A Step-by-Step Guide to TikTok's Clean Makeup Look

If you’re on the beauty side of TikTok, chances are good you’re familiar with the clean girl makeup look. This viral trend—which features glowy skin, flushed cheeks, and glossy lips—is all about accentuating your natural beauty. It’s meant to be effortless and simple, but chic and put together, too—sort of like no-makeup makeup, but with a touch more oomph.

One of the things we love most about the clean makeup look is that it creates the illusion of effort without requiring a ton of time to execute. It embraces a minimalist, less-is-more approach, using just a few key products to give you that natural, healthy-looking glow. If you’re interested in learning how to upgrade your everyday makeup routine, keep scrolling—ahead, we’re sharing an easy clean makeup routine perfect for makeup pros and newbies alike.

What Is Clean Girl Makeup, and Who Created It?

The clean girl makeup trend is a refreshing beauty look all about showcasing your natural features with a pristine, polished-looking finish. It emphasizes fresh, dewy skin, a hint of color on the cheeks, and glossy lips; plus you’ll often see the clean look accompanied by a sleek, slicked-back hairstyle. 

While not attributed to a single creator, this trend has emerged from a collective shift towards embracing natural beauty and sustainable practices. Its appeal is in its versatility and ease, making it perfect for those who want to look put together with minimal effort.

How To Do Clean Girl Makeup 

TikTok’s clean look prioritizes natural-looking skin and minimal makeup. But that doesn’t mean no makeup—ahead, we’re sharing the key steps you’ll want to follow to achieve the barely-there look. 

1. Cleanse your skin

Before reaching for any of your makeup products, you’ll want to ensure you’re working with a clean, bare canvas. Start by washing your face with a gentle facial cleanser, such as the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser, to remove dirt, excess oil, and other debris. The vitamin C-infused formula gently cleanses and exfoliates to remove impurities and help promote a brighter, more radiant-looking complexion. To avoid drying out your skin, we recommend cleansing with lukewarm (rather than hot) water and gently patting your skin dry when you’re done.

2. Apply serum and moisturizer

Serums can be incredibly useful for addressing specific skin concerns, such as dryness or dullness. After washing your face, apply a few drops of a hydrating serum, such as the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and pat it onto your skin. This lightweight formula hydrates and plumps the skin, leaving it with a fresh, dewy glow. Use it alone or layer it beneath a brightening serum, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum, which contains vitamin C and helps target uneven skin texture and tone.

Finish off your morning skincare routine with a moisturizer and sunscreen (even if it’s cloudy outside). For the former, we love the L’Oréal Paris Collagen Filler Moisture Filler Facial Anti-Aging Moisturizer. The fast-absorbing formula provides intense moisture without a heavy or greasy feel. Over time, it helps plump the skin and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, too.

After allowing your moisturizer adequate time to absorb, smooth on the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion to help protect your skin from the sun. (Bonus: This ultra-light formula helps prep the skin for makeup—and it won’t leave behind a chalky white cast). 

A moisturizer with SPF is also a great option, especially if you’re looking to streamline your routine. We’re fans of the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power Moisturizer With SPF 30. The anti-aging formula offers broad-spectrum protection and also helps visibly reduce wrinkles and brighten the skin. 

3. Create a slicked-back bun

While your skincare absorbs, you can get started on your hair. While you can (and should!) wear your hair any way you want, a slicked-back bun perfectly complements the pared-down clean face makeup look. 

To create the sleek style, grab a comb or an edge brush and a flexible hold hair cream, like the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Anti-Frizz Slick Back Hair Styling Cream. Work a small amount through dry or damp hair, then brush your strands back into a sleek, low bun, ensuring that the front pieces of hair are laying flat against your crown. 

Alternatively, you can use an edge brush and a pea-sized amount of product to lay your edges and style your baby hairs. Remember, though, if a sleek bun isn’t your thing, that’s okay—you can rock your clean girl makeup look with any hairstyle you choose.

4. Apply foundation

For this clean makeup look, you can give your full-coverage foundation the day off. Instead, reach for a hydrating, lightweight base to help even out your complexion and give your skin a natural-looking glow. We’re fond of the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glow Tint. The water-based formula contains blurring pigments and reflective pearls and leaves the skin with a healthy-looking, soft-lit glow. 

The L’Oréal Paris True Match Hyaluronic Tinted Serum is also a great option for your base. It offers sheer, lightweight coverage to help brighten and even out your complexion. You can apply either formula with your fingers or a makeup sponge—the choice is yours.

5. Brighten your under-eyes

While this step is totally optional, reaching for an under-eye concealer will instantly make your eye area look brighter and bring the whole clean makeup look together. If you want to skip foundation, applying under-eye concealer is a great way to refresh your complexion without all-over coverage. 

Dot the L’Oréal Paris True Match Radiant Serum Concealer underneath your eyes using your finger or a beauty sponge. The caffeine and hyaluronic acid-infused formula provides medium coverage and helps to minimize the appearance of puffiness and dark circles (a must if you’re going for a fresh-faced clean look).

Editor’s tip: Powder is often associated with heavy makeup looks, but the right formula can visibly brighten and blur your complexion without weighing you down. If your skin looks dull or you tend to get shiny by midday, dust a little bit of the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blur-Fection Longwear Loose Setting Powder under your eyes—over your concealer—and along your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin). 

Add color to your cheeks

Next up is blush, a key component of the naturally-flushed clean girl makeup look. To add a nice, subtle flush to the skin, dot the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush on your cheeks and nose, and use your fingers or a beauty sponge to blend the product into the skin. Start with one dot per cheek and add more to build intensity, as desired. For this look, we recommend opting for one of the three dewy shades in the lineup—they’ll leave your skin looking fresh and natural.

For added luminosity, you can swipe the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick onto the high points of your face—your brow bones, the top of each cheekbone, and along the bridge of your nose. Opt for one of three glass shades, each has a lightweight formula that melts into the skin upon application and delivers a luminous and reflective skin-like glow.

6. Brush up your eyebrows

The clean look calls for brows that appear natural, but well-groomed. To keep your arches in place, you’ll need a clear brow gel—one that provides hold without any added tint. For that, we recommend the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up To 24HR Brow Lamination. The long-lasting formula (inspired by professional brow lamination) offers up to 24 hours of lift and hold with a non-sticky, residue-free finish. 

7. Add a coat (or two) of mascara

For the clean girl makeup look, you can skip eyeliner and eyeshadow—you won’t need it. Instead, give your eyes natural-looking definition by coating your lashes with the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Buildable Washable Mascara. The mascara’s unique formula offers endlessly buildable volume and length and won’t clump no matter how much you layer it. We recommend swiping on a couple of coats for a soft, natural lash look. For an even subtler look, you could try a brown mascara, which may feel softer than pure black, particularly if you’re naturally fair-haired.

8. Finish with a sheer lip

Last but not least in our clean girl makeup guide is lip color. Top off your fresh complexion with a glossy lip via the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Plump Ambition Hyaluron Lip Oil. This oil is perfect for your clean look, as the plumping formula hydrates, adds a fresh tint of color, and leaves the lips with luscious, glass-like shine. 

For a bit more color, you can opt for a natural-looking lipstick like the L’Oréal Paris Glow Paradise Balm-in-Lipstick with Pomegranate Extract. The tinted formula instantly hydrates and nourishes lips while providing a soft wash of buildable, luminous color. Blush Fantasy is the perfect pinky-nude for those with fair skin, while Luminous Coral is a great choice for those with medium or deep skin tones.

Next Up: How to Do a Soft and Light Makeup Look For Day

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris