I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by Dolce and Gabbana’s True Monica makeup collection collaboration with actress Monica Bellucci. Unlike other top designer labels, like Chanel, Dior, and Lancome, which celebrated the blue and green colors of the tropics in their summer collections, Dolce and Gabbana embraced the everyday woman with seductive neutral shades that brought out her natural beauty. And who better for inspiration than the epitome of sensuality and breathtaking beauty Monica Bellucci?
Filled with shades of taupe, rose, soft pinks, and nude, neutral makeup is a great way to accentuate your natural beauty and highlight your best features without looking too overdone. That’s what also makes it a great choice for a day-to-night date makeup look.
Neutral makeup is so versatile that you could easily transition the look from day to night by smudging on some black eyeliner or dark shadow to create a smokey eye look. Read on to see my favorite neutral beauty finds for fun summer date makeup:
How to Find the Perfect Nude Lipstick
Sexy and understated, nude lips are the perfect pairing for a neutral or smoky eye; they bring out the natural color of your lips yet give them a pop of color and shine. But finding the right shade of nude lipstick can be just as challenging as finding the right foundation. Whether you have a very fair complexion like Amanda Seyfried and Nicole Kidman to a yellow and olive skin tone like Camilla Belle and Kim Kardashian, or have a darker skin tone like Zoe Saldana and Frieda Pinto, there is a shade for everyone, but the right shade is different for all skin tones. To avoid looking washed out, your nude lipstick should be a little darker than your natural skin tone.
For fair-skinned girls, you should avoid beige lipsticks and go for soft pinks and peaches. L’Oreal’s Coulour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude ($8.99) has a pinkish, dusty rose undertone and suits a pale complexion perfectly. If you decide to rock an ombre lip, this lipstick is also very pigmented and complements a brighter shade perfectly.
For yellow or olive-skinned girls, you have the most versatile look out of all skin tones because a variety of nude shades suit your complexion. Nude lipsticks with a rosy or caramel-like undertone look best on you. But you can also rock warm or creamy-toned beiges. Think: café lattes. Chanel’s Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Mademoiselle ($34) is a rosy nude with pink and brown undertone and is universally flattering for a variety of skin tones, but it’s especially nice on yellow or olive-skinned girls.
For dark-toned skin, you should go for bronzes and rich golden browns that will help bring out your rich undertones. MAC’s lipstick in Siss ($15) is a bronzy, muted golden beige color that looks great on darker skin tones, but won’t make you look washed out. Pair this lipstick with a rosier bronzer for a statement makeup look.
MORE: How to Get the No-Makeup Look
How to Transition from Neutral to Smoky Eyes
Whether you’re wearing shades of almond, taupe, light beige, or even a shimmery gold, transitioning from a neutral to smokey eye is great way to take your daytime look into night.
Burberry’s Sheer Eye Shadow in Almond ($29) is a light latte brown shade that’s perfect for a base of a neutral eye look and suits a variety of skin tones, including girls with golden, olive undertones, as well as those with fairer complexions. To create a smokey look with an existing neutral eye, simply take a black or navy shadow, and using a blending brush, apply some of the darker shadow on the outer crease of your eyes. Be sure to blend out the color along your outer V.
Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Stay On’ Shadow Paint in Sinister ($24) comes in a shadow pot, so you can easily dab some of this color on your eyes while you’re out and about; its creamy finish has a little bit of a shimmer and lasts for 12 hours. The extra bonus? If you tend to have greasy lids, the crease-free formula of this cream eyeshadow has staying power. For a finishing touch, use a light shimmering shadow to highlight your brow bone and inner corners of your tear ducks. This will help define your eyes and give them more depth.
Clé de Peau Beauté’s Satin Eye Color in 103 ($45) is a beautiful cream color with a shimmery finish that is sure to brighten and widen your eyes.
What do you think of the nude makeup look? Tell us in comments!
