What’s Been Up
6 celebrity-inspired makeup looks you’ll want to recreate this Christmas
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The year is 2021 and the clock is inching closer to 10PM. Hailey Bieber’s hair is scrunched back in a messy updo, the fatigue in her eyes hints at the exhausting day she has had but she refuses to succumb to sleep before treating her skin to some TLC. “My standard when I go to bed at night is that if I’m not getting into bed looking like a glazed donut, then I’m not doing the right thing,” she shares in a YouTube video that promptly goes viral and fetches over three million eyeballs.
Her words end up serving as a call-to-arms to beauty enthusiasts across the world as dewy-everything becomes the new standard. Cakey foundations are unceremoniously nudged out of makeup kits to make room for luminous formulas, hydrating serums and high-shine blushes for a just hopped-out-of-the-shower finish. Life is good.
But the revolving carousel of beauty trends means that what goes around must, indeed, come around. It comes as little surprise, then, that pressed powders are zooming their way back into our makeup routines—ready to dust off any excess shine into mattified perfection. But the new generation of pressed powders are nothing like the heavy formulas that used to sit on your skin like wall paint. Instead, step with us into a bright new dawn of silky-smooth formulas with a feather-light finish. Who’s ready to get started?
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Usually caked into a portable compact, pressed powder is your one-way ticket to a shine-free complexion throughout the day. As the last step in your makeup routine, you’ll want to swipe some on with a puff or brush for setting your foundation and other creamy formulas into place.
While glazed skin worked well for stay-at-home lifestyles in the aftermath of the pandemic, those with an active day in the sun can attest to the fact that the slightest amount of humidity, moisture and sweat can turn a dewy finish into a hot mess. As a consequence, pressed powders have curried favour again as a one-step solution for cloud-like coverage through the day.
But wait, doesn’t loose powder have the same job description? Not really. While both serve as the last step for setting your makeup, pressed powder is a more portable iteration that can be used for touch-ups throughout the day. Loose powder serves as a handy ally for oily skin looking to benefit from a light matte finish, while its pressed alternative offers more lasting coverage through the day.
If you are new to the world of makeup powder or not yet entirely convinced about what they can do for you, the easiest way to dip your toe is to swirl a makeup brush across a pressed powder compact. After applying your base makeup, foundation, blush and highlighter, reach for a fluffy face brush. Swipe once across the bed of pressed powder and then buff it over your face with gentle, unhurried motions to ensure that the product gets distributed over your skin in a uniform manner.
Pressed powder can also work in tandem with a dewy makeup look to strategically make certain areas of your face catch the light. A light hand of pressed powder under the eyes and cheeks can ensure that your dewy highlighter is getting all the spotlight, even on humid days. For those looking to play it safe, it helps to upgrade to an illuminating powder that can be buffed into the cheekbones, nose and chin for a touch of natural radiance.
Not ready to call it quits on your makeup sponge just yet? While brushes can help ensure even distribution of the formula, sponges bring their own benefits to the party. For those days when you are looking to dial up coverage—and subsequently, minimise touch-ups during the day—dampen your makeup sponge lightly with water. Dab into your pressed powder compact and then transfer the formula onto your skin, doubling down on areas that tend to get oily as the day goes on. Once done, grab a blotting paper to gently dislodge off any excess—and you are done.
Usually caked into a portable compact, pressed powder is your one-way ticket to a shine-free complexion throughout the day. As the last step in your makeup routine, you’ll want to swipe some on with a puff or brush for setting your foundation and other creamy formulas into place.
While glazed skin worked well for stay-at-home lifestyles in the aftermath of the pandemic, those with an active day in the sun can attest to the fact that the slightest amount of humidity, moisture and sweat can turn a dewy finish into a hot mess. As a consequence, pressed powders have curried favour again as a one-step solution for cloud-like coverage through the day.
But wait, doesn’t loose powder have the same job description? Not really. While both serve as the last step for setting your makeup, pressed powder is a more portable iteration that can be used for touch-ups throughout the day. Loose powder serves as a handy ally for oily skin looking to benefit from a light matte finish, while its pressed alternative offers more lasting coverage through the day.
If you are new to the world of makeup powder or not yet entirely convinced about what they can do for you, the easiest way to dip your toe is to swirl a makeup brush across a pressed powder compact. After applying your base makeup, foundation, blush and highlighter, reach for a fluffy face brush. Swipe once across the bed of pressed powder and then buff it over your face with gentle, unhurried motions to ensure that the product gets distributed over your skin in a uniform manner.
Pressed powder can also work in tandem with a dewy makeup look to strategically make certain areas of your face catch the light. A light hand of pressed powder under the eyes and cheeks can ensure that your dewy highlighter is getting all the spotlight, even on humid days. For those looking to play it safe, it helps to upgrade to an illuminating powder that can be buffed into the cheekbones, nose and chin for a touch of natural radiance.
Not ready to call it quits on your makeup sponge just yet? While brushes can help ensure even distribution of the formula, sponges bring their own benefits to the party. For those days when you are looking to dial up coverage—and subsequently, minimise touch-ups during the day—dampen your makeup sponge lightly with water. Dab into your pressed powder compact and then transfer the formula onto your skin, doubling down on areas that tend to get oily as the day goes on. Once done, grab a blotting paper to gently dislodge off any excess—and you are done.
Usually caked into a portable compact, pressed powder is your one-way ticket to a shine-free complexion throughout the day. As the last step in your makeup routine, you’ll want to swipe some on with a puff or brush for setting your foundation and other creamy formulas into place.
While glazed skin worked well for stay-at-home lifestyles in the aftermath of the pandemic, those with an active day in the sun can attest to the fact that the slightest amount of humidity, moisture and sweat can turn a dewy finish into a hot mess. As a consequence, pressed powders have curried favour again as a one-step solution for cloud-like coverage through the day.
But wait, doesn’t loose powder have the same job description? Not really. While both serve as the last step for setting your makeup, pressed powder is a more portable iteration that can be used for touch-ups throughout the day. Loose powder serves as a handy ally for oily skin looking to benefit from a light matte finish, while its pressed alternative offers more lasting coverage through the day.
If you are new to the world of makeup powder or not yet entirely convinced about what they can do for you, the easiest way to dip your toe is to swirl a makeup brush across a pressed powder compact. After applying your base makeup, foundation, blush and highlighter, reach for a fluffy face brush. Swipe once across the bed of pressed powder and then buff it over your face with gentle, unhurried motions to ensure that the product gets distributed over your skin in a uniform manner.
Pressed powder can also work in tandem with a dewy makeup look to strategically make certain areas of your face catch the light. A light hand of pressed powder under the eyes and cheeks can ensure that your dewy highlighter is getting all the spotlight, even on humid days. For those looking to play it safe, it helps to upgrade to an illuminating powder that can be buffed into the cheekbones, nose and chin for a touch of natural radiance.
Not ready to call it quits on your makeup sponge just yet? While brushes can help ensure even distribution of the formula, sponges bring their own benefits to the party. For those days when you are looking to dial up coverage—and subsequently, minimise touch-ups during the day—dampen your makeup sponge lightly with water. Dab into your pressed powder compact and then transfer the formula onto your skin, doubling down on areas that tend to get oily as the day goes on. Once done, grab a blotting paper to gently dislodge off any excess—and you are done.
