The New Look of Natural

By Ilana Blitzer
Updated: June 03, 2013
Don’t spend another minute hiding your irresistible freckles or fighting your beautiful curls.
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Flaunt your features

Della Bass
We’re not usually the type to follow every beauty trend, but this spring we found one we just adore: "Looking imperfect is in," says Eva Scrivo, a New York City salon owner and author of Eva Scrivo on Beauty, "because it shows off what makes us individuals, and unique." And, she points out, when you work with—not against—your own features, you get better (more beautiful) results. Here are the freshest ways to look amazing with the skin and hair you’re in.
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Flaunt your freckles

Della Bass
What’s hot: Freckles for all ages. Just take a look at all the A-list beauties—Julianne Moore, Sienna Miller, Giselle Bündchen—who show off their sweet spots. "Freckles make you look youthful—in a good way," says New York City–based makeup artist Suzanne Katz, who wears her own freckles (compliments of her Irish genes) proudly.

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Play up freckles

Go for tinted moisturizer instead of a full-coverage foundation, Katz says. Dab it on to even out your tone, while letting your lovely freckles show through. Then, dust a peach-colored blush across your cheekbones. "There’s something about the shade that looks so fresh on freckle-dotted skin," Katz says. For extra oomph, top with a little glistening highlighter. It gives a glow and acts like a spotlight on cheeks.

Get Cheeky: Highlight freckles with a sweep of color. Guerlain Blush 4 Éclats in 02 Soleil Couchant ($49)
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Celebrate your curls

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What’s hot: Naturally sexy waves—the keyword being natural, Scrivo says. Think Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyoncé, Shakira.

Play up curls: To encourage any natural curl, skip daily washing and shampoo every other day instead. (On off days, just use a lightweight conditioner and rinse with cool water.) Next, blow off the blow-dryer. Air dry and rake your fingertips through wet strands to separate curls. Add a drop of moisturizing curl cream to ends. To keep your locks shiny, run a boar-bristle brush through your hair nightly to distribute natural oils to ends, where frizz starts forming.

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More curly ideas

"Over time, you’ll experience a whole lot less frizz and breakage," Scrivo says. When you’re at the salon, have your stylist layer only the last three to four inches of your hair. Otherwise, curls will spring up and pouf out. Also, let your hair dry under a lamp for 20 minutes, so she can see how your hair falls (top too flat? sides too poufy?), and tweak the cut accordingly. If you color your hair, avoid frizzies by asking your colorist not to run ammonia-based formulas all the way through to the ends.

Spring into action:Enhance curly hair with this superlight styling cream. Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion ($22; kevinmurphy.com.au for salons)

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Keep up wow brows

What’s hot: Seriously low-maintenance arches. Check out Sofía Vergara and Anne Hathaway’s full and natural brows—gorgeous! When bold brows are well- groomed, they open up your eyes and make you look put together. Translation: You can get away with a lot less primping.

Groom on: Fill in, touch up, and tweeze a stray if you must with this all-you-need brow kit. Benefit Brow Zings ($30; sephora.com)
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Play up brows

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Less is more when it comes to tweezing. "Brows look their best when you stick to your natural shape," says Malynda Vigliotti (a.k.a. Boom Boom) of the Boom Boom Brow Bar in New York City. So step away from the magnifying mirror. When you’re plucking in front of it, one stray can easily turn into 20.

"While you’re looking into a regular mirror, snag only the stragglers that lie clearly above or below the lines of the natural brow," Vigliotti notes. If you’ve already overtweezed, fill in sparse spots with an angled brush dipped in brow powder—unlike pencils, powder glides on easily, without a waxy finish. Stay as close to your natural hair color as possible—never go lighter.

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Flash your signature smile

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What’s hot: A smile that shows your personality. "Right now, there’s a backlash against Hollywood teeth," says Timothy Chase, DMD, a cosmetic dentist in New York City. (You know the type: straight and bleach-white.)

Even A-listers are choosing to flaunt their not-so-perfect pearlies. Madonna has always rocked the trend, making her natural gap a trademark. Eva Mendes also maintains her asymmetrical—albeit gorgeous—smile; and Anna Paquin’s front-and-center space only adds to her beauty. "I never thought I’d hear patients saying, ‘I like that this one’s crooked or that there’s a space here,’" Dr. Chase says.

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Play up your grin

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Having bright teeth is the key to making your signature smile look like a beauty statement, not an oversight. If your bite needs a boost, try an over-the-counter whitener—the latest ones will get you gleaming in just two hours. And keep your teeth healthy by keeping up with that twice-a-day, full two-minute brushing routine.

Don’t skimp on flossing either. Besides the associated health benefits (the simple act may actually help keep your heart healthy), it makes your grin look prettier, too. Flossing removes stain-causing bacteria. Finally, break out the makeup bag: Pink gloss visually whitens what you’ve got.
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