'Cloud Skin' Is The Smoothing Makeup Trend Perfect For Older Women

In a world where beauty trends are ever-changing, this new makeup trend is looking to be ideal for older women. Dubbed 'cloud skin', it is truly the best of both worlds. If you don't really favor the extremely dewy look championed by the glass skin trend or the thick, overly matte looks that were popular in the 2010s, then the cloud skin look sits perfectly in between. The cloud skin trend, which replaced the glass skin trend back in fall 2023, is all about achieving that natural, 'cloudy', satin-matte look.

And cloud skin truly is the best for older women, as the blurred effect doesn't put a glaring spotlight on fine lines and wrinkles. In short, your face looks smooth, hydrated, and lit from within. "The great advantage of this trend is that it softens features, doesn't emphasize texture too much and leaves a very flattering finish on all types of faces," Cristina G Nuevo, professional makeup artist, exclusively shared with HELLO. And what's more, women of all ages and skin types could rock this makeup trend and make it work. But mastering this look takes more than just the right combination of products, pointing to the importance of skin prep.

Prepping your skin is a crucial step in bringing out the best of your makeup, and the cloud skin trend is no exception. But skin prep, when it comes to achieving this look, can be quite particular, and it's important to steer clear of heavy serums and lotions. Watery toners and gel-type formulas work best for this purpose. However, rather than immediately piling on the makeup, let your skincare sink into your skin and do its job for at least five minutes. 

You even have to be selective when it comes to foundations. In fact, skin tints with a satin-matte finish are preferred, as covered in our guide on everything you need to know about applying foundation to older skin, with products like the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Lightweight Blurring Skin Tint being a clear winner. But most importantly of all is how you apply setting powder. While it's generally assumed that setting powder is applied to every inch of your face to lock everything in place, for cloud skin, it's only applied to specific areas. In fact, the look only requires a light application of setting powder on the parts of the face where you tend to get the oiliest. Similar to the minimalism trend, it's clear that nailing the cloud skin look is knowing when to hold back.