WATERCOLOUR MAKEUP: HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS ART-INSPIRED BEAUTY TREND
With Bridgerton back on our screens, Wuthering Heights in the Cinema and our TikTok FYPs having a field day with romantic, rococo inspired beauty looks, watercolour makeup is sure to be the hottest trend of the year. Soft and subtle but simultaneously inspired by some of the world’s greatest artworks, watercolour makeup is all about elevating your everyday look into something daring but wearable.
From blush placement to light layering, we’re taking an art class to learn exactly where to apply your makeup for the perfect painterly finish and achieve this coveted, spring-ready beauty look. Paintbrushes at the ready...
In This Article
- What Is Watercolour Makeup
- How To Achieve The Watercolour Makeup Look
- A Step-By-Step Guide To The Watercolour Makeup Look
- Watercolour Makeup FAQs
WHAT IS WATERCOLOUR MAKEUP?
As the name suggests, watercolour makeup is all about a light hand and delicate, colourful details. Relying on the same technique painters use on their canvases, watercolour makeup calls on gentle blending techniques and soft focus formulas to deliver the lightest wash of colour across your complexion, cheeks and eyes. The ultimate goal with this look is to create an ethereal and luminous finish that enhances your natural features without looking heavy or cakey on skin.
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE WATERCOLOUR MAKEUP LOOK
There are no limits to how you can wear watercolour makeup. While the cheeks are the hero of this look, you can play into the inspiration by creating everything from blurred lips to watercolour inspired eye looks and more – meaning you can get as creative as you like. The key to a cohesive look, however, is choosing a tone that ties everything together – so using a singular swipe of colour on your lids, lips and cheeks would be an easy starting point. The best hues for watercolour makeup are rich reds, oranges, peaches and plums but it’s the application method that’s important. It’s all about blurred edges and a diffused application for a sheer, soft finish.
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE WATERCOLOUR MAKEUP LOOK
1.SKIN PREP IS KEY
With hydrated, dewy skin as the star of the show, skin prep is key. Use a lightweight moisturiser and a hydrating primer to ensure your canvas is well hydrated, prepped and primed for the next steps.
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2.SOFT AND DEWY BASE
The watercolour makeup look is all about a soft, satin, skin-like base so forgo the foundation and instead use a light layer of skin tint. A pro-MUA tip is to either mix your foundation with your favourite moisturiser or use a tint on skin that you’ve applied a setting spray all over. This way the base melts into your complexion and then allows you to seamlessly melt the next formulas on top.
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3.HINT OF TINT ON THE CHEEK
The star of the watercolour makeup look —the cheeks— need to look flushed and diffused. Avoid a powder blush and begin applying a cream or liquid formula onto the apples of the cheeks before blending up and outwards. If you do need to set, use a makeup brush misted with a setting spray and a light layer of powdered blush. To create depth and interest, you can also mix different shades of blush to create a gradient or a more artistic sign off.
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4.LOVE THE LIP
If you want an easy, monochromatic look, apply the same formula you used on your cheeks onto your lips. The finish should be soft and diffused – almost as if you've just been kissed. If you want to play with colour, we suggest applying berry, rose and soft pink lip tints or a matte lipstick that you dab out with your finger or a brush. Finally, to finish, generously apply a gloss or lip oil to pull the look together.
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5.TIGHTLINE THE EYE
The watercolour makeup look is all about hazy, soft and subtly seductive eyes. Tightlining is a quick and effective way of achieving this without much effort. A gel, waterproof eyeliner is the best option to ensure nothing smudges and everything stays in place.
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6.ADD A WASH OF PASTEL HUES
Now it’s time for some fun. Whether you’re looking to create an eye-catching look to rival a John Singer Sargent painting or something more abstract like an artwork from Georgia O’Keeffe, the eyes are the best way to play into the watercolour makeup look. If you want a more subtle nod to the trend, pick pastel hues in pinks, lilacs and blues across the entire eye area where they can then meet your blusher. If you want something more dramatic, layer your eyeshadows in irregular shapes and soft splashes across your lids. A pro tip is to ‘wet’ your eyeshadows using a setting spray, then layer them in paint-like strokes. These don’t need to be perfect or regular and the more creative you get, the better the result. Then you can finish with a coat of mascara in either black, brown or a coloured mascara in a hue that you've used.
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7.SET IT IN PLACE
Once you’re happy with your artistry, lightly dust a featherweight face powder only where you want to knock back some shine, then spritz across your face with your favourite setting spray, et voilà! You’ve mastered the watercolour makeup look.
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WATERCOLOUR MAKEUP FAQs
Can you use watercolour paint as makeup?
Technically you can, but it’s not designed for skin and can cause irritation to your complexion and your eyes. Most watercolour paints contain dyes, pigments and binders that can clog pores, cause breakouts or irritation, so it’s best to use your favourite makeup when trying the watercolour makeup technique.
Can I mix face paint with foundation?
Yes, you can mix face paint with your foundation but it does depend on the type of face paint you use. Mixing a cream, liquid or cosmetic-grade pigment with your foundation works the best as you can create custom colours that blend beautifully when applied. Water-activated face paint or alcohol-derived paints won’t work as well as they’ll work against the oil/silicone formula of foundations and cause pilling or separation. We would always recommend mixing your mediums on a palette before applying your face.
Can I paint my face with eyeshadow?
Yes, this is a fantastic way to bring colour to your complexion and is often used in creative or theatrical makeup looks. Ideal for the watercolour makeup look, eyeshadows mix well with water or setting sprays to create a paint-like consistency— ideal for achieving soft, gradient finishes that mimic an artist's canvas.
Rina is Cult Beauty’s SEO Content Strategist and Beauty Expert and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
