The long-loved “no-makeup” makeup look is steadily becoming, in some cases, as elaborate as its “full beat” counterpart.
First introduced in the late 2000s by beauty YouTubers like Michelle Phan and Lisa Eldridge, the look was propelled to new popularity when it became Glossier’s M.O. in the 2010s, characterized by luminous skin, barely tinted lips and defined brows.
Testament to its rare longevity, the look remains prevalent as ever today, with consumers taking to TikTok — where videos tagged #NoMakeupMakeup have reached 1.7 billion views — to share their own iterations. Though these interpretations vary from one person to the next, the look has seen a steady proliferation of steps across the board.
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“Skin prep” has gone from encompassing moisturizer to, in some cases, moisturizer plus primer plus bronzing drops; the look’s signature sheer coverage now isn’t complete without nose contour, color corrector, bronzed cheeks and setting powder, and so on.
In short, consumers are doing a lot more to look like they’re doing less. And makeup sales are growing for it: prestige makeup grew 15 percent in 2023, while makeup drove most of mass beauty’s total growth for the year. Circana reports lip oils and blush were among the category’s biggest drivers.
So how much does the typical no-makeup makeup look cost today? For TikTok creator @kirralee, who counts just over 70,000 followers and recently shared her own nine-step approach, here’s how the look nets out.
Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint with Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane: $42
sephora.com, summerfridays.com
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Milk Makeup Sculpt Cream Contour Stick: $24
sephora.com, milkmakeup.com
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Kosas Revealer Concealer: $30
sephora.com, credobeauty.com, kosas.com
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Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder: $47
sephora.com, revolve.com, nordstrom.com
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Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer: $58
sephora.com, bluemercury.com, hourglasscosmetics.com
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Benefit Cosmetics Fan Fest Fanning & Volumizing Mascara: $29
sephora.com, benefitcosmetics.com
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Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush: $23
sephora.com, rarebeauty.com
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Refy Brow Sculpt Shape and Hold Gel: $24
sephora.com, refybeauty.com
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Caia Cosmetics Lip Pencil: $15
caiacosmetics.com