The beauty community, which we all are inadvertently a part of, plays a pivotal role in popularising techniques, methodologies and much more. Take, for instance, Hailey Beiber’s iconic glazed skin that glorified almost surreal dewy, slippery skin. The trend caught on in the blink of an eye, so much so that within hours of Mrs Beiber dropping a carousel of gorgeous pictures sporting the look— social media was abuzz with recreations, reviews and raves! The reason for virality— the inventive technique, Hailey’s star power or the widely talked about muse? The donut?
Nevertheless, still a pleasant detour from the diametrically opposite trend of ultra mattifying effect — the reason why mattifying foundations, sunscreens - and many others had completely taken over most of our vanities, not many moons ago.
While beauty enthusiasts continue to vacillate between these two most prominent base trends in recent times, there seems to be a third on the precipice of greatness, treading the line between the super matte and ultra dewy — enter the phenomenon of cloud skin. To simply put, the trend revolves around prepping one’s skin to mimic the glow emanating from the mighty sun — hidden behind a swathe of clouds. We are talking about a soft focus, almost dream-like, lit-from-within radiance. The marriage of matte-effect products with a twinge of shimmer from glow givers creates the illusion of a haze for effortless radiance, dimension and texture (best of both worlds). The terminology- Cloud Skin was originally coined by Dominic Skinner, Global Senior Artist at M.A.C Cosmetics and immediately picked on by creators, beauty sleuths and spectators.
But this is not the first time this trend has been at the receiving end of all the warranted fanfare. Cloud Skin grabbed many-an-eyeballs in 2021- due to increasing awareness among consumers about hybrid products. As result-oriented skincare does a major sweep across the beauty market — cloud skin that lays focus on skin prep and using just enough product (and never more), is here to stay.
Fascinated by the enviable pearlescent glow but still wary of taking the plunge? Fret not! We help dispel all the clouds of doubts (sorry, had to) with a quick guide on acing cloud skin!
1. Get Your Base(ics) Right!
Cloud skin may be a makeup trend, but it underlines skin health. Since we are chasing a lit-from-within luminous glow, it's imperative to prep the skin first! Start with a hydrating serum to ensure your skin feels plump and supple. We would recommend opting for an HA-infused serum or a hydrating moisturiser.
2. At Your Prime(r) Yet?
Use a mattifying primer on areas that tend to get oily as opposed to your entire face. A twinge of the formulation on targeted areas will bore the best results.
3. Laying The Foundation
Start by applying your foundation at the centre of your face and use a fluffy brush to spread the product in smaller areas with a swoop. Using a liquid or a mousse-like consistency will guarantee an ethereal, hazy glow to the skin as if you have your head in the clouds.
4. Powder Power
Go in for a formula with a sheer to medium finish. The idea is not to go overboard with the powder as we want a subdued radiance rather than a blinding sheen. Keep a light handle over the brush (nuanced strokes), to administer the powder over the entirety of your face and voila, you have aced the cloud skin.
In all honesty perfecting the cloud skin trend requires immense patience and a few hours on the clock. So try it out for yourself, pronto!
