How to Get That Natural Makeup Look like June Baby Jeanette Aw

Local media darling Jeanette Aw has always walked the natural-and-never-OTT route in her makeup looks, regardless whether she’s enjoying a holiday in Athens (which, from the looks of her Instagram feed, was her last stop) or gracing an event as the guest-of-honour or brand muse. Maybe because of how comfortable she feels in her skin – Jeanette has shared publicly that she doesn’t use foundation in her day-to-day life, and even when she’s filming at times – we really can’t tell that she’s turning 40 this year. Really. So while we take the chance to do a Happy Birthday shoutout to her, we’ve gathered some tips on how to get her woman-next-door look, plus the products to help you along.

Photo: Instagram / @jeanetteaw

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The only way anyone can skip foundation and still look that good is great skin. So make applying a vitamin C serum or face oil an essential step in your skincare routine. The ingredient is considered a holy grail in skincare products because it has antioxidant properties (which fights off free radicals that cause premature ageing), a brightening effect (which evens out skin tones and diminishes the appearance of hyperpigmentation) and also helps improve the production of collagen (which firms up skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines).

Our new favourite is Sunday Riley‘s C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil. It has a stable vitamin C derivative and turmeric to enhance skin radiance, and evening primrose oil and red raspberry seed oil to nourish skin and strengthen skin’s natural moisture barrier for healthier-looking skin. The oil is lightweight and gets absorbed into skin quickly too. 

$113 for 50ml, from Sephora.

ALSO READ: THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS YOUR SKIN NEEDS

You won’t be able to get that glass skin look unless your moisturiser can plump up your skin and smooth it out (like a face filter IRL). Try Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream, which helps replenish ceramides for plumper, more supple skin. The texture is rich, which makes it especially suitable for dry and dehydrated skin. It also helps impart a natural, healthy glow to skin, which is important if you’re not going to wear foundation afterwards.

$99 for 50ml, from Sephora.

ALSO READ: 10 WONDERFUL-SMELLING FACE CREAMS YOU’LL LOVE SMEARING ON YOUR FACE

In instances when she needs to put on makeup, Jeanette has said in one of her Instagram posts that she prefers to “use something that’s light, dewy, and hydrating” to keep her skin looking as natural as possible. Go for the Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation, which gives buildable coverage from sheer to full. We recommend using one or two drops of this to blur out skin imperfections while its natural and luminous finish gives you a your-skin-but-better look.

$65 for 50ml, from Dior and Sephora.

ALSO READ: HOW TO WEAR LESS MAKEUP AND STILL LOOK AMAZING

Just a tiny droplet of cheek tint or liquid blusher blended out on each of the apples of your cheeks will give you that natural flush. Skip the powder and cream highlighters, which we think work better with foundation. We like the Nars Liquid Blush in Orgasm. The shimmery pigments in it also add radiance so you can skip the highlighter altogether.

$52 for 15ml, from Sephora.

ALSO READ: HERE’S HOW TO TASTEFULLY WEAR PINK MAKEUP ALL YEAR ROUND

They help frame your face and make you look more youthful. But don’t go overboard by filling or drawing them in too thick. We like the Laneige Eyebrow Cushion-Cara, which has a water-  and sweat-resistant formula that lasts in Singapore’s humid climate. The two colour tones also help you create more natural-looking 3-D brows.

$36, from Laneige, Lazada, Tangs and Sephora.

ALSO READ: STOP MAKING THESE EYEBROW MISTAKES THAT ARE MAKING YOU LOOK OLDER

If you’ve noticed, Jeanette’s not a big fan of bold lipsticks. In almost all of her lifestyle-type Instagram posts, she’s either wearing slightly pink stained lips or doesn’t seem to be wearing any lipstick at all – but her lips never look dry or flaky. So keep a lip balm handy and always remember to glide some on. The best thing about lip balms is that you don’t even need to look in a mirror to put it on. The Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm has a blend of avocado, mongongo (a less known nut), cranberry and marula oils to nourish lips without feeling sticky or heavy. It also has peptides, green tea leaf, vitamin C and sea fern algae which are antioxidant-rich to combat free radicals to give you a plumper, more youthful-looking pout.

$26, from Sephora.

ALSO READ: 9 COLOUR-CHANGING LIP BALMS…AND THE SECRET BEHIND THE MAGIC