A closer look at the topics making the beauty world tick, each month

There aren’t many things that I have in common with Cara Delevingne, Georgia Jagger and Aussie model Julia Nobis, but there is one thing we share – we’re all minimalists. We all share a love for a very simple, very fuss-free beauty routine that centres far more on skin than on make-up. The new generation of supers, who grace more covers, catwalks and ad campaigns than most at their age, have ditched the lilac shadows and coral lipsticks of their forebears (that’s you, Jerry) to make way for what is essentially a very minimal, all-about-skin beauty look.

Julia confessed in this month’s Vogue that she’s a total ‘beauty minimalist’ who swears by an oversized pot of moisturiser and Lucas Paw Paw Ointment, £5.25, while Georgia is partial to a packet of Simple Face Wipes, £2.95, to remove her very sheer, very subtle base. Likewise, Cara, in between shooting DKNY campaigns on the sidewalks of NYC (for which she rather exceptionally doesn’t pull a silly face) always makes a pit-stop at one of the city’s best kept skincare secrets, Live Live in the East Village for buys her fix of all-organic, vegan and totally raw skincare products, which are so pure you can actually eat them. 

For these women, and the next generation beauty consumer, this is a no-frills, fuss-free approach that’s easy as pie and makes a stark contrast to the heavily kohl lined eyes and red lipped pouts that have dominated for on the catwalk – and the red carpet - so many seasons now.

While you might be thinking that there’s a tonne of skincare involved if make-up has been shown the front door, you’re wrong, because there’s not much of that either. There’s some, granted, it’s a very minimal trend on all fronts. I do still love the beautiful collections of seasonal make-up and appreciate them for what they are, but when it comes down to it I’ll always go for something more toned down and neutral – eye palettes that don’t contain a rainbow of shades, lip balms that are, just balms. A slick of black mascara and softly shaded blusher will do nicely, but that’s about it. And I am not alone; this minimal trend is growing at a lightening speed.

The pared-down, back-to-basics trend was something of a focal point on the spring/summer 2013 catwalks too. From scrubbed clean faces at Antonio Berardi to the youthful look at Etro (so clean it was almost child-like) and most beautifully referenced at Balmain (hyper-real skin with the softest accent of barely there blush), everywhere you looked you got a face full of near make-up free skin, and controversially it’s the make-up artists are the first to admit it. ‘There’s been a definite focus on skincare backstage over the last couple of seasons,’ says make-up artist Mel Arter. ‘It’s about stimulating the skin naturally and cleverly to mimic a youthful complexion.

Whereas before, layering foundation and concealer was ‘the norm’, this new youth complexion can't necessarily be achieved using that method.’ The pinnacle of was at Isabel Marant, where make-up artist Tom Pecheux had just 30 minutes to prep each model and spent a crucial 25 doing a mini facial with deep massage using Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex, £58, and Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher, £54, which he followed with their iconic Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Crème, £56, and Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum, £37. Which left just five quick minutes for make-up.

Estee Lauder Idealist range, from £37 at John Lewis

Catwalks aside, there are serious benefits to this minimal regime, especially for the modern working woman who is more time pushed than ever – no grappling with liquid eye liner on crowded commutes, no lipstick stains on Starbucks cups and certainly no bronzer smudges along the collars of crisp, new Equipment blouses. Luckily, there’s never been a better time to cater to this minimal shift. Multi-tasking newcomers like BB and CC creams have shot straight to the top of the best-seller list thanks to their genius ‘covering all bases’ approach and formulas that get better week by week (trust me, I’ve tried them all). In the last 18 months since these game-changers have flooded the UK, I’ve seen a huge improvement in their texture and the quality.

The ultimate winner for me is Kiehl’s BB Cream, £23.50, a 10-in-1 hero that covers a multitude of skin issues in one fell swoop - it’s lightweight, doesn’t clog pores or look caked on, smells nice too, like that slightly nostalgic sun cream smell that takes me back to childhood seaside holidays. And best of all, it contains SPF 50, as well as vitamin C to brighten the skin and amino acids to regenerate cells, so I know that my make-up base is working away behind the scenes while giving my skin the hint of colour it needs each day.

Kiehl’s BB Cream, £23.50

As the boundaries between skincare and make-up are becoming more and more blurred, the minimalist movement gets increasingly popular. In a world where we can plan our bus stop arrivals via an iPhone app and work to a minute by minute Jamie Oliver recipe on our smart phones (never quite takes 15 minutes though does it), it’s no bad thing to have an array of hi-tech products that cover both your skin and make-up needs. And as the BB and CC revolution continues, not forgetting the stirrings of their newly born sister DD (I kid you not), the minimalist movement is unique in that it looks, good on everyone and doesn’t require the skin of a make-up artist, just the investment in some thoroughly brilliant skincare-make-up crossover products. Better yet though, it takes no time at all to master – leaving more minutes on the clock for the really indulgent bits of the beauty world. And mastering a 15 minute risotto.