INDstyle

The romance of easy beauty

by Amanda Bedgood

Try a product that creates texture in hair like Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray. The unique spray gives hair a truly beachy feel and texture that's hard to replicate and works beautifully for a messy, romantic head of hair. Tip: Try a product that creates texture in hair like Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray. The unique spray gives hair a truly beachy feel and texture that's hard to replicate and works beautifully for a messy, romantic head of hair. By Amanda Bedgood

Friday, Feb. 1, 2013

When it came time to create a beauty look that speaks to romance there were a lot of options. Ruby red lips. Heavy, smokey eyes. But, some of the trademark things we're told are super sexy, in truth, fail in the face of what we know to be true about romance and allure - beauty that's untouchable isn't so beautiful after all. And so we created a look that's utterly romantic. A look that, unlike some of the more high maintenance options, is perfect in an undone way. In a word - natural. (Keep reading. Natural takes work.)

Here's the truth about natural beauty. It takes real effort. Those easy soft waves? And that dewy fresh skin? It doesn't just happen in nature (if it does for you, don't brag about it). Looking effortlessly romantic, subtly alluring takes some thought, so we called on experts in the field of nailing the look of romance for a break down of just how to do it without spending hours in the bathroom - because there's nothing romantic about that.

"You want to look sensual without being overdone," says Ronnie Thibodeaux of Bath Haus.

The stylist gave busy mother of two Mia Robinson the romantic treatment with a head full of easy waves. Separate hair in roughly 2-inch sections, hold a curling iron vertically and wrap hair around starting in the midsection and going down while keeping the ends off the iron.

"Don't curl the ends," Thibodeaux advises. "It's more natural. Having it completely curled can be pageanty."

The mistake most women make when trying to achieve the easy beach hair begins when they use the iron's clamp and start at the bottom of each section. Thibodeaux says there's no need to use the clamp at all to achieve the look. (And there are irons that have no clamp at all.)

For medium to long hair, go for a barrel of about an inch and a half for a look like Robinson's. Thibodeaux's other tips? Part hair only slightly off the middle for a look that's less severe, but still easy and undone. Speaking of undone, the best way to achieve tousled perfection is to face the fear of ruffling your perfect coif.

"People are scared to mess it up," Thibodeaux says. "You need to lift and spray. Not just the outside. The best things happen when you make a mess."

If you need some lift at the crown, don't be afraid to tease for added volume. Start where the part ends near the crown. Using a teasing comb or good paddle brush, back comb the area, spray and then smooth hair down for a look that's perfectly full.

For a face that's ready for romance, ditch the heavy hand and red lips. Go for a soft, subtle palette and find ways to bring out your natural beauty. Makeup that's about romance should be more about what makes you unique and less about trend. Start with eyes and create a natural smokey eye by priming the lid and shadowing the crease with a matte shadow in a soft brown. The slightest hint of pale pink shimmer in the corner of the eyes creates a look that's fresh.

"Not heavy or cakey," says Salon Revolution's Breanne Castille, who created Robinson's makeup look.

After eyes, clean the area under the eyes of any stray shadow and create a flawless complexion with a foundation like Glo Minerals before swiping a healthy dose of peachy sweet blush on the cheeks.

"Then use a light pink lipstick and a little gloss. It's a look that's not so high maintenance," Castille says.

Low maintenance and beautiful? Just the kind of thing that puts us in the mood.