Alicia Keys's 'no-makeup' look actually cost $600

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Music legend Alicia Keys marked her return as the host of the 62nd Grammy Awards, opening the evening with a sombre and moving serenade to pay tribute to the late Kobe Bryant.

“We are literally standing here in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” she said in her opening speech.

Creating memorable Grammy moments, while keeping hearts lifted and the crowd smiling the entire evening, Keys proved why she continues to be the perfect choice to host the biggest night in music. But even on the most momentous occasions, she continues to stay true to her beauty roots with minimal makeup.

Highlighting her laid edges with styles from cornrows to a middle-parted bun, Keys kept things very signature with her no-makeup glam, done by celebrity makeup Romy Soleimani. Giving credit to products by Bobbi Brown, Whalm Yung, La Mer, Surratt and Clarins, Soleimani finished Keys’s radiant skin with glossy lids and a light flick of eyeliner.

But if you’ve ever tried to create that non-makeup look, you know it’s harder than it looks — and as the saying goes, your makeup will only look as good as your skin. And a 2016 interview in W Magazine by makeup artist Dotti reveals confirms it takes a lot of effort and money to achieve the 39-year-old’s youthful complexion. The makeup artist dissected the laundry list of regular facials, acupuncture sessions, a super clean diet, workouts and her skin-care regimen that rings up at a whopping $455 USD — or $600 CAD.

While this works for Keys, we firmly believe with the right ingredients and products you can get the skin you want without spending hundreds on products every couple of months. To help, we’ve rounded up her picks along with dupes to help you get more for a lot less. Scroll below to learn about the crucial steps in Keys’s skincare routine.

Jade Roller

“I stick a jade roller in ice, so it’s basically freezing when I roll it over her skin. I really, really work into all those areas where I want blood and water and energy brought to the surface. It brings her skin to life," Dotti told W. Following the facial massage, she then moves onto a DIY cucumber treatment.

“I’ll grate a full cucumber, then place the pulp no higher than her brow bone and no lower than her undereye bone, not going near sensitive parts of the eye,” she told W. “If we’ve got time, I’ll put the pulp all over her face until it draws the heat out of the skin and brings the blood to the top.”

Shop it: Skin Gym Jade Eye Roller (Nordstrom, $28)

Yahoo Canada Pick: HYTK Rose Quartz Roller (Amazon, $6)

Oil Cleanser

Dotti then likes to proceed with this organic MV SKINCARE 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic which is packed with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant-rich botanical oils which can be used as a secondary cleanser, a decongesting treatment or as a nourishing night serum.

Shop it: MV SKINCARE 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic (The Detox Market, $121)

Yahoo Canada Pick: Korres Wild Rose Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil (beautyBOUTIQUE, $42)

Jojoba Oil

Because one oil blend isn’t enough, to help lock in moisture, she likes to follow with MV SKINCARE’s Pure Joba Oil. Incredibly versatile, this oil can be used under any moisturiser to calm reactive skins including eczema and rosacea. Similar to the skins own sebum, this fast-absorbing salve softens and protects without clogging. “It’s so close to the natural sebum we produce in our skin,” Dotti tells W.

Shop it: MV SKINCARE’s Pure Joba Oil (The Detox Market, $55)

Yahoo Canada Pick: Cliganic Organic Jojoba Oil (Amazon, $15)

Masks

To keep acne at bay, Keys relies on the Eminence Organic Skin Care Clear Skin Probiotic Masque, a probiotic-powered mask, radiantly clear and hydrated.

Shop it: Eminence Organic Skin Care Clear Skin Probiotic Masque (Dermstore, $56)

Yahoo Canada Pick: FRESH Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask - Mini (Sephora, $46)

And because two masks are better than on: loved by many celebrities, this luxurious mask is noted as a favourite for Keys. Formulated with organic acids, minerals, and amino acids to help enhance skin cell renewal and reveal softer and smoother skin.

Shop it: SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Mask (Sephora, $125)

Yahoo Canada Pick: Dr. Althea Essential Skin Conditioner Silk Mask (5 pack) (Sokoglam, $23)

Self-Tanning Serum

Marrying skincare with a bit a glow, Dotti uses this self-tanning, peptides-infused serum on Keys —the ultimate hack to a no-makeup makeup skin base.

Shop it: Vita Liberata Self Tanning Anti Age Serum (Vita Liberata, $54)

Yahoo Canada Pick: Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops (Sephora, $38)

Face Powder

So what keeps Keys’s skin looking radiant and shine-free all day long? With or without makeup, Dotti likes to finish her skin with a light dusting of mattifying powder. The Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender blurs pores to help refine the look of skin keeping it from looking too shiny, even for when she’s performing on-stage.“She did a performance in London a few weeks back, and she came offstage with this huge smile,” Dotti told W. “She said, ‘It’s so amazing to not have makeup on and just sweat like a bomb!'"

Shop it: Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender (Mally, $53)

Yahoo Canada Pick: Glossier Wowder (Glossier, $27)

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