"Makeup artists, beauty gurus, celebrities, editors—we still have days where slathering on a face of makeup is entirely out of the question. There’s not enough time every day to go full beat, and even applying foundation, concealer, and a little powder alone can be a chore sometimes. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to look our best, so instead, we look to skincare. On the days you forgo makeup, opt for a slew of luxurious, glowy skincare products that make your skin look just as good as it does when you wear makeup.
Plus, you can pick them up at your local CVS right now!
When you’re not applying makeup, you have more time to spend on your skincare routine and indulge in all the exfoliators, creams, serums, masks, and more that we typically leave for nighttime. With these following products, you can embrace your natural skin and features just a bit more, spend some extra time on yourself, and feel amazing—without even a stitch of makeup on your face.
Instead of opting for your classic daily cleanser, use something lavish and rich to add some extra moisture and glow to your skin without having to cover anything up. This cleanser will make you feel bougie as all hell, thanks to the thick, creamy formula and the way it warms as you apply it to your skin. But what it leaves—soft, supple skin that looks like you applied a ton of product—is somehow even better.
Instead of treating your makeup-free days like a free-for-all of not touching your face, look at it as the day you go all in with products and ingredients you normally wouldn't have time for. Mix a little bit of Amorepacific's cleanser powder with water, and you have a gentle-yet-gritty exfoliator that leaves your skin feeling practically texture-free. The product's green tea enzyme powder gets rid of dead skin while balancing and hydrating with hyaluronic acid.
When you're focusing on your skincare, it isn't the time to cover your face in harsh acids that turn you beet red. Rather, opt for hydrating, soothing products that enhance your natural skin, boost radiance, and create a barrier between your skin and environmental factors. Versed's hydrating milk toner has a thin consistency and is pH-balanced to make your skin as supple and soft as a baby.
A moisture-infusing sheet mask is a dream for making you look like you just stepped away from getting the best facial of your life. This mask is a great reset after indulging a little too much, perfect for when you want to add some life back to your skin without adding coverage.
This is basically a highlighter in a skincare product. Very few products give your skin the natural, lit-from-within glow this serum adds to your face. You can put it on the high points of your face or all over for so much radiance.
If your skin often feels tight and dry during the day, opt for a moisture-balancing serum like this one. It helps improve the moisture barrier of your skin and keep hydration locked in over time rather than just giving you a fake glow. With this serum, you'll find yourself wanting to wear less and less makeup because your skin already looks healthy on its own.
A vitamin C serum is essential for keeping your skin bright and radiant, but they often come in packaging that can damage the formula and make it go bad quickly. In this packaging, however, the vitamin C stays stable. But there are more reasons we love it: This cream is hydrating, soothing, and leaves skin feeling so radiant that you barely even need moisturizer.
You don't have to cover up your under eyes to diminish your dark circles. This peach-colored eye cream moisturizes, depuffs, and revitalizes the eyes while adding a bit of pigment and radiance to naturally reduce the look of dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles as you apply it. As you use it over time, your under eyes will be smoother and brighter thanks to vitamin C and chaga mushroom. It's genius for addressing the under eyes without having to use makeup.
Adding an oil to your morning skincare routine sounds a bit odd, but it makes sense when you're forgoing foundation. This oil is made for those with acne-prone and oily skin in mind, so while it is ultra-moisturizing and glowy, it doesn't look greasy or clog your pores. It has a really natural finish that makes your skin look like it's glowing.
When you're wearing a lot of skincare underneath, finding an SPF that doesn't pill is essential. This Fenty one is a moisturizer/sunscreen hybrid that leaves your skin so glowy. This is a great moisturizer to use with makeup, but without, it enhances your skin and makes you look dewy and healthy.
Glossier's Futuredew is the makeup/skincare hybrid product that started the whole trend. It's the last step of your skincare routine and the first step of your makeup routine, basically giving you glossy, glassy skin that looks good on its own or under foundation. On its own, this serum gives your skin an unmatched radiance that never turns it oily or greasy.
Having soft, smooth, and glossy lips can completely transform your look. The Summer Fridays lip balm has a lot going for it: It's in easy-to-use packaging, has a great scent, and it's thick and mask-like, so it keeps your lips hydrated all day and night long.