Remember the days of heavy contour, blindingly bright under eyes, and concealer lips? If you’re anything like us, your old IG posts won’t let you forget them. But nowadays, those trends seem eons away thanks to the rise of more natural makeup looks like the ever-gorgeous, ever-sweet soft girl aesthetic. This idea of leisure, hyper-femininity, and plush textures ushered us into an era of “soft girl makeup” that still has us in a chokehold—years after it first hit the beauty scene. Defined by its pastel color palette and dewy, radiant skin, the soft girl aesthetic has more color and radiance than “no makeup makeup,” but is decidedly lighter and more wearable for every day than coquette makeup.
“It’s sweet, easy to do and wear, and really just about enhancing what you have using a specific color family,” explains celebrity makeup artist Mary Irwin. In other words, the look plays up your natural beauty but can be customized to express your own individuality. “Think of it as using makeup as an additional accessory or trying on a personality for a day,” says Irwin. Keep reading below to find out just what soft girl makeup is, get a step-by-step makeup tutorial for recreating this beauty trend, and learn our makeup product recommendations for getting the look.
Meet the Expert
Mary Irwin is New York City–based celebrity makeup artist.
What Defines the Soft Girl Look?
Several trends floating around the internet have led us to the soft girl makeup look we’re seeing today. Cold girl blush has given us the romantic, flushed look required for soft girl makeup, and trending colors like peach fuzz have popularized monochromatic tones. Soft girl makeup also fits into the overall clean girl aesthetic that is so prevalent today, essentially making it the perfect makeup look for all of the current beauty trends. “The aesthetic is defined by glowing skin, peachy-pink blush, super-bright eyes, fluffy lashes, groomed brows, and lots of gloss,” explains Irwin. Most of the time, the look also has a signature “accessory,” according to the makeup artist. “It could be fake freckles, it could be a tattoo stamp, or it could be a sticker,” she says.
How to Do Soft Girl Makeup
1. Start With Skin Prep
“And lots of it,” says Irwin. “You want to glow.” Begin with your regular skincare routine, or if your skin is feeling dry, layer on a moisturizing hyaluronic acid serum or face mist. And don’t forget to “make sure you hydrate your lips really well,” Irwin adds. Feel free to pick your favorite lip balm or lip mask here. Right now, ours is the ESTATE COSMETICS Most Wanted Lip Balm, which is packed with coconut oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter for plush hydration.
2. Ready Your Canvas
While primer isn’t a necessity for this look (there are plenty of days we go without it), we like to use an illuminating formula to help create that lit-from-within glow. The MISCHO BEAUTY Sheer Glow Primer smooths, hydrates, and preps skin for a radiant finish. Irwin also recommends using an eye primer like the ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Mini Eye Primer. “It makes a huge difference in the wear of the shadow.”
3. Lay Down Your Base
Start with a foundation in the coverage of your choice. Going for a dewy look? We love the ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Luminous Foundation, which has medium, buildable coverage. If matte is more your style, try the full-coverage FENTY BEAUTY Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. “Since the look is [about appearing] well-rested and bright-eyed, don’t be afraid to color-correct and conceal,” says the makeup artist. You can’t go wrong with the cult-fave TOO FACED Born This Way Super Coverage Concealer, which offers incredible coverage that feels featherlight on the skin. Just be sure to set your foundation and concealer with a light dusting of the OFRA COSMETICS Air Brush Setting Powder (or your fave powder at the moment) to ensure your products don’t budge and allow dark circles to peek through.
4. Apply Eyeshadow and Eyeliner
“You don’t have to wear shadow with this look,” explains Irwin. But if you do, peachy-pink tones are perfect for soft girl makeup. “You can apply it the same way you normally would, but make sure you really brighten up the eye area.”
The PINKLIPPS COSMETICS Mauve Me Mini Eyeshadow Palette has five neutral and rosy shades for a darling soft girl look. “Use the light shimmers to highlight the inner corner, and the pinks on the lid as a wash,” recommends Irwin. You can then finish with the darkest shade smudged into the lash line for definition. To really make your eyes pop, use a shimmery nude along the waterline, Irwin says.
