Beauty

What’s The “Latte Makeup” Trend Going Viral On TikTok? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Turning your favorite caffeine fix into a makeup look may sound strange, but the latte makeup trend is taking TikTok by storm! And it looks delicious on all skin tones.

By Simone Sydel3 min read
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Instagram/@taniellejaimua

From its wearable neutral palette that works for everyone to the bronzed-to-perfection glow it leaves you with, latte makeup is the latest beauty trend that's making the rounds on TikTok. Sitting at nearly 75M views on the popular social media platform, this coffee-inspired makeup look aims to turn you into a bronzy, glowing goddess who just returned from a tropical vacation.

Perfect for any occasion, be it a natural day glam or a date-appropriate night look, this trend is not only easy to do but incredibly versatile and can be achieved with minimal effort. If you have a bronzer that's just been sitting around and needs to be used up before it expires, continue reading to discover how you can recreate the viral makeup trend in just a few easy steps!

Start with a Fresh Base

Originally started by Rachel Rigler (@rachelrigler), a beauty influencer with over one million followers on TikTok, the latte makeup look consists of sun-kissed neutral tones Rigler describes as "warm and bronzy, milky, and effortless."

"There is no blush, no color in latte makeup, just bronzer," she explains in her TikTok tutorial that breaks down the whole look.

Therefore, to start off right, you need to focus on a fresh, nourished, and hydrated base that will look natural and won't crease or cake up. To achieve this, start prepping the skin with a lightweight moisturizer and follow up with sunscreen with a velvety finish, as you don't want your base to be matte and look flat.

Moving on to the complexion, Rigler stresses that only one pump of a tinted moisturizer is all you need to even out your skin tone and improve the appearance of imperfections such as redness and discoloration without necessarily hiding them completely and ending up looking too caked.

Another important thing the original creator of the now viral trend points out is that you should skip applying complexion products on your nose to create the illusion that you're not wearing as much makeup as you are and to keep the look as natural as possible.

Finally, Rigler gives a few useful tips when it comes to finding the perfect concealer for the look and warns against using anything that's "too light for your skin," as this will make you look paler and won't give you the desired sun-kissed glow we are all aiming for. Therefore, if you usually use a concealer that's one or two shades lighter than your skin tone, switch it up for something closer to your own complexion and add the tiniest bit of product under the eyes, chin, and center of the forehead to slightly brighten the area without creating an obvious contrast.

Bronzed to Perfection

Once your base is set, and you're happy with the result, it's time to move on to the bronzing technique that will give you that beautiful, milky, sun-kissed glow and turn you into a bronzy goddess.

In her viral video, Rigler uses a cream bronzer that she strategically applies to the tops of her cheekbones, along her temples and hairline, and in a vertical line from the bottom of her ear to her jaw, as this trick helps slim your face and creates an illusion of sharper, more chiseled features.

Rigler then continues to blend out her bronzer placement using a damp beauty blender to avoid streaks and harsh lines that might make the look appear less natural.

Turn Up the Heat with Warm Hues

While you may think this is bronzy enough, the latte makeup trend doesn't stop there. Turning up the heat by adding warm hues to your eyelids will truly tie the whole look together and make it appear more cohesive and effortless.

To achieve this, Rigler takes a brown liquid eyeshadow and applies it to the eyelids, diffusing it with a fluffy brush all the way up to her brow bone. She then follows up with a slightly warmer shade of brown powder eyeshadow to deepen the eye look and make it appear warmer and more intense without looking too overdone. She finally finishes the eyelids with a subtle pop of gold shimmer in the inner corner of the eyes, making them look brighter and more awake.

Rigler then uses a neutral brown eyeshadow stick on her lower lash line to create a slightly smoky effect and blends it out with a denser brush to soften the line and make it look effortless rather than sharp and defined.

Freckles Are Optional but Highly Encouraged

Once you're done and happy with your base, it's time to move on to a totally optional detail that will help make the look appear more natural and bring a touch of cuteness to your latte makeup. And this is, of course, freckles!

Hated by those who have them naturally and adored by those who don't, adding a few freckles around your nose and cheeks before you finish off will make the face appear less flat and more dynamic and help enhance the whole appearance of your makeup.

You can achieve naturally looking freckles by using a brown eyebrow pencil or a gel eyeliner, dotting a few spots around the face, and softly blending them out with your fingers or a beauty blender to diffuse the tool's sharpness and make them look more natural.

Sunglazed Lips To Bring It All Together

The final step to the latte makeup look is to tie the whole look together by lining the lips with a nude lip liner and adding a glossy touch with a clear or slightly tinted lip balm in a shade that complements your skin tone best and is in the nude or brownish color family.

Top Everything Off with Extra Shine

Once everything is done and set, you can top the finished look with a little extra shine by adding a tad bit of cream or liquid highlighter on your cheekbones and the bridge of the nose to give your face that natural glow and make your complexion look radiant and sun-kissed.

Best Products for Creating the Latte Makeup Look

The latte makeup look is all about appearing effortlessly and naturally bronzed while keeping the makeup subtle and light, and the key to achieving this lies in finding the right products.

Most of us have the basic complexion products needed to achieve the trending look; however, if you feel like updating your beauty routine to try out this trend, here's a list of some fantastic products that will make creating the latte makeup look a breeze.

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