Makeup trends may cycle in and out with the seasons, but clean girl makeup has proven to be a timeless look with major cultural impact. The soft, approachable technique is all about enhancing your natural features. Think: fresh skin, groomed brows, and an overall effortless aura that makes you feel like your best self.
The clean girl makeup that first took over our feeds in 2021 isn’t the same as what we’re seeing now. It has evolved from a cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste routine, to something that embraces the features that make us unique. Plus, it also helps that this type of makeup is extremely adaptable, so you can wear it from work to brunch and even for special occasions. “This makeup look can go a long way without requiring a complicated routine,” says Lori Taylor Davis, the global pro lead artist at Smashbox Cosmetics.
If you’ve been a fan of clean girl makeup for years, you’re going to love the new-and-improved version that has the potential to become your signature look for years to come. Keep reading to learn the defining characteristics of clean girl makeup 2.0, along with tips from makeup artists on how to customize it to enhance your features.
The Upgraded Clean Girl Makeup
The original clean girl makeup that gained popularity in 2021 and 2022 was simple, yes, but also extremely uniform and aesthetic-centered. The look was all about looking effortlessly perfect: No blemishes, an angelic glow, and not a hair out of place. People were obsessed with this new idea of perfection and adopted the trend so quickly that everyone started to look the same. At its peak, I couldn’t walk down a New York City street without seeing—no exaggeration—15 girls with the same luminous skin, brushed-up brows, glossy lips, and slicked-back hair. It was almost like living in some sort of beauty matrix.
Thankfully, today’s version of clean girl makeup invites individuality into the equation. “The biggest evolution is the shift from perfecting the look to personalizing it,” says Davis. “You can embrace the simplicity of clean girl makeup without feeling the need to erase every imperfection or follow every trend.”
Updated clean girl makeup still feels fresh and effortless, but there’s more room for individuality with different skin finishes, more expressive blush, defined lips, and even a subtle smokey eye. “Instead of mastering a look inspired by other people, we are now seeing the look change with each individual’s features,” says celebrity makeup artist Brandy Allen. And honestly, we’re so here for it.
With this in mind, use the following clean girl makeup tips as a loose framework. You don’t have to follow these verbatim to achieve the polished look. Let your personality shine and embrace your inner clean girl—whatever that may look like for you.
How to achieve clean girl makeup
Use a light, natural face base
A key pillar of clean girl makeup is letting your natural skin shine. So rather than layering on the foundation, Davis first recommends prioritizing your skincare. Make sure you’re prepping your skin with a hydrating serum and moisturizer before you consider touching your makeup. Your skin products will help plump and hydrate, while also making the smoothest possible base for your makeup.
From there, ditch the heavy full-coverage foundations. Davis recommends strategically using concealer instead of masking your complexion. “Targeted coverage helps brighten, even out, and refine specific areas,” she says, while still giving you that fresh-faced finish. If you want a tad more coverage, Allen suggests using a dewy or radiant skin tint, like the Saie Slip Tint.
Opt for cream blush
The upgraded clean girl makeup includes adding a light flush to your cheeks instead of keeping them bare. “Blush instantly brings life back into the complexion,” says Davis. She suggests choosing a soft pink, peach, or rose shade that’s soft and complements your undertone. As for the texture, stick with a cream or liquid blush, like the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush or Kaja Dewy Bar Blush. Allen mentions that these formulas melt into your skin and look “much more natural than a heavy layer of powder.”
Keep your eyes and brows soft
The eye makeup with this look is wispy and relaxed. Think: Groomed, fluffy brows and a touch of mascara. Davis says these two elements can “brighten the eyes without overwhelming the overall look.”
For your lashes, select a mascara that’s designed to lift and separate each hair. I like the Smashbox Super Fan Mascara because it gives me natural, fanned-out volume and length. As for brows, Allen says the key is to use a tinted or clear brow gel (like Glossier Boy Brow). “Brush the hairs upwards and let them be a little messy,” she says, for an effortlessly undone look. And if you want to add a subtle pop to your eyes, dab a bit of bronzer or cream highlighter onto your lids and gently smoke it out to tie the look together.
Go for a sheer, glossy lip
A juicy, glossed lip ties the whole clean girl look together. However, instead of simply swiping on a gloss, Davis recommends subtly defining your lips with a neutral lip liner for a more polished finish. “Choose a liner close to your natural lip tone for an understated look,” she says. (The Milk Makeup Line + Fill Lip Liner has a variety of nude hues to choose from.) To apply, “follow your natural lip shape and blend the liner inward.”
Finish your lips with a hydrating tinted balm or gloss—like the Smashbox Full Fill-ter Smoothing Lip Glass Balm—that enhances your natural color, says Allen. “I would skip anything too matte or heavy that will overpower the look.”
Meet the experts
- Lori Taylor Davis is a professional makeup artist with over 25 years of experience. She’s also the global pro lead artist for Smashbox Cosmetics.
- Brandy Allen is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jordan Chiles, Skai Jackson, and more.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Mary Honkus is a contributor for Cosmopolitan with over eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories. She’s an authority in all beauty categories, and has mastered clean girl makeup. For this story, she tapped makeup artists for tips on how to achieve the updated clean girl look.
Mary Honkus is a freelance writer who covers beauty, home, fashion, health, and wellness (just call her a jack of all trades!). She has held staff roles at Real Simple, People, and InStyle, and her bylines can be found in numerous other publications. When she's not testing the latest and greatest products, she can be found chilling on her Hell's Kitchen rooftop, checking out NYC's hottest new restaurants, or recording her podcast Good Trouble NYC. Follow her on Instagram.