I started my nursing course in March and one of my concerns when starting my course was how to make my make up look as natural as possible. Too much make up can make a student nurse look unprofessional, but just the right amount can make you look fresh faced and ready for the day... at 5am. Here is a quick guide to nailing the no make up, make up look!

Foundation

A great long lasting foundation, which I use is the Revlon Colorstay foundation. Although full coverage, it is lightweight and dries quickly. This is a holy grail foundation for me, and I rate this over my high end foundations. It claims to be a 24 hour foundation, but lasts a good 10 hours on me without any touch ups. It retails for £12.99 in Boots, however, is normally on a 3 for 2 promotion alongside other Revlon make up.

Setting Powder

Although I use the Revlon Colorstay Foundation which dries super matte, I do also like to set it with setting spray. My two favourites are the NYX Professional Make Up Studio Finishing Powder and the MAC Careblend Pressed Powder. I do slightly prefer the MAC setting powder, as it offers a dewy effect to my skin throughout the day, and is lightweight. However, both make my foundation and concealer last all day. The NYX setting powder retails for £8.00 and the MAC powder retails for £19, so definitely try the NYX powder if you're looking for something cheaper!

Blusher

If you want to look natural and fresh faced, avoid using a bronzer and opt for a blusher to bring some colour to your cheeks. My favourite is the Benefit Coralista . It's a peachy, warm toned blusher which is not overly pigmented. However, it is buildable on the cheeks and does not go patchy throughout the day. I always get compliments when opting for this blusher! It retails for £23.50, which is a little expensive, but with the amount of product you get... it's well worth the investment!

Brows

Now, achieving natural brows is tough and really depends on how you personally draw them on. I like to fill my patchy areas in, and I define the shape using concealer. The key is avoiding using a brow product colour that is not close to your hair colour. I have dark brown hair, so I go two shades lighter than my hair colour. That is normally the rule of thumb, and if you have light blonde hair you go two shades darker. I like to fill my brows in with the NYX Brow Pencil as it has a sharp nib and is incredibly defining. The formula is creamy yet so pigmented, and lasts for the full length of my shift. Once I've filled them in, I brush through them so they do not look as harsh. The NYX pencil is a direct dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and is much cheaper, retailing at £7.00!

Mascara

I like to stick on a tiny bit of mascara to open up my sleepy eyes in the morning. Opt for a brown or clear mascara if your placement areas are incredibly strict. However, I normally go gentle with the Benefit Roller Lash mascara. This lengthens my lashes without making them look too thick and clumpy. It doesn't run too, which is a major bonus! This retails for £19.50, but keep an eye on debenhams in the run up to Christmas for a cheeky 10% off beauty!

There you have it... how to create a no make up, make up look. If you're super concerned about going overboard, wear nothing on the first day to test the waters! I hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to follow me on twitter/pinterest @zoesavagexo... XO

Images courtesy of Google