Forget the high-coverage looks on Instagram, ‘enhancement makeup’ is the empowering beauty trend that encourages you to embrace the skin you’re in
Wave goodbye to the cakey formulas that aim to camouflage, conceal and cover, it’s time to welcome a more natural, toned-down approach to beauty in the form of ‘enhancement makeup’.
What is enhancement makeup, we hear you ask? Essentially, it’s the collective name for the lightweight, blendable makeup products that aim to boost your natural beauty. Think skin veils that leave a glowing, translucent finish, lash slicks that subtly lengthen and lightweight cream blushers that blend so seamlessly with your natural tone, people will question whether you're wearing any makeup at all.
Crucially, this new trend encourages us to embrace what we already have, and we’re absolutely LIVING for it. Differing from its close relative ‘no-makeup-makeup’, enhancement makeup promotes self-love through simply ‘enhancing’ our existing features.
Forget trying to achieve the perfect brow transformation or complex contour (which can all too often leave us feeling stressed and deflated), these newly-embraced formulas are noticeable enough to make a real difference, yet sheer and subtle enough to ensure you simply look like a more polished version of yourself.
So, it’s time to embrace that complexion, celebrate that bone structure and learn to work with your brows just as they are, here is our pick of the best perfecting makeup products that still leave you looking like you (just a little bit better)…
Invisible Illumination Instant Glow Fresh Skin Tint, £32.90, Lumene
If you hate the feeling of heavy foundation, add this to your basket right this second. Dubbed a ‘skin tint’ rather than a foundation, this super light gel formula champions glow over pigment. It blurs, illuminates and perfects all while injecting the skin with a shot of hydration thanks to Arctic spring water and Nordic algae. Plus, if you’re after a little more coverage, it’s seamlessly buildable. We’re obsessed and can’t rave about this one enough.
No Makeup Bronzer, £29, Perricone MD
For ‘enhancement makeup’ at its finest, look towards Perricone MD. While we love the whole ‘No Makeup’ range, this bronzer is a real standout. Formulated with Vitamin C Ester, it brightens and bronzes at the same time, giving you that just-stepped-out-of-the-sun glow. Dot along the hairline and into facial contours for a bright, warm complexion.
Soft Matte Softwear Blush, £22, Lime Crime
While some cream blushers can seem a little intimidating, these little compacts from Kylie Jenner-approved brand Lime Crime are so sheer they’re basically foolproof. Simply warm the formula up with your fingers and dab onto the apples of your cheeks for instantly lifted cheek bones and a beautifully warm complexion. They’re so good, in fact, that we rarely leave the house without our go-to shade.
BFF Cream SPF30 Skin Perfector, £35, Trinny London
Sitting somewhere between a moisturiser and a foundation, this skin ‘perfector’ from Trinny London does just that – perfects everything it touches. Containing pigmented microspheres that adapt to your natural skin tone, it has the ability to correct dull, sallow skin and turn it into your glowiest complexion yet. Oh, and did we mention it contains SPF? It’s a double yes from us.
Lash Slick, £14, Glossier
If you’re the kind of person that would choose a lash lift over extensions any day of the week, then you’ll likely love the idea of a lash ‘slick’, just like this one from Glossier. The US brand, who are well-known for flying the ‘enhancement makeup’ flag, only have this one mascara in their offering. It coats lashes in a fine layer of mascara adding length, but minimal volume, for a subtly natural finish.
Poreless Putty Primer, £8, elf Cosmetics
You might have heard of this primer before considering it’s already a firm favourite amongst US beauty Youtubers such as Jeffree Star. It’s so good, in fact, that one is sold ever SIX seconds. While it’s intended to be worn under foundation as a primer, many fans (including us) prefer to use it on its own as a skin perfector to blur and smooth.
Living Luminizer, £36, RMS Beauty
Highlight doesn’t have to be all about high-pigment and strobing. This illuminator from RMS, who are celebrating 10 years of clean beauty this year, makes cheekbones pop with minimal glitz. If you’re looking for the perfect product to give a lit-from-within glow, this is it.
Shine Lip Liquid, £7, The Body Shop
Forget overlined lips and drying matte lippies, these non-sticky, lightweight lip shines are the perfect way to plump up your pout. Somewhere between a gloss and an oil, the nourishing formula is enriched with jojoba oil to deliver non-sticky, high-shine moisture with a hint of colour so you can leave messy lipsticks at home – hurrah!
