Need-To-Know Makeup Hacks For Snatched 2021 Glam
If you frequent TikTok, you’ll be familiar with the 2016 vs 2021 makeup challenge. If you haven’t seen the viral challenge, it’s a new trend in which MUAs do a different makeup style on each side of their faces. On one side, they opt for the ultimate 2016 cake face, AKA heavy contour, a defined Insta brow, and a bold lip. On the other half of their face, they apply a classic, more paired-back 2021 makeup look: dewy skin, a feathered brow, and a natural lip tint. Check it out below…
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This challenge got us thinking about all of the new hacks and techniques we’ve developed over the past five years to help us perfect the natural, dewy-yet-snatched 2021 glam. We’ve also included some need-to-know tips from Hollywood’s hottest makeup artists – you can thank us later!
1. For A Dewy Complexion:
Prep your Skin
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If you survey the 2021 makeup trends, from makeupfulness to skinimalism, they all involve healthy, glowing skin. So, before you even start your makeup routine, get stuck into skincare prep.
When it comes to radiant skin, a smooth canvas is essential and gentle exfoliation is the easiest way to get there. The WISHFUL Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub, $39, is our fave exfoliator for smoothing and evening, and giving your skin that natural glow. Plus, it’s gentle enough for daily use, making it the ideal pre-makeup exfoliator.
Alternatively, swap out a scrub for a gentle AHA toner like the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner, $23. Once you’ve retexturized your skin, it’s time to add layers of hydration! If you have time for a sheet mask, our WISHFUL Thirst Trap Cocoon Mask, $9, will plump your skin as it’s drenched in a soothing serum packed with aloe vera, hydrating sodium hyaluronate, and niacinamide to brighten and protect. If you don’t have time to mask, seal in moisture with a serum and moisturizer.
Make Sure Your Skin is Hydrated
Beyonce’s glam guru, Sir John, moves swiftly from moisturizer to foundation application to ensure the skin is still damp with hydration. He insists it’s his signature move for “making foundation look like a second skin.” He explains, “This helps with the blending process, and if you don’t do this then the foundation just sits on top of the skin.” Sir John swears by the L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care Moisturizer, $14 (for dry or oily skin), to plump, and the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation, $15. “This combo gives you a flawless look with no cakiness,” he adds.
DIY Your Own Dewy Foundation
If your current foundation doesn’t deliver that 2021 dewy glow, mix it with a hydrating skincare formula like a moisturizer or serum. The extra surge of moisture will leave your skin looking radiant while also keeping your skin hydrated.
Alternatively, for a more radiant, healthy skin-finish, mix your foundation with one to two drops of facial oil and apply with your fingers, finishing with a damp makeup sponge. We’ve been combining our Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Foundation, $40, with the WISHFUL Get Even Rose Oil, $63, and it leaves our skin looking hella-radiant – perfect for Zoom calls!
2. Apply Contour and Blush Before Foundation
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This is a hack we learned from TikTok and we have to admit, it’s genius! For a more natural, sculpted finish, makeup lovers have been snapped applying their concealer, contour, and blush underneath their foundation. By simply defining your facial features before you apply foundation, it’ll create a more natural, seamless finish. It’ll also help avoid any blending mishaps as the foundation will help buff away any harsh lines.
3. Never Forget Blush
Blush is a staple for 2021 makeup to give you a gorgeous and natural rosy glow. We like to opt for a crème formula as it blends seamlessly into the skin and is easily buildable, taking you from a soft glow to a bright pop of color.
We love the e.l.f Jelly Pop Flush Blush, $6, as the watermelon-infused formula leaves your skin with a pretty, dewy glow. We’re also obsessed with the Freck Cheekslime Lip + Cheek Tint with Plant Collagen, $22 – it blends effortlessly into the skin offering a flushed wash of color. Check out more amazing blush formulas here. For an everyday look, apply blusher along the tops of your cheekbones.