To channel extra flirty femininity, add a wing to your eye makeup with the PHASE ZERO MAKEUP Liquid Eyeliner in Black. Keep the look soft by only lining the outer corners of the eyes, forgoing the traditional lash line, for a more dainty look. Since this look is defined by bright eyes, you’ll also want to skip applying any liner in the waterline, which can weigh down the eyes.
5. Fluff Up Your Lashes
While eyeshadow may be optional, fluffy lashes are def required. Irwin says to curl your lashes first, then apply mascara. “Push the wand into the root of the lash and wiggle out,” the makeup artist advises. And don’t forget to separate lashes, too: “Use a lash comb to separate, and reapply as many times as you like,” she says. Irwin recommends doubling up on mascara with one lengthening formula and one volumizing formula. Our favorite formula for fanned-out lashes is, no surprise, the BENEFIT COSMETICS Fan Fest Mascara.
6. Groom Your Brows
As always, brows are important for the look, too. You’ll want brows that look shaped and groomed, yet full and softly framing the natural shape of your face. Our recent obsession is the award-winning HAUS LABORATORIES The Edge Precision Eyebrow Pencil, a brow pencil with a superfine tip that makes it easy to achieve hair-like strokes.
7. Get Cheeky
It wouldn’t be soft girl makeup without a generous sweep of blush and highlighter. “Blush goes on the apple of the cheek, and [further] out if you want,” says Irwin. You can follow the cold girl makeup technique here, applying your blush to your cheekbones and a dab on the bridge of your nose. We tend to reach for a powder blush like the IL MAKIAGE Mineral Baked Blush in Vogue for this step.
Finish off your cheeks with a highlighter—either liquid or powder will do—then add a touch to your Cupid’s bow for an extra soft and flirty effect. When we want to keep our skin looking dewy, we opt for a liquid formula like the SHAINA B MIAMI Flaminglow Liquid Highlighter, because it melts seamlessly into your complexion.
8. Go for Glossy
“Pinky-peach is the look for lips,” stresses Irwin, who says to look for a shade “that’s close to your natural color but pinker.” Your exact lip color will vary depending on your skin tone, but you don’t want to forget the lip gloss, which the makeup artist calls “an absolute must-have.” We love the FENTY BEAUTY Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer, a holy grail lip product for beauty lovers everywhere (and for good reason). Wear the sheer pink shade alone or atop your favorite nude lipstick.
9. Add Faux Freckles
Freckles add a sweet, youthful touch to the soft girl aesthetic. You can skip this step if you’d like, but we personally love adding a few freckles across the nose to make this look feel light and carefree. If you’re new to the faux-freckle game, try the FRECK BEAUTY Freck OG for a beginner-friendly pick.
Ready to Try Soft Girl Makeup for Yourself? Check Out These Pics for Inspo.
1. Minimalist Soft Girl Makeup
It’s hard to talk about soft girl makeup without Hailey Bieber entering the chat. In this minimal take on soft girl makeup, Hailey skips the eyeshadow and opts for a wash of blush over her cheeks and nose, plus a sprinkle of freckles over the nose and natural, groomed brows.
2. Blushing Soft Girl Makeup
The world of K-Beauty is awash with examples of soft girl makeup, and singer Jisoo fully embraces the look in this snap from her Instagram. Blush concentrated higher on her cheeks and highlighter on her Cupid’s bow, cheeks, and nose make this one of our favorite examples of soft girl makeup to date.
3. Lashed-Up Soft Girl Makeup
This look is giving professional and polished yet still approachable. While Gigi’s look calls for a lighter touch of eyeshadow, blush, and highlighter, her skin maintains a dewy, plush texture that embodies the gentleness of soft girl makeup. But our favorite part? How her extra-long lashes and ultra-glossy lips add definition to this look in a way that perfectly complements it.
4. Freckled Soft Girl Makeup
This stunning makeup look was created by celeb makeup artist Ash K Holm for Camila Cabello’s “Chanel No.5” music video, and we can’t decide what we love most—the radiant cheeks, the faux freckles, or the understated eyes that capture your attention.
5. Extra-Glowy Soft Girl Makeup
While this take on the soft girl makeup look doesn’t feature the ever-popular smattering of faux freckles, it does call for a highly pigmented blush and fanned-out lashes that give an effortless, feminine vibe. One look at this glam, and it all makes sense why you’re seeing soft girl makeup looks flooding your TikTok.
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