By “Wash-of-color makeup” is a term that’s traditionally been used to connote that effortlessly cool chick at the party who seemed as if she nonchalantly threw on a dash of makeup just for fun (Zoë Kravitz, we’re looking at you). But in 2020, low-key looks are more than a vibe for laidback types — it’s a lifestyle for pretty much everyone.
With months of safer-at-home mandates under our belts, watercolor hues feel like just the thing to breathe life into the collective makeunder we’ve adopted for Zoom meetings and grocery runs. Because, honestly, right now being on trend means nothing more than a touch of warmth, a swipe of pastels and a dab of rosy tint. Ahead, find fifteen ways to find that soft-focus glow in an instant.
Image via @haileybieberrn
SEE NEXT PAGE: Pop Beauty Prismatic Pop Palette, $12″,”Pop Beauty Prismatic Pop Palette, $12 The variants of golden-flecked rose shimmer in this four-shade palette are so veil-like, we’ve stopped thinking about it as a highlighter at all. Instead, we use the sparsely sparkled and lightly tinted powder to dust over eyeshadow, blush or on bare skin. The result: a luminescence that warms, brightens and looks more like healthy skin than pretty makeup.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Freck Cheekslime, $18″,”Freck Cheekslime, $18 When a brand known for its freckle-showcasing products makes a cheek tint, you know it’s going to look natural. Still, we’re impressed by the ease at which this gel-cream formula sinks into skin and emits a born-with-it flush. The liquid plant collagen inside may help deliver the skin-like texture, but whatever the case, thanks to buildable color and a compact, no-spill housing, it’s quickly become our new go-to.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A-Contour, $36″,”Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A-Contour, $36 Forget what you know about contour: This petite tube of liquid color proves the defining bone structure isn’t just about hard-chiseled looks inspired by drag. What’s more, it makes subtle shading along the jawline, cheekbone, nose and hairline as easy as applying a liquid blush.
After popping a few dots of the formula onto skin with the abbreviated doe-foot applicator and tapping the shade in with fingers, we achieved believable definition… without even having to pick up a single makeup brush. What’s more, the angle of the applicator and tube’s tight neck helps to dispense just the right amount of product.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Cosmedix Lumi Crystal, $35″,”Cosmedix Lumi Crystal, $35 As a standalone lip treatment, this hydrator does a bang-up job. But thanks to liquid crystal technology inside, it also imparts a cool holographic effect on lips, sometimes reading as orange tints, others as pink tints, others as a golden yellow. It’s an effect that makes the formula a perfect shade-shifting topper for lip color (and gentle nod to “Euphoria” makeup) — all while moisturizing your lips.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Benefit Brow Microfilling Pen, $25″,”Benefit Brow Microfilling Pen, $25 Anyone else missing their microblading appointments? Us, too. Well, at least until we got our hands on this new brow pen. A triple-pronged applicator lays down microfine, hair-like strokes of water-resistant pigment with remarkable detail and made filling in patchy spots extremely easy. By positioning the tip so it horizontally so it aligns with the shape of the brow, we’re able to seamlessly darken the tail of the brows just as easily.
SEE NEXT PAGE: PUR Mineral Glow Illuminating Bronzer Skin Perfecting Powder, $26″,”PUR Mineral Glow Illuminating Bronzer Skin Perfecting Powder, $26 Months in quarantine didn’t just make us restless — the time indoors also left us with more washed-out complexions, too. This vegan face powder serves as a perfect stand-in for time in the sun: it feins a believable tan — not too golden yellow, not too opalescent — and taps mineral pigments to illuminate just a touch without blinding shimmer.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Danessa Myricks Dew Wet Balm, $22″,”Danessa Myricks Dew Wet Balm, $22 Part highlighter, part hydrater, this dewy balm taps jojoba oil to moisturize and mica to deliver rose gold, opalescent, lavender, clear and golden glows. The formula is ultra light and doesn’t travel or run on the face like some wet-look highlighters can. Instead, it melts into our complexion, giving a your-skin-but-better sheen that’s made us leave our old liquid highlighter for dead.