4. Conceal Strategically
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Back in 2016, we’d rely on full-coverage concealers that we’d apply in a huge triangle shape under our eye. However, the 2021 trend is much more strategic: simply apply a small amount of formula below the inner corner and at the outer corner of your undereye before blending it out with a damp makeup sponge. This will give a subtle snatching effect and help to conceal any dark circles.
5. For Defined Eyes
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Contour your Lid
When it comes to 2021 glam, keep your eyeshadow simple with a subtle contour moment. Simply apply a wash of eyeshadow in your crease that’s roughly two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone. Drag the shadow outwards towards the tail end of your brow as this will help define and add depth.
Use Eyeshadow Instead of Liner
Trade-in your liquid eyeliner and replace it with a brown or burgundy eyeshadow for a softer finish. All you need is a thin angled brush and a richly-pigmented eyeshadow. It’s also a great option if you want to slay a colorful liner.
Create Your Own Cream Eyeshadow
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Hung Vanngo is responsible for some of our all-time favorite makeup looks. And while you’d assume that he would have an arsenal of makeup hacks at his disposal, he insists he only has one… “My best and only makeup trick is mixing powder eyeshadow with Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $5, to create a cream shadow. You can also do this with a powder blush to create a cream blush,” he explains. We’ve been obsessed with this hack ever since Hung spilled his secret – it creates a sexy yet subtle glossy lid.
6. For Sexy Lashes
Back in 2016, we wouldn’t go out-out without a pair of falsies. However, now we like to focus our attention on the outer corner of our lashes to help lift and elongate our eyes. For an everyday look, we apply a volumizing mascara like the Huda Beauty Legit Lashes Double-Ended Mascara, $25, twisting the wand towards the outer corner for a sexy, feathered finish. For a more glam vibe, grab a pair of falsies and trim each lash into three sections and use one segment on the outer corner to create a sexy cat-eye.
7. For Feathered Brows
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Utilize Your Spooley
Brushing up your brows is another integral step for 2021 glam. It allows you to create a feathered brow finish with minimal effort. Brush before using a pencil or powder, then afterward as well, to distribute the pencil or powder pigment for a more natural final look. Simply grab your spooley and get to work! You can use a little hairspray or soap to keep them pushed up and in shape.
We’re also big fans of the Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Clear Eyebrow Gel, $24, which is great for on-the-go when a bar of soap isn’t an option! Once your pencil is set in place, just comb through your brows to keep them locked in all day.
Opt For Tiny Brush Strokes
To create a perfectly feathered brow, the secret is to do tiny hair-like strokes. We like to use a pencil or liner formula as this will provide the most realistic finish. Of course, our go-to is the new Huda Beauty #BOMBBROWS Mircoshade Brow Pencil, $17, as it has the finest tip possible, helping you create a full faux brow. Start at the arch and work your way along the tail of your brow, then move to the front of your brow and add definition.
8. For Juicy Lips
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Keep it Juicy
No look is complete without a lip! For daytime, keep your lips hydrated with a tinted lip balm in a similar rosy hue to your blush shade, to keep the look cohesive. We (like so many others) are devoted to the Burt’s Bees Lip balms, our fave is the Pomegranate Lip Balm, $3, as it leaves your lips looking rosy and soft. To take things to the next level, add a high shine gloss. We’re obsessed with the NYX Professional Lip Lingerie Gloss, $8, as it leaves your lips looking dripping wet!
Go For A Tint
Ever since we started wearing masks in public, lip tints have become our BFFL. Not only are they smudge and transfer-proof, but they’re also perfect for a natural makeup look. You can also use it on your cheeks as well as your lips for a harmonious monochromatic look. Right now we’re obsessed with the Victoria Beckham Bitten Lip Tint, $36, in the shade Cherie, as it’s super hydrating and feels super luxurious.
For more makeup tips, check out 14 eyeshadow tips you need to know.
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