Glowing skin will always be in—there's a reason the glass-skin craze has stuck around so long. But there's a new trend popping up that's making us consider easing up on the highlighter: cloud skin.
Coined by makeup artist Dominic Skinner, cloud skin is the latest trend to come from overseas, and if the influx of cloud-inspired products hitting shelves are any indication, it's about to be everywhere. While glass skin (along with buttery skin and dolphin skin, for that matter) is all about an insane glow, cloud skin is more about a soft-focus, hazy, lit-from-within look. Think about the sun shining through a band of clouds, that's what we're going for here. (It's also worth noting that this is different from the K-Beauty “cloudless skin” trend, which is more about perfecting your skin from the inside out.)
“Cloud skin is so different from the other trends that were big before the pandemic,” says celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. “People need more dimension because of the virtual time we’re living in.” That dimension she's referring to is exactly what cloud skin imparts, thanks to strategically mixing skin care and makeup to get an ethereal, cherubic glow, instead of a blinding, almost wet-looking gleam.
“You have to mix the textures of what you’re putting on your skin; think dewy, glowing, and matte,” says Greenberg. That's what creates the trend's soft-focus effect, giving a dreamy, hazy quality to your skin that's so classic and pretty—like a Rococo painting. It's also way more forgiving on Zoom than a super-shiny base.
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One look at Instagram and it's clear clouds are having a moment—both in fashion and in beauty—since the dreamy vibes feel like an escape we desperately need right now. Glossier, as it usually does, paved the way with its cult favorite Cloud Paint Blush. Cool-girl hair brand R+Co just released a collection of products called On a Cloud, while Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy paired up with Face Lace to create cloud eye-makeup stickers. Airy, cloud-inspired textures and iconography are popping up across a range of other skin-care and makeup products too—even fragrances are tapping into the hype.
Sheena Yaitanes, CEO of Kosas, says this trend toward dreamy escapism is what inspired the brand's new Cloud Set Powder, which is quickly becoming a must-have for both fans of soft-filtered skin and those of us who are suckers for cute marketing.
“I was inspired by the soft, sheer, light-as-air formula and cloudlike coverage,” says Yaitanes. “The shade names are also sensorial, feel-good words that evoke the airy, dreamy texture of the setting powder on your skin.”
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Want in on the angelic action? Greenberg breaks down how to get cloud skin, below.
Step 1: Skin prep
Greenberg says to start with a super-hydrating base; she likes Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. Then let it sit and apply a layer of face oil like Skinowl Selenite Oil, which has a shimmer to it. “Now your skin is glowing and wet,” she says.
Step 2: Foundation and powder
“Next I would take Joah’s Tinted Moisturizer stick, which is luminous and creates a great, even base,” she says, adding that using a buffing brush will help you get an even finish. Next, it's crucial to go in with your powder to get that dreamy, hazy feel. This would be a perfect time to use the Kosas Cloud Set, but Greenberg also likes Beautyblender’s new setting powder.
“Dab it in the hollows of your cheeks, your upper forehead, and a little on your nose and chin,” she says. “It takes down some of the wetness, but the powder also blurs. So now there are some different textures on your face. ”
To make these matte areas even more creamy, she says to add some concealer on top of the powder, dabbing and blending it on with a Beautyblender or a fluffy brush. Then go back over the concealer with a light dusting of powder. This will give you that really fluffy, dimensional cloudlike look.
Step 3: Highlighter
You could stop here since the dewy base will already look highlighted in comparison with the fluffy powder sections of your face, but if you want a really angelic glow, Greenberg says to add a transparent, shimmer-free highlighter to your cheeks, lips, eyes, and Cupid's bow. (She loves Tower 28 SuperDew Balm.) If you want a little more color—“like when the sun is setting behind the clouds and color peaks through”—she says to use a tinted balm instead, like her Jamie Makeup Blighlighters (yes, they're a combo of blush and highlighter).
“Each texture should blend into each other, so you may need to blend any obvious lines,” she says. “When putting on this makeup, you want to have a light and airy touch, not direct and strong. Think of a weightless waltz.”
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty associate at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
