Get that ‘I woke up like this’ glow: mastering the flawless soft focus make-up look
In a world increasingly dominated by the quest for a flawless yet natural-looking complexion, the beauty industry is witnessing the rise of a transformative trend: soft focus make-up.
The beauty of soft focus make-up goes beyond technique. It embraces a philosophy that urges us to move away from the rigid, overly polished looks we've associated with make-up in the past.
Instead, soft focus allows room for smudges and smears, turning imperfections into assets.
With the rise of this trend, it's all about looking beautifully undone, yet intentionally styled.
Soft focus make-up is quickly becoming the go-to choice for everyday wear and experts believe its popularity will extend far beyond 2025.
Celebrity make-up artist Nikki Wolff was reported online describing this trend as, “Radiant, sculpted and effortlessly flattering with a touch of timeless elegance”.
So how can you jump on the soft focus bandwagon?
Cosmetics company, L'Oreal Paris shares a guide to designing a soft focus make-up look that is all about simplicity with a touch of allure.
Step 1
A flawless base: Begin your soft focus journey with a lightweight BB cream.
BB cream primes to smooth the appearance of skin’s texture, corrects skin for an even-looking complexion, hydrates for all-day moisture, and perfects to hide imperfections.
Step 2
Add under-eye concealer: Fake a flawless-looking under-eye area with the help of a brightening concealer.
Dot the concealer under your eyes in an inverted triangle shape, then gently blend out using the pad of your finger to pat it in.
The lightweight, luminous concealer will correct the appearance of your under-eye area while giving your complexion a touch of radiance.
Step 3
Give cheeks a flush: Without a flush of colour, your soft focus make-up look can easily fall flat. Using a rosy cream blush, blend it onto the apples of your cheeks to give them natural-looking colour. Literally, it should look like you’re actually blushing.
Step 4
Use a glossy highlight: Apply a face gloss above your cheekbones, onto your eyelids and down the bridge of your nose for a more lived-in luminosity.
Bonus tip: If you don’t have face gloss on hand, reach for your favourite lip gloss in your moment of need.
Step 5
Smudge out eyeliner: Grab an eyeliner that’s smooth enough to glide right on and draw along your upper and lower lash line. Don’t worry about getting your liner just right, since you’re going to mess it up anyway.
When you’re finished with the pencil, use a smudge brush or cotton swab to smear your eyeliner, diffusing any harsh lines.
Step 6
Coat lashes in mascara: You didn’t think you could skip lashes, did you? Mascara is a must for soft focus make-up. Taking the wand of your mascara, sweep it through your lashes from root to tip to completely coat.
Step 7
Blur lip lines: Simply coat your lips in with lip colour as usual, not paying too much attention to colouring within the lines. Then use a clean lip brush to mess up the edges of your lipstick for a feathered look.
Step 8
Setting spray: Don’t leave without locking your look into place. Use a setting spray all over your face to keep your make-up from moving.