Social media is buzzing with videos about latte makeup. This makeup gets its name and look from coffee. It is all about giving the skin a bronze look, a trend stepping away from the rainbow hues.
Rachel Rigler created the name and made the look trendy through her TikTok account, which has garnered millions of views. More content creators and celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bailey jumped on the trend, making it go viral.
Latte makeup is about brown, tan, and golden shades. Here are a few tips to help you get started as a beginner.
1. Clean up Your Canvas
Any good artist will tell you that the first step to painting is to ensure the canvas is clean. The same applies to makeup artistry. Start by cleansing your skin from dirt, oil, and impurities. The next step is to prep your skin with moisturizer to create the perfect base for your latte makeup.
2. Priming
Primers are designed to keep your makeup intact all day. Besides this, a primer smoothens the skin and reduces the production of oils. Primer acts as a base and adds an extra protective layer to the skin before going in with the foundation.
3. Blend It Out
Blending your foundation makes it appear more natural and even. Start small by applying pea-sized amounts to each cheek, chin, nose, and forehead. It is best to use a beauty blender to dab the foundation on your skin. You can also incorporate upward strokes that match the contours of your face.
Rea Ann Silva, the founder of BeautyBlender, recommends proper blending of the products you are using, making them undetectable and seamless without the appearance of harsh lines.
4. Think Neutral
What colors pop up when the word “neutral” comes to mind?
Neutrals are all about soft taupe, warm browns, and beige. You can also explore metallic looks over nude colors and gold or copper. The idea is to have as minimal color as possible for a natural-looking makeup look.
Rachel Rigler, who created the name latte makeup, said, “The latte makeup look has no color, no blush. It consists of neutral tones, creating a warm, milky, and bronze glowy finish.”
5. Highlight
For a radiant glow, highlight the high points of your face. These include the brow bone, cheekbone, and the cupid’s bow. Use a minimal highlighter and get a shade as close to your skin tone as possible.
Related: Skin Tone Dressing: Guide On How To Find Your Colors
6. Don’t Shy Away From the Shimmer
You might think that adding some shimmer will not get you the latte makeup you want. However, shimmer gives the skin a radiant glow while highlighting some parts of the face to balance out the neutral, often matte makeup.
7. Define Your Eyebrows
Eyebrows frame the face in a way that balances and softens the look. Choose softer brow pencil shades that are as close to the color of your brows as possible. Use light strokes to define the brows and blend them to achieve a natural look.
8. Try a Winged Liner
A winged liner brings your eyes to focus. The liner extends and lifts your eyes, especially people with droopy or saggy eyelids. If your lashes are thinning, winged eyeliner can make them appear more luscious. And to achieve latte makeup, use a matte liner that is closer in color to your lashes.
9. Curl Your Lashes
Curling your lashes makes you look more awake. Even if you do not plan on applying mascara, curling your lashes should be at the top of your priority list. The result is instant, as your eyes will appear brighter and more prominent.
10. Bronzer
For the latte makeup trend, a bronzer is a staple. The warm and shimmery undertones make the skin glow when the sun hits it. A bronzer will help contour and define your facial features as well as blend out the matte makeup on the rest of your face.
11. Latte Lips
Experiment with colors like soft caramel, warm beige, or a muted terracotta. You could also try a soft pink color that matches your skin’s undertone. Wear a glossy or matte lip, depending on the event, outfit, and latte makeup look you are going for.
12. Set Your Makeup
Keeping the makeup on throughout the day is an uphill battle for a beginner. A setting spray extends your makeup wear. It prevents your makeup from smudging and melting, especially on hot days. Since you are aiming for a latte look, which looks natural, a setting spray will bring everything together and balance out all the tones of the face.
Most makeup artists recommend not skipping this critical step; according to them, though phrased differently, “setting your makeup after application prolongs how long it stays on .”
13. Practice
Single out some of the best looks and tutorials on social media and use them to practice. You cannot become a latte makeup guru on your first try. Start practicing with simple looks. Once you master those, move on to the complex looks. Keep going even if your first look is imperfect.
14. Experiment
The latte makeup look is about exploring creativity and playing with brown hues. Experiment with different textures to give your look some dimension.
For example, explore the satin, shimmer, and matte finish to determine which one you like more. Pick out your favorite texture and practice until you perfect it.
“It’s meant to look like minimal effort went into creating the whole look due to the monochromatic brown shades while giving the illusion of full glam,” states makeup artist Tisha Thompson.
15. Spice It Up
Find a way to spice up your latte makeup look while staying within the latte-inspired theme of brown hues. Try other latte-inspired colors like copper or gold and add some shimmer to channel your inner Rihanna.
16. Add Blush
Give your cheeks a touch of warmth by adding a peachy blush. The goal of a latte makeup look is to look natural and sun-kissed. Blush will brighten up your face and give it a pop of color to add to the brown hues.
17. Latte Inspired Eyeshadow
Did you know that brown hue eyeshadow enhances your eye color? You have a variety of options when it comes to latte-inspired makeup eyeshadow. Play with the brown hues, pastels, and any other shade that comes to mind when you think about latte coffee. Your eyeshadow texture could be glossy or matte, depending on what you are going for.
18. Go Slow on Concealer
As the name suggests, concealer is designed to cover flaws on your face while brightening those areas. But this is entirely unnecessary with latte makeup as the whole idea is to maintain a natural look as much as possible. If you must, use a little or skip concealer altogether.
19. Choose Smaller Lashes
Rigler recommends avoiding “a concealer that is shades lighter than your skin tone to achieve a natural look.”
Latte makeup is not dramatic or about making a statement; the smallest lashes will do. Find lashes that blend well with your natural ones, and keep them as light as possible. You could also skip them and use some mascara instead.
20. Minimal Contour
Go easy with the contour, especially on the nose and cheeks. Contour sharpens up the face, changing the facial features a little. If you want a latte makeup look, use just a little or go for contour powders instead of contour creams for a more natural look.
21. Select Correct Shades for Eyes and Cheeks
A rule of thumb in the makeup industry is to choose shades twice or thrice darker than your skin tone. For example, lighter skin tones should get caramel, tan, and beige hues. Medium caramel skin tones use olive, medium brown, and dark caramel shades. The more you practice, the easier it will be to pick the right tones for your cheeks and eyes.
Other makeup artists are taking inspiration from the original latte makeup video. Still, instead of sticking to brown or gold tones for the eyes, they opt for copper and bronze eyeshadows to complement green or hazel-colored eyes.
About The Author
