From red carpets to celebrity weddings, the viral ‘latte makeup’ look (or at least one of its iterations) is everywhere this year, and with good reason. This refreshingly modern take on monochromatic makeup features nude shades of brown, across your face, creating a versatile look that’s ideal for events like business brunches and cocktail evenings alike. Think 90’s style browns with a sophisticated update — we’re talking frothy coffee shades, cool walnuts, rich caramels and everything in between! The best part is that this soft, diffused look has no hard, high-precision lines, making it super beginner-friendly and easy to pull off. Latte makeup can be adapted to flatter almost every skin tone, from light to deep, by adjusting the shades you choose to wear. Below, find a step-by-step guide on how to recreate this viral makeup trend, and our top product recommendations.
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Face
Start with a clean, moisturised face. Now, pick your favourite between a glowy or a matte base. While a dewy, subtly shimmery base will give you that warm, sun-kissed radiance, a soft matte finish will help the browns pop more starkly, making it ideal for work.
For a dewy base, apply a hydrating primer or a strobe cream before following it up with your favourite foundation to give your skin that lit-from-within luminosity. For a matte finish, apply a mattifying primer and follow up with a demi matte foundation to give you a shine-free, even-looking complexion.
Next, add warmth to your look by sweeping your favourite bronzer across your cheekbones, forehead and the bridge of your nose. Alternatively, use a walnut-toned bronzer under your cheekbones and across your jawline to add subtle dimension to your look. Skip blush for this look, or if you must use it, stay within the brown family and pick a colour to flatter your complexion and add a healthy flush.
Tira Recommends:
Makeup Revolution Mega Bronzer - 02 Warm
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer - Medium Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Light To Medium
Brows + Eyes
Keep your brows minimal and well-groomed for this look. Brush upwards with a spoolie and secure the hairs in place with a transparent brow gel. You can also fill in sparse areas with a gel or brow pencil if you want more well-defined arches.
For the eyes, it helps to stay away from very sharp, high-precision lines and keep the look soft and muted. Sweep your favourite brown or terracotta eyeshadow across your lids and lower lash line, and blend well to eliminate any harsh lines. Pair this with a coat of your favourite mascara for a simple, pared-back effect.
If you’re going for a bolder look, go one step further and create brown smokey eyes by applying a darker shade of brown on the outer corner of your eyes and blend to create a seamless gradient. Apply a brown eyeliner on the upper and lower lash line and diffuse with a light hand. Finish with a volumizing mascara.
Tira Recommends:
Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Eyebrow Pencil Mini - 05 Warm Black Brown
Maybelline New York Tattoo Studio Smokey Eye Kohl Gel Pencil Eyeliner - Smokey Brown
Huda Beauty Brown Obsessions Eyeshadow Palettes – Toffee
Lips
A rich, brown lip is key to nailing the latte makeup look. Start with a brown lip pencil to define your lips and add dimension. Next, pick your favourite shade of brown to fill in your lips — think decadent fudge, rum raisin or a warm coffee hue. If you want a subtler iteration, pick a nude or lighter shade of brown and fill in your lips. You can pick your favourite finish between liquid matte (great for long-lasting wear) or creamy bullet for that true-blue 90’s effect. Adding a gloss is optional but makes for a great glazed-lip effect. You can choose from buttery, opaque shades for a chocolatey-glaze, or pick a shimmery, translucent in shades of honey or caramel and you’re good to go!
Finish your final look with a setting spray to lock your makeup in place for hours of smudge proof wear.
Tira Recommends:
M.A.C Lip Pencil – Spice
Lakme Absolute 3D Lipstick - 16 Nude Bae
Too Faced Lip Injection Power Plumping Lip Gloss - Say My Name
