It's Giving Cupid! MUAs On How To Nail The Angelic Makeup Trend

via Giphy

The number of viral beauty trends that arise from TikTok is enough to keep your beauty game from ever going stagnant – that’s for damn sure! And that’s really one of the most satisfying aspects of makeup, right? Experimenting with fresh looks, seeing how others get inventive with their own approach, and daring to try something new. 

In recent months, TikTok has brought us baby goth makeup (to die for, truly), soft glam (a fusion of no-makeup makeup and full beat), crying makeup (less theatrical than it sounds), and chilly cold girl makeup (brr!). 

What is Angelic Makeup? 

@elsaroshe Angelic makeup✨ #grwm #grwmmakeup #makeup #angelicmakeup #메이크업 #모델 #koreanmakeup #model #modelkorea ♬ cardigan – Taylor Swift

The latest TikTok makeup sensation – angelic makeup – is arguably a spinoff of the two latter examples with some other inspiration thrown in. And hark, babes, the aesthetic is *cue the heavens* divine. Think glistening skin, cherub-flushed cheeks, and delicate micro-sparkles swept across your eyelids.  

@cocoaswatches Feeling ethereal in these @Armani beauty eye tints 😇 #ad #ArmaniBeauty #cocoaswatches #angelicmakeup #darkskinmakeup ♬ Luxury fashion (no vocals) – TimTaj

“Angelic skin is a lot of what we’ve been seeing with the clean girl aesthetic, but softer, mixed with a tad of dolphin skin,” says celebrity makeup artist Cara Lovello. Judi Gabbay, another celebrity makeup artist, agrees. She adds, “It’s dewy, flushed, and slightly glittery. I love how romantic, radiant and youthful this look is.” TikTok has truly blessed us (pun intended). 

How to Do Angelic Makeup 

Sold on this heavenly approach to doing your makeup? We’re coming at you with a tutorial on how to do angelic makeup, product reccos included. 

Step One: Glowy Skincare Base 

A good skincare base is priority number one for angelic makeup. “Glowing skin and using glow products keep people looking fresh and younger,” says celebrity makeup artist Allison Kaye. “It also creates a softer makeup look to highlight people’s natural beauty.”

Start with freshly cleansed skin, then layer on a hydrating serum followed by a cream that’ll leave you softly glistening. Try a combo of cocokind’s Ceramide Barrier Serum, $22, and Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer, $70 (splurgy, but trust us). Alternatively, the WISHFUL Honey Balm Jelly Moisturizer, $43, contains luminizing pearls for an IRL glow.

Step Two: Lightweight Foundation Infused with Luminizer 

@tralaara ✨angelic makeup look✨ #angelicmakeup #makeuptutorial #kbeauty #makeuptransformation ♬ OMG – NewJeans

Next, reach for a lightweight foundation (keyword: lightweight!) and combine it with a luminizing product. For sheer foundation, you can’t go wrong with an alphabet cream, like Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer with Niacinamide and SPF 40, $44, or IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40, $44. You can combine it with something like Versed Skincare’s Mood Lighting Luminizing Glow Drops, $18, in shade Sheer Golden, or SAIE’s Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Highlighter, $28, which is Kaye’s personal fave “to make your skin glisten.”

As an alternative, you can use a foundation that already features a radiant/shimmering finish, like our Huda Beauty GloWish Multidew Vegan Skin Tint Foundation, $37, or CAY SKIN’s Isle Glow Face Moisturizer SPF 45 with Sea Moss and Niacinamide, $32.

@beautybytaramarie We needed to see this trend on ✨brown skin✨ #makeuptutorial #makeuproutine #angelicmakeup #makeuptips #blackgirlmakeup ♬ Love songX – Song X

Lovello says to apply it to your entire face, blending well with a damp sponge to further enhance that glow. Then, you can use concealer in areas where you need a bit more coverage. She says, “I’ve been doubling up concealers with a super bright one, just under the tear duct, and dragging it down to really brighten and look ‘angelic.’”

Step Three: Cream Blush on Cheeks & Lips

Next comes a touch of creamy blush. “The angelic look has a romantic, blushy feel, so to keep it easy and cohesive, use a cream blush high on cheekbones and in the center of your lips,” Gabbay says. Aim for a soft, pinkish hue reminiscent of cute, angelic cherubs. 

Gabby’s perfect blush for angelic makeup is Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $23, in shade Happy, and Kaye’s is Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand, $40, in shade Pinkgasm, which lends a bit of extra sparkle. For a wallet-friendly option, we like ColourPop Cosmetics Hydrating Blush Stix, $10, in 25/8, Cool It, or Mini Me. 

Step Four: Sparkly Lids 

@hayleybuix Angelic make up #makeuptutorial #makeuptransformation #douyin #douyinmakeup #angelicmakeup ♬ pov – Ariana Grande

Complete the look with a very sheer wash of glitter or shimmer on your eyelids. To prevent glitter fallout, make sure to prime your lids first. If you’re going for a more glittery look versus a sheer wash of shimmer, Kaye recommends NYX Professional Makeup Long Lasting Glitter Primer, $7. “Apply it directly to the lid before putting on your glitter shimmer shadow, and it will really keep it in place and make it stick,” she says. 

If you’re aiming for a sheer wash, then any eyeshadow primer you have will do the trick. For shimmery lids, you can use a powder highlighter, cream highlighter, or shimmery eyeshadow. A shade that matches your skin tone lends a more clean/minimalist look, while a pinkish hue feels more princess glam. Take your pick, then use clean fingers or a brush to apply. When all’s said and done, you’re ready to fly off into the heavens. 

Speaking of trends, hot pink #barbiecore and grandma-chic #cottagecore is taking a back seat to romcom core, a 90s / Y2K throwback that has us living that main character energy life.