We’ve talked about fitness trends, home trends and wellness trends for the year ahead, but what about our other passion; clean beauty?
It seems there’s been no slow down on thirty-step makeup routines on YouTube or ridiculously wild beauty trends on TikTok, but the real story this year is about the return of a toned-down, skin-forward look that more of us are turning to while spending time at home.
Is It Skincare Or Is It Makeup?
2021’s top beauty trend is about more than just a bare face, it’s about a subtly elevated clean look with barely-there sheer, glowy products that might make your roommates wonder if it’s your skincare or your makeup. And that’s the point.
Here are a few of our favorite skincare-mimicking makeup products — many of them from newly launched brands we’ve become instantly obsessed with!
Merit Day Glow | A Balmy Highlighter Merit is a makeup brand whose launch was just yesterday (yes, really!), but whose products we’ve been secretly testing for months. Our conclusion? Merit is nailing the skincare-mimicking makeup trend with a spot-on line of product like this ‘balmy highlighter’ named Day Glow that’ll take your WFH ‘no makeup’ look to new heights. This stick is incredibly easy to apply and gives us that naturally balmy shimmer we crave for brows, lids, and cheekbones. SHOP NOW
Merit Flush Balm | Cheek Color Another balm from Merit, Flush Balm hits different in a range of blushable shades so modern — and so adorably packaged — we predict they’ll be cult status by summer. The best part? Merit’s incredible application brush (sold separately) that helps us apply their blush and foundation better than any brush we’ve tried. Get some blush pointers here if you need extra help. SHOP NOW
Saie Beauty Slip Tint | An SPF Tinted Moisturizer One of our favorite new brands of 2020, Saie’s Slip Tint has become a favorite part of our daily routine. Light coverage, a hint of sheen and just the SPF we need for those walk-and-talk work phoners. Lazy about using any makeup at all? This could be your new dream product. SHOP NOW
Saie Beauty The Lash Curler Another call-out from Saie, their brightly colored lash curler, which — to be honest — does the job about as well as most curlers we’ve tried, but in a hue we just can’t get over. It’s just the kind of little pick-me-up we need to brighten our morning routine! SHOP NOW
Ogee Tinted Sculpted Lip Oil Ogee is not a new brand and we hadn’t given them a thought in a while, but a fresh delivery of new product launches from the brand immediately put them at the top of our WFH beauty list! Ogee’s moisturizing lip crayon called ‘sculpted lip oil’ gives sheer, moisturizing, subtle color and we can’t stop wearing it. Just right for the subtle, but polished look we’re after. Their Hydraganics Scupted Face Sticks are also something of a phenomenon in bronzing, highlighting and foundation-like tones that are so creamy, hydrating and satisfying to apply. SHOP NOW
Ilia Chromatic Eye Tint Like any good clean beauty fan, we’re obsessed with ILIA. These new Eye Tints in a crush of flattering, sheer colors go on easily like the facepaint of our childhood dreams. Apply a sheer wash and pat in with your fingers, or build up a strong metallic-looking eye to keep your beauty skills on their toes. We’re big fans of the dark brown Dim shade for a 2021 version of a daytime smoky eye. SHOP NOW
Amanda Harrington’s Buff + Bronze Face Set Is self-tanner makeup or skincare? We’re in love with the giant fluffy brushes that come with Amanda Harrington’s face and body tanning kits. Harrington’s it the UK’s premiere self-tan pro and her kits are a practical luxury you should consider gifting yourself these days to fake that tan you wish you had from the tropics. Get the Ultimate Gradual Tan for Face and Amanda’s fluffy brush for a perfect application, add the Illuminating Bronzing Mist while you’re at it for instant gratification and subtle contouring. SHOP NOW
Naturium Alpha Arbutin Serum 2% Beauty pro, Susan Yara’s line of smart and functional skincare is now available at Target’s nation-wide and we couldn’t be more thrilled for you. High-functioning skincare products with targeted powerhouse ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluoronic acid and a wide range of acids are all under $20. Those who want no-makeup-needed skin (all of us?) will love this serum designed to fade the appearance of dark spots caused by inflammation and environmental stressors with zero irritation — even for those with sensitive skin. SHOP NOW
Sarah Maxwell Beauty Daily Lash Ritual This set of unique lash products has become our no-makeup non-negotiable. Sarah Maxwell is LA’s premiere lash artist and her growth serum, conditioner and mascara are an insider beauty secret like no other. The best part? You can layer all three at the same time — meaning, all day, underneath your mascara, you’ve got a coat of lash conditioner and growth serum doing their thing. Pretty remarkable! Bonus, Maxwell’s mascara is no slouch; in fact, we’ve found ourselves reaching for it more than 90% of the other clean mascaras we see! SHOP NOW
Vapour Soft Focus Foundation Vapour is one of the classic clean makeup brands we turn to when we want to get serious about sustainability and the cleanest ingredients around (and they just launched at Nordstrom this year!). Vapour’s classic Soft Focus Foundation is calming and nourishing with buildable coverage from full to barely there — depending on how you apply it. If you’re craving a bit of coverage after a year of bare face, this formula strikes the perfect balance between glow and no-show depending on your mood from day to day. SHOP NOW
