While we're all still fairly besotted with super dewy, glass-like skin, a new makeup trend for 2023 is entering the beauty chat—meet the 'Cloud Skin' trend, the answer to all your natural but full-coverage makeup dreams. Here's a full breakdown of the soft-focus look...
Though our love for the 'glazed' foundation look will never really die, a new more full-coverage no-makeup-makeup trend is gaining traction and could be the new go-to look for clean girls everywhere.
'Cloud Skin' takes all the elements of glowy makeup routines that TikTok is so obsessed with, from non-comedogenic foundations to glow givers like e.l.f's Halo Glow, but makes them more attainable for all skin textures—especially for those of us who don't have impossibly clear Hailey Bieber-esque skin and want a little more coverage. It's basically a trend centered around having a more subtle, lit-from-within glow, like a spring sunrise—where the sunbeams are softly gleaming down.
So, while that all sounds utterly dreamy—how do we achieve the Cloud Skin trend ourselves?
What is the 'Cloud Skin' trend?
To really break down the meaning of this trend, we enlisted the expertise of Saffron Hughes, FalseEyelashes' resident makeup artist.
Saffron told My Imperfect Life that the new trend turns the likes of glass-skin or dolphin-skin 'completely on its head.' She explains: "It’s the perfect marriage between the full coverage, beauty-guru-inspired matt glam that was popular in 2015 and the natural and dewy approach to skin that we’ve seen most recently."
"The trend uses various textures across the skin to create a lightweight, soft focus canvas," Saffron adds.
So basically, Cloud Skin is a more matte natural makeup look, that focuses more on skincare for that glow—rather than products like the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless filter. It's also all about layering more mattifying products like powder blushes, before adding the gleam back in with liquid highlighters—which is ideal for those with more oily skin, who find the more glossy all-over makeup trend difficult to maintain.
It's also a more attainable makeup for all skin types as it's leaned more towards full coverage but can also be adapted for less also.
How to achieve 'Cloud Skin'
Saffron says: "The key to nailing the cloud skin trend is starting with hydrating products first and mattifying as you go. Prep the skin with your favorite skincare products that give you a hydrated glow." So make sure you are in the know with the correct skincare product order. Plus if you need any product recommendations, give Hailey Bieber's skincare routine a look-see.
After applying your best face moisturizer and hydrating serum—like hyaluronic acid—comes the makeup part!
Sharing her tip for the 'perfect demi-matte finish,' Saffron says to "Mix a mattifying primer with a dewy foundation and apply to the skin evenly. Apply concealer under the eye sparingly, then use a sponge or powder puff to apply loose powder underneath the eye."
Then for that all-over soft-focus appearance while still maintaining dimension, "Use a powder contour product and finish with bronzer," Saffron says before adding, "Lastly, finish with a subtle cream blush or understated cream highlighter to add a natural glow back into the face without it looking flat.”
What products to use for 'Cloud Skin'?
Now onto the really fun bit—the products! Saffron reassures us that no—we don't have to chuck away our Charlotte Tilbury Flawless filter.
"The key must-have products to recreating ‘cloud skin’ are a mattifying foundation or alternatively, a mattifying primer that you can mix in with your foundation and a loose, finely milled setting powder," Saffron advises, adding that "powder products are back after being pushed to the bottom of our makeup bags while dewy skin had its moment, so powder blushes and bronzers are key.
Though, if you're really attached to your cream products, you can still use them to subtly add glow, especially your liquid highlight—which Saffron says makes for "the perfect finishing touch for cloud skin.”
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