The Hailey Bieber-Approved Latte Makeup Trend Is Back as "Café-Core"

5 days ago 15

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Similar to most trends, "latte makeup" is back this fall. The trend first gained notoriety two years ago thanks to beauty influencer Rachel Rigler who coined the term, that of course, went viral (the hashtag #lattemakeup got 443 million views at the time on TikTok). Rigler even used inspiration photos from a look makeup artist Tanielle Jai created in 2018. Celebrities like Hailey Bieber also joined in on the conversation, sharing her own take on the look on her TikTok feed.

The bronzy makeup look that's marked by creamy browns on the eyes, lips, and cheeks simply nods to the current "café-core" aesthetic that's dominated the design industry. It's graduated to beauty in recent months, inspired by the allure of your favorite coffee shop. And once again, a few stars have unofficially cosigned its revival with their recent glams — from Kim Kardashian to Zendaya during Paris Fashion Week.

Ahead, we caught up with three makeup artists who break down everything to know about latte makeup, and a few of our favorite "café-core" finds this season.

What Is Latte Makeup?

Put simply, it's a makeup look that embraces the colors most often seen in a latte. "The latte trend is a monochromatic look focused on creamy browns on the eyes, lips, and cheeks," celebrity makeup artist Melissa Murdick tells Popsugar. "You'll see lots of matte shades being used most, but I'm starting to see shimmery spin-offs too."

As Rigler says in her TikTok video, "It's warm and bronzy, milky and effortless." It involves minimal base coverage and heavily bronzed lids and skin using caramel tones.

Murdick says this trend is ideal for medium to medium deep skin tones, but it can be customized to work for everyone. "For fairer skin, I would recommend tweaking the lip slightly because pure brown can make you look dead," she says. "For ultra-deep skin tones, instead of using only matte brown shades on the eye, which might not pop as much, I'd suggest incorporating some shimmery bronzes." Another note? Avoid tones that pull orange. Instead, you'll want to focus on soft matte browns — again, just like what you'd see in a latte.

Makeup artist Saffron Hughes also adds that while gentle brown tones work great on blue eyes, bronze and gold shades work best for those with brown eyes. "Green, amber, and hazel eyes, on the other hand, are beautifully enhanced by copper and bronze shadows. It's important to select eyeshadow shades that complement your eye color to create a striking effect," she says.

Meanwhile, Hannah Jaclyn who's worked with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae, notes the "café-core" trend is marked by various hues of brown, dimensional neutrals, and wearable warmth.

How to Do Latte Makeup

Step 1: Prime the Skin

In order to make sure your makeup stays in place all day, start with a hydrating base like the E.l.f Hydrating Serum ($13). "It's crucial you start this look off with a primer as it is key to helping your makeup last longer, as well as creating a flawless base for that latte-inspired look," Hughes says.

Step 2: Apply Base Makeup

Hughes suggests sticking with a foundation or CC cream that provides sheer to minimum coverage, which will help you achieve a natural look but still give you a summery glow. "For a seamless finish, set your foundation with a translucent powder to control shine and ensure longevity," she says. Our pick for the perfect base is the MAC Radiant Sheer Foundation ($44).

Step 3: Bronze It Up

Next, you'll want to apply a matte bronzer like the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer ($38). "Using your matte bronzer and a fluffy contour brush, focus on adding warmth and definition to the hollows of your cheeks, temples, and jawline," Hughes says.

Step 4: Apply Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Mascara

This trend focuses heavily on eye makeup, so Hughes suggests starting out by grabbing an eyeshadow palette with bronze and caramel tones, like the ColourPop Golden Hour Eyeshadow Palette ($24). "Apply a medium-toned bronze shade all over the eyelids, ensuring a seamless blend into the crease, which serves as the base color for your eye makeup," she says. "For added depth and dimension, use a darker bronze shade on a winged dense eyeshadow brush."

To give the look a brighter spin, Hughes recommends adding a shimmery gold eyeshadow to the inner corner of the eyes.

If complicated eyeshadow looks elude you and you're more of a one and done type of person, Murdick suggests using eyeshadow sticks like the ColourPop Shadow Stix ($9). "The shade Walnut Ave is perfect for this look, but they also have lighter and deeper shades of brown depending on your skin tone," she says.

You can also use Jaclyn's approach to the trend, which she coins "cappuccino lids," — easily achievable with the Jouer Crème Eyeshadow Crayon Stick ($27). "Apply the crayon directly to your crease and use your finger to blend all over, the creamy formula makes it super easy," she says.

If you plan to add eyeliner, Hughes says you should stick with a brown shade (rather than black), which will help maintain the softness of the entire look. To finish things off, don't forget to swipe on a few coats of mascara. "Complete the look by reaching for a mascara that encourages length and volume on the outer corners [of your eyes]," Hughes says. Our current favorite is the Benefit Roller Lash ($29).

Step 5: Apply Lip Color

Last, but certainly not least, make sure you add some color to your lips. "Choose lipstick or lip gloss in shades like terracotta, caramel, or warm nude," Hughes says. "These hues beautifully complement the warm tones of the overall look." Our number one pick is the NYX Shine Loud High Shine Liquid Lipstick ($13) in the shade Boundary Pusher, a warm brown.

Jaclyn's take on the trend? Latte lips. "For an understated coffee toned look, I recommend pairing the Jouer Tinted Lip Oil ($25) in the shade Jolie, with the Jouer Long Wear Creme Lip Liner ($21) in the color Fawn," she adds.