How to Get the ‘Clean Look’ Makeup—a Step-by-Step Guide
"Natural" makeup has undergone innumerable phases and iterations throughout history—the “clean look” makeup is the latest addition to this list.
Social Media users who follow beauty trends regularly like we do have probably already seen the clean look beauty trend all over their feeds. There are plenty of viral videos featuring the clean look, and if you haven't seen them, here's the scoop: the clean look requires a minimal makeup routine that includes clean skin with minimal makeup, polished eyebrows, and sleek hair.
Luckily, you can achieve this ultra-polished look on your own using a few staples from your makeup bag. Discover how to achieve TikTok's trendy, clean beauty look by following our step-by-step guide.
What Is the “Clean Look”?
The idea of a clean look is to make you look effortlessly fresh and low-maintenance through your makeup, hair, and accessories, as opposed to the no makeup look, where the goal is to look like you have no makeup on. The irony here is that you do still have to put in some effort in order to achieve this au natural aura! Follow the below steps on how to do minimal makeup look.
How to Achieve the Clean Girl Makeup Look?
#1 Skin Prep is Key
Make your skin radiant, renewed, and rejuvenated by banishing dirt, oil, and makeup buildup—clean beauty look is about having clean skin!
n order to achieve clean beauty makeup routine look, your canvas must be prepped with an effective skincare regimen. Following the famous CTM routine—washing your face with a gentle cleanser, then applying toner and moisturizer—is the best way to go about it.
#2 Sunscreen, Always!
The most important clean makeup look step in any beauty regimen is to use an SPF every day! A good SPF will protect your skin all day long, whether you're on vacation or at the office.
In addition to protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays and preventing premature skin aging, sunblock can also give your skin a subtle radiance, which is the look we’re going for.
#3 Ace the Base
The key to create a clean makeup look is letting your natural skin show through, so begin by prepping your face with a hydrating primer, which locks in the glow all day long. If you're looking for a glowing, sun-kissed contour, dab a little extra primer on the high points of your cheekbones.
Use an SPF-enriched CC cream to lightly touch up any areas that need a bit more coverage. To ensure a natural finish, use your fingers to apply the product.
#4 Brighten Your Undereye
The clean girl makeup look doesn't require foundation because it's a minimalistic look. However, you can use a creamy concealer to instantly brighten your eyes, as well as look more put together.
With a beauty sponge, dab a little bit of the product under your eyes and you’re done.
Also read 10 wonderful concealer tricks to brighten skin and conceal like a pro.
#5 Slick the Hair Back
You are totally free to omit this part. If slicking your hair back doesn't work for you, or you don't like it, you can adjust the look according to your needs.
If you do choose to go with this look, however, the quickest and most effective way to achieve the slicked back hair is by gently pulling it into a neat bun or high pony depending on your look. Make sure that the front pieces are flat against your crown & secure the flyaways using a dime-sized amount of hair gel.
#6 Flushed Cheeks
In order to achieve healthy radiance with makeup, a lightweight, natural looking blush is essential; your skin will look refreshed, rosy, and slightly sun-kissed. To create a soft contour, blend slightly upwards toward your temples.
You can easily achieve the perfect faux after-sun glow by swiping a little blush over the bridge of your nose.
Also check out ways to apply blush according to face shapes.
#7 Polish Your Brows
The clean everyday makeup routine calls for brows that are as sleek as your hair. To do so, use your brow pencil in short, hair-like strokes and fill in any gaps after brushing the eyebrows into shape. Next, use some brow wax to lock them into position.
If you're aiming for an even more natural look, you can just shape them upward using a brow gel instead of filling them in.
Also read about bringing back bold eyebrows—all you need to know.
#8 Creamy Contour
It's time to bring those cheekbones to life! Cream products do a great job of replicating the skin's texture—especially when attempting to create natural angularity and depth underneath the cheekbones.
Blend this product along your cheekbones, along your hairline and jawlines, and down the bridge of your nose in order to add dimension. To achieve a bronzed look, swipe a bit across your eyelids.
We should follow these clean makeup look steps.
Also check out how to contour according to your face shape—the newbie's guide.
Pro Tip: In case you don’t have a creamy bronzer handy, use a stick concealer in a shade darker than your skin to sculpt those cheekbones.
#9 Natural Volume to Lashes
Apply a lengthening and volumizing mascara to your lashes to complete your bright-eyed makeup look.
Keep up with the natural, fresh-faced, and minimal look. Pick a mascara with a thin wand to give natural volume and lift to the eyes without looking too overdone or clumpy.
#10 Your Lips, but Better
Top the whole minimalistic makeup look off with a swipe of a tinted lip balm. It will both nourish the lips and bring out the natural hue for the perfect pout.
In order to enhance the color of your lips, you can also apply long-stay creamy matte lipsticks and dab your lips with a tissue to reduce pigmentation. This will give your lips a subtle flush of color without making them look ‘extra’.
Also read the only long-lasting matte lipstick you need in summers.
#11 Spritz a Fresh, Clean Fragrance
Your beauty look wouldn't be complete without a fragrance, so spritz some fresh, clean perfume all over your body (especially at your pulse points, such as your wrist and neck).
It's okay to lightly spray some through your hair too if you'd like the scent to last the entire day. Choosing a scent that doesn't smell too heavy is really important, it's about smelling good without being too overpowering.
The Bottom Line
Featuring dewy skin, feathered eyebrows, and flushed cheeks, the clean-girl beauty trend elevates your own skin to strike the perfect balance between being effortless while looking expensive at the same time.
Hop on this latest beauty trend by following the above clean makeup look steps. Let us know how the results turned out to be in the comments section below!
Also learn safe makeup, safe skin—here’s why comfortable makeup is important.