Another day, another TikTok beauty trend to take over our FYP. This time around, it’s the ‘Clean Girl’ make-up look that everyone is vying for. After the glitz and glam of party looks that HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ served up, it seems like the crowd is heading back to basics and shedding the glitter for this understated, elevated look. You might have seen it first spotted on the major It Girls of the season like Hailey Bieber, Zoe Kravitz and Lily-Rose Depp as they dominated the streets of New York and Los Angeles wearing nothing but natural dewy skin and slicked-back buns.
While not everyone has access to the celebrity facial treatments that give them a flawless complexion, it seems TikTok has cracked the code behind the ‘Clean Girl’ off-duty model look. The best part about the routine? It’s achievable in 5 simple steps.
@daniellemarcan no makeup makeup. should I post part 2? Ib @xolizahbeauty #makeup #beauty #makeuproutine ♬ original sound – xolizahbeauty
When it comes to the base, less is more
Moisturiser, SPF and top it off with a few dots of concealer. The secret to smooth, porcelain-like skin is making sure you’ve got a solid skincare routine before applying any make-up over the skin. As the Queen of the ‘Clean Girl’ makeup look on TikTok, Hailey Bieber’s base routine consists of moisturiser infused with a few drops of liquid highlighter for that goddess-like glow. It is then followed with a high SPF tinted sunscreen to avoid the much-dreaded white cast and even out your skin tone. Ditch the cakey foundation and instead, go for a sparing amount of concealer right under the eyes for subtle coverage and top it all off with just a light dusting of powder to set everything. The key point here is to not over-powder for maximum dewiness.
@haileybieberI tried to do my everyday day skin prep/get ready situation but I ran out of time. At the end I added a little cheek tint and brushed up my eyebrows🙆🏼♀️♬ Texas Sun – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
Master the art of creamy contour and flushed cheeks
Define the cheeks with some contour, but keep the edges blended and natural to enhance your natural features. Though not all of us may be blessed with Zoe Kravitz’s skyhigh cheekbones, try experimenting with cream contour sticks to find out where the natural hollows of your cheeks lie and blend away. End off with cream blush across the cheeks and a little over the nose to achieve an effortless sun-kissed look. Try using your fingertips to blend out the product, as the heat from your fingers will melt the product right into the skin, leaving you with a radiant sheen of colour that emanates from within.
Define and shine to tie it all together
Pull the entire look together by framing your face with defined and feathery brows, perhaps using a tinted brow gel or if you need more help to fill in the gaps, try a thin brow pencil and draw in individual hair-like strokes. The main point here is to maintain the natural shape of your brows and enhance them just a little by lifting the hairs upwards. And lastly, no look is complete without a little something-something for the perfect pout. The end goal here is ‘my lips but better’, so swipe on a layer of sheer tinted gloss or lip balm to bring out the natural hue of your lips.
Slick it all back and scent up
We all know the power of a sleek ‘off-duty’ bun, most famously seen on supermodels like Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber on and off the runway. The ‘Clean Girl’ look is never complete without a chic slicked back bun, so tame the mane by brushing your strands back with a pump of mousse and flatten any bumps with a soft bristle brush. Clamp the bun down effortlessly with a claw clip, or if you’re going for a neater bun, tie it all down with some hair ties and bobby pins. Ironically, the slick bun works best on unwashed hair, even better if you’ve already got some natural grease on your head.
And finally, besides looking the part, you’ve also got to smell the part. Think: fresh, light and delicate. Spritz on fragrance on the wrist and neck to have heads turning everywhere you go. Our favourites are the Loewe 001 Woman Eau De Parfum and Kenzo L’eau Kenzo Pour Femme Eau De Toilette.
