There are days when you just want to keep it simple without forsaking makeup altogether… A no-makeup makeup that pretties-up a face just enough to make it look like #Iwokeuplikethis.

I was hanging out with my friend Joyce, having some girl talk. You know, the usual: relationships, work, art. And when it was time to leave the coffee shop, we both pulled out our lipsticks… Which leads, of course, to some makeup talk!

Joyce used to do the same cat-eye for years, but she was looking for different options.  So we headed to the drugstore to shop for a nice brown liner.

I love liners, not just black or blue, but all those lovely shades of brown, green and grey, and even lip liners. I just love to blend them out for soft shading, because when it comes to no-makeup makeup, it’s all those little nothings that add up to something sweet.

Cue in Clarisse! A French expat studying politics in Montreal, I met her on a shoot and just loved her natural beauty and her raw presence in front of the camera. Like any French girl, she likes to keep her makeup simple. I was doubly lucky, as she just came back from vacation and had a lovely, natural glow and wavy hair. All I had to do was dab some concealer here and there!

I love the idea of a un-smoky smoky… a natural looking bedroom eye. And the perfect way to get the look is with some red/pink lip pencils. Just smudge them like a liner, if you want a product that will hold all day, go for Stila’s Smudge Stick in Deep Fuchsia. On lips, I used a classic, just bitten colour, NARS Velvet lip pencil in Dolce Vita, which I also dabbed on the cheeks for an extra sexy flush.

A Rock’n’Roll liner is the perfect element to bring an edge to a relaxed look. I used L’Oreal Paris Infallible Lacquer Liner 24H, and Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner on the waterline. On lips, one of my favorite nudes, Siss lipstick by M.A.C. Niels top by Valerie Dumaine.

Colour doesn’t always have to be bold. I dabbed Rimmel London Shadow Stick in Gossip Green, a mossy green, straight out of the stick. On lips, a Maybelline Color Vivid in Vibrant Mandarin, which I dabbed with a finger. Shirt, Valerie Dumaine.

 Another un-smoky eye, but with a darker lip, courtesy of Cover Girl in 275 Coffe Crave, a soft burgundy that accents the lips. On the eyes I used Stila eye shadow in Topaz, a shimmering golden/red color, The eyes were lined with Cover Girl’s Bombshell Powder Brow & Liner in Dark Brown. Savana Coat by Valerie Dumaine,

Here Clarisse is channeling Jackie O, with her natural lip color lined with M.A.C.‘s lip liner in Subculture. On the eyes, I used Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Sticks in Trespassing Taupe on the lid, and Bootleg Brown to shade/line. Marion Dress by Valerie Dumaine. Bone pendant by Harakiri Designs.

To finish off the session I went for a smoky, but done in a very simple way. I used a GOSH Forever shadow pencil in Grey (available at Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart) all over the lid and into the crease, then lined with L’Oreal Paris Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner. Marion Dress by Valerie Dumaine. Bone pendant by Harakiri Designs. Bracelet, vintage Pierre Hardy.

Photography: Cesar Ochoa
Model: Clarisse at Dulcedo Models