Cloud skin is exactly how it sounds like – a complexion that looks as soft and dreamy as fluffy clouds. This popular TikTok beauty trend (there are over nine million hashtags for the term #cloudskinmakeup) offers a happy medium between two other trends before it, the full-coverage matte look and the barely-there glass skin celebrated during the pandemic. As a result, cloud skin is a softly mattified makeup that looks perfected without being too matte or too glowy. In short, a natural finish. Here are the base products – primers, foundations, concealers, powders and setting sprays – to use to achieve cloud skin yourself.
The popular primer from Chanel adds hydration and a subtle glow emblematic of the cloud skin look. Not only does it prolong the wear of foundation, it also contains witch hazel and liquorice extracts to reduce the appearance of pores and even out texture as silica and mica mattify the complexion.
For those who struggle with enlarged pores, this Tarte Cosmetics primer is like spackle paste to fill in and blur them out. Meanwhile, vitamins C and E protect the skin from oxidative stress as green bean extract and mineral pigments deal with textural imperfections.
This Dior concealer lasts up to 24 hours and is well-loved among the online beauty community for its full, buildable coverage that conceals anything from dark undereye circles to blemishes. The formula is also enriched with wild pansy extract to moisturise and smoothen the skin.
The well-loved powder foundation from Make Up For Ever recently got a formula upgrade. It is now water-resistant, sweat- and smudge-proof, offering a comfortable, lightweight buildable coverage that blurs and mattifies for up to 24 hours. Use it as foundation or to add coverage and touch up where necessary.
Revlon’s popular ColorStay foundation is an oil-free formulation that leaves a buildable medium-to-full coverage with a matte finish. It is touted to last up to 24 hours, even on oily and combination skin, and has broad spectrum SPF 15 for added sun protection.
This Kosas pressed powder is a cult favourite on TikTok. The lightweight power softly sets makeup as it leaves behind a diffused, natural finish that removes the shine without looking dry and flat. The powder also contains bamboo stem, passionfruit leaf and Chinese peony extracts.
Made with 88 per cent natural ingredients, Hermes’ finishing powder can be used as the last step to add a touch of a semi-matte glow, especially if you have mattified the skin too much. The imperfection-blurring powder also contains hyaluronic acid to provide some hydration.
With Singapore’s heat and humidity, a setting spray is necessary to keep your complexion softly matte throughout the day. The One/Size iteration provides a water- and transfer-proof finish, touting 16 hours of mattifying performance with oil-absorbing ingredients.