SEE NEXT PAGE: UZ Eye Opening Liner, $16″,”UZ Eye Opening Liner, $16 After taking one look at Hailey Bieber’s makeup looks as of late, it’s hard not to be spellbound by a clean complexion paired with a wisp of pastel eyeliner — and these semi-matte and semi-sheer finish liquid liners are just the thing to nail the look. They deliver a whisper of buildable color — and pack staying powder — for a thoroughly modern take on colorful makeup.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face and Body Gloss, $32 “,”Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face and Body Gloss, $32 We’re going to let you in on a little secret: as much as the world of K-beauty would have us think otherwise, so-called “glassy” skin is more often achieved with more than skin care alone. Enter this facial balm, which delivers the illumination of a highlighter, with the kind of dewy-wet finish that used to be reserved for editorial shoots and ethereal Met Gala appearances.
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SEE NEXT PAGE: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder, $50″,”Hourglass Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder, $50 We didn’t think we could have loved Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting Powders any more — the diffused setting powders have a way of adding the most subtle glow that never looks quite like makeup. But we were proven wrong (way wrong) with the latest addition to the brand’s franchise, which combines a swirl of two powder shades and a highlighter shade. Somehow it makes us look as if we’re draped in the most flattering light of all — the endless warm glow of an infinity installation.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Dominique Cosmetics Skin Gloss, $17.50″,”Dominique Cosmetics Skin Gloss, $17.50 Petroleum jelly gets an upgrade in this petrolatum-based face gloss, thanks to the inclusion of complexion-warming mica and hyaluronic acid. The formula is also lighter and less tacky than standard petroleum jelly, something that kept flyaway hairs from sticking to our glossed up skin. In addition to using the gloss as a topper for blush and bronzer, we pressed a few dabs onto eyelids as a diffused eyeshadow and used it on high points of the face as a subtle highlighter.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Chanel Baume Essentiel , $45″,”Chanel Baume Essentiel , $45 When this subtle highlighter hit the market, it instantly became the one to beat for those looking for a natural glow that doesn’t look makeup-y. Nearly two years later, it still is. The balm is translucent, but not sticky and the shades (clear and champagne, rose and the tiniest touch of bronze) add a little something to bounce light without adding a bunch of shimmer to the skin.
What’s more, it’s packaged smartly, too: the stick component makes the balm travel friendly, which is perfect because we take the stuff with us wherever we go (even if it’s just from our vanity to our home office down the hall).
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SEE NEXT PAGE: Essence Blush Lighter, $4.99″,”Essence Blush Lighter, $4.99 Real talk: oftentimes, we skip over bargain highlighters because they tend to look too glittery on skin. But instead of leaving a disco finish, this vegan, blush-highlighter hybrid deposits just a trace of color and glint for a diffused glow that flatters the whole complexion, not just the cheeks.
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SEE NEXT PAGE: Nudestix Magnetic Plush Paints, $28″,”Nudestix Magnetic Plush Paints, $28 We know monochrome makeup is supposed to be easy, but devising the right mix products that look uniform in shade and texture takes work. Ditto for finding a singular product that performs on lips, cheeks and eyelids without instantly fading or feeling too powdery or sticky. But this gel changes everything: the buttery texture feels like a luxury balm on lips, delivers a no-budge wash of color on lids and sinks into cheeks with a few taps of the fingers. It’s at once non-drying and non-greasy and unlike many multi-use makeup products, is shine free, finally making monochrome fuss-free.
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SEE NEXT PAGE: Dr. Pawpaw Tinted Peach Pink Balm, $8.49″,”Dr. Pawpaw Tinted Peach Pink Balm, $8.49 We’ve long relied on this multi-purpose balm (made with papaya, olive oil and aloe vera) to hydrate cuticles, lips and cracked skin. But when the brand launched tinted versions of the balm this year, they suddenly became a face-brightening staples: we’ve used darker shades as glossy eyeshadow and contour and brighter shades on cheeks and lips. And since the tinted versions pack the same formula as the original, the balmy finish doubles as a highlight, but doesn’t feel sticky on skin.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Lorac Lux Diamond Gloss, $19″,”Lorac Lux Diamond Gloss, $19 Nearly every lip gloss on the market delivers a sheer wash of color. But what makes this one so different is the elegance with which it performs. The glassy formula feels more substantial than a balm, but isn’t thick or sticky. Thanks to the inclusion of sustainably sourced, ultrafine diamond powder, the high-shine formula magnifies lips like a plumping serum might, but without the burn.
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