The easy 5 minute daytime natural makeup routine

When we first wrote this 5 minute natural makeup routine article in 2018, we were inspired by an article written about Sophia Vergara from Modern Family. Pre-COVID, clean makeup looks were still more popular than no makeup for many. This woman is funny, curvy, sexy and confident and her clean makeup look article was full of great natural and affordable tips for both her makeup routine and also the silky & luxurious head of hair she has, despite the huge budget and professional beauty artists she has at her disposal.

Sophia Vergara's simple minimal makeup routine

Sophia talked about the importance of well defined eyes in her routine along with a striking lip colour and the rest of her approach was minimal. Clean and easy to apply, this routine can be performed daily, quickly and easily.

Step 1 - brown eyeliner

Brown eyeliner pencils give a more subtle and natural look than black and they allow you to go a little heavier to get definition without being too bold. They are a perfect daytime colour and suit a wide variety of eye shades from green to blue and hazel. Brown eyes are best suited to a deeper shade of brown pencil for a little contrast. You can take a brown eye pencil in to the night if it's all you have on hand by building the colour.

We love the Earth shade from Ere Perez

Step 2 - bronzer

This isn't what we were expecting from Sophias simple routine, but for those with a great complexion who don't get a lot of sun, we totally get it. Add a lick of bronzer to give yourself a tanned glow without the effort of layering an even layer of foundation or BB cream when you're in a hurry.

Step outside the cheek bones, chin, tip of the nose and forehead, you can also use it as a neutral tone eye shadow and to give your chest, arms & legs a quick 'tan up'. We love the Anti-Aging Mineral Sunkissed Bronzer from La Mav (a loose powder) which is the perfect shade for all or for those who prefer something solid, the dual toned Tulum from Ere Perez.

Step 3 - lipstick

Natural lipstick has had quite the evolution in the last few years. The desire for natural makeup brands like Ere Perez & Inika who are both Australia, to ditch as much plastic as possible, has seen all of the traditional lipstick from Ere Perez leave the range. In their place, the Coco Crayon is a multi-tasking thick and soft pencil for the lips and cheeks.

In 2024, we are finding the boldest colours coming from a company who are actually known for creating shampoo bars rather than makeup, New Zealand brand Ethique. They have 7 natural lipsticks in the same cardboard tubes that you find lip balm comes in at a very affordable price.

When asked what makeup she would never leave home without, Sophia said mascara & lipstick. Hot tip from Sophia, the lipstick can also be used as a blush. It's great to see Hollywood embracing multi-tasking. Natural brands have been advertising the virtues of using lip colour on cheek for years, and we have always done this with the carrot colour pots from Ere Perez.

Our Mascara recommendation

For anyone with sensitive eyes, choosing a natural mascara is vital to ensure you don't end up with itchy and watery eyes and mascara running down your cheeks. Our 2 favourite choices are the Ere Perez Natural Almond Oil Mascara in black or the Inika Long Lash mascara in black. For a different pop of colour, the Ere Perez Almond Oil also comes in brown for a more subtle look and Mauve for a fun splash of colour.

Sophia's daily hair regime

In the original article that inspired this post, they also talked about Sophia keeping her long & soft curls in shape by washing it day and night and sleeping with a little coconut oil in her hair. In 2023 she spoke to People about this too. She says she can't go a day without washing her hair. It doesn't say what she uses, but unless it's a sulfate free shampoo and a silicone free conditioner, what she's doing each day is stripping her hair back and then recoating it with silicone.

We recommend choosing a curl specific natural hair care regime like the Curl Habit range from Giovanni and only washing your hair twice a week or when you feel like it's starting to get dirty. We will admit though, regardless of what she's doing, her locks are spectacular.