we actually are.
For us it's all about enhancing our positive facial features, without completely changing the way our faces actually look. We embrace our eyebrows plucking only those little hairs out of place, sparsely filling in with a matching pencil where needed, enhancing our eyes or lips, never both, leaving our skin to breathe and glow, instead of frosting it with heavy layers of foundation, concealer and contouring as if we were decorating a cake.
Achieving this flawless, elegant look whether for an every day look, or special occasions is all about healthy skin combined with the less is more makeup approach. Healthy skin shines and glows on its own, so why cover it?
To achieve this look for the ringing of the New Year, let me take you through a 4-day and 4-product journey culminating with a minimalist makeup application featuring a couple of my most favorite products.
Starting 4 days before New Year's eve on December 28...
Day 1, 2 , 3 & 4 | AM & PM Routines:
Get into the habit of starting your PM routine as early as possible. I start mine as soon as I get back home from work at 6-7 pm instead of right before bed. Why? First I'm not too tired to get it done, and most importantly by starting earlier my skin has plenty of hours to absorb and metabolize all the products I've applied to my skin instead of leaving layers of them on my pillow where they aren't needed.
Cleanse: Start with our Facial Foaming Cleanser. This gentle cleanser, infused with organic ingredients and a well balanced formula free of detergents, effectively removes impurities and makeup, without irritating the skin.
Bulgarian Lavender & Mandarin Facial Foaming Cleanser — $28
Tone: Follow up with the Japanese Green Tea Toner. Ideal for balancing your skin's pH, this toner, rich in natural antioxidants, revives your complexion, ensuring a fresh and youthful glow.
Japanese Match & Chamomile Facial Toner — $26
Hydrate, Moisturize & Balance: Nourish with Aqua B3 with 10% Niacinamide, a hydrating serum essential for a rejuvenated look, sebum and acne control. Packed with nourishing vitamins, it hydrates and repairs.
Aqua b3 Niacinamide Serum — $70
Repair and Glow: End with Olio Di C Serum. A luxurious oil based serum, loaded with 10% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, a highly bioavailable and most stable form of Vitamin C, to brighten and even skin tone, absorbing effortlessly for a non-greasy finish. Make sure to apply this serum all over your face, neck and especially around the eyes area. 2-4 drops would be more than enough. Don't over do it, remember less is more.
Olio di C Vitamin C Elixir — $100
Day 4 New Year's Makeup
On the last day of the year, after cleansing, toning, hydrating and repairing, allow 20-30 minutes for Aqua b3 and Olio di C to settle in before applying makeup.
To embrace the understated elegance of the Italian minimalist makeup look:
- Face. Avoid heavy and caky foundation applications. Instead apply a tinted oil or serum to even out your skin tone without covering it completely. My favorite one, which I recommend is the Teinté-100x from Typology.com. Go easy with the concealer if you have to. A touch of rouge to enhance your cheekbones is all you need.
- Eyes. Ease up with the eye shadows. Avoid stronger, shinier colors, and opt for more muted ones but that would make the color of your eyes pop. Favor a very toned down eyeliner and a touch of mascara. Most certainly ditch the fake eyelashes.
- Lips. Last but not least, a pop of color on your lips from our nourishing Lip Whip Soufflés to complement your beautiful look without overpowering it.
Lip Whip Soufflés — $20
Happy New Year 2024!
