'Lived in' makeup is our new fave skin-first beauty trend—here's how to nail the glowy, low-maintenance vibe

Makeup mid-way through the day just hits different, okay?

Emily Ratajkowski pictured with glowy makeup whilst attending the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party/ in a pink, purple and orange template with with products from Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant and e.l.f
(Image credit: Getty Images: John Shearer/ Products: Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant and e.l.f)

Have you ever glimpsed your reflection at like 2pm, and thought to yourself, "damn, why does my makeup look better than it did this morning?" We can't explain it, but it's a thing and right now, TikTokers are trying to recreate that 'lived in' makeup vibe.

If you're not so familiar with this beauty phenomenon, allow us to try and explain it another way. The idea is very glowy-looking skin but naturally so, like how it looks post your skincare routine, with a few makeup elements (like mascara) thrown in. OR, when your fave non-comedogenic foundations has 'settled' into your skin a few hours after application, seamlessly melting to reveal a little bit of shine, but still giving you that added coverage and overall fresh look.

It's supposed to be wearable and carefree and from the looks of these TikTok videos, it's sooo chic and we want in on the action...

What is 'lived in' makeup?

The term 'lived in makeup' already had 500k views to its hashtag, with beauty enthusiasts replicating that au-natural look. 

As user @bellaakrys says: "There's something about 'lived in' makeup, like effortless—it looks comfy," before dubbing the likes Kate Moss, 'queen' of the glowy look.

@bellaakrys

♬ original sound - Bella Krys

@vanessanicolestern also calls it the perfect summer look, adding: "The no powder, you can see the pores but in the best way possible."

@vanessanicolestern

lived in summer makeup 🫶🏼

♬ original sound - Vanessa Stern
@lilainc

♬ original sound - anpawtcanu
@rimarama

♬ I'm Good (Blue) - David Guetta & Bebe Rexha

Think tinted moisturizers and creme blushes and bronzers that melt in for that skin-first effect—and still look great after a few hours of wear—even if your lippie, let's say, has been blotted out slightly. Basically, we're embracing the shine in 2023 and letting our pores breathe!

Personally, we think the 'sheer' eyeshadow trend is a great example of this look in action, because it's imperfect but looks comfy and soft. It's also very akin to the premise of 'French girl' makeup, the idea of enhancing your features, with low-key products, for a put-together but also nonchalant vibe.

MIL's 'Lived-in' makeup picks

To recreate this trend, we'd recommend opting for multi-purpose makeup products—like the e.l.f Halo Glow Filter—skin tints and liquid highlighters that allow your skin to shine through. Steer clear of full-coverage foundations and powders or bold and heavy lip or eye looks, subtlety is key.

A good moisturizer will also go a long way to helping your foundation settle into the skin, whilst also giving that gleaming, radiant finish.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.

Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.