The soft glam makeup trend is all about using a neutral colour scheme to create a beautiful, but diffused glow. Essentially, it's a warm, hazy, ultra-blended look that you can easily take from day to night.
The soft glam look is MUA Sabrina El Hawli’s signature style, so we’ve asked her to share the products and tips she uses to create this effortlessly glam look.
Creating the perfect base for a soft glam look is all about mastering hydrated, luminous skin. This can be achieved through a combination of dewy skincare products and a sheer, buildable foundation, that will give your skin a radiant glow. You can also achieve this look by layering glow giving products such as primers or highlighters underneath or over your makeup.
Sabrina starts her routine with the Aspect Red-Less 21 30ml, applying a large pump of product to her skin, before massaging it in. This serum is enriched with Sea Buckthorn Oil and works to reduce redness and irritation. By hydrating the skin it also makes an excellent base for makeup!
For a lit from within glow, try applying a liquid highlighter underneath your make up. Sabrina takes several drops of the ICONIC London Body Illuminator onto her cheeks and forehead and blends it in with a flat foundation brush.
Soft glam eyes are fairly versatile, but there are some key characteristics you’ll want to stick to. Importantly, you’ll want to stick to neutral colours, but the finish of these shadows (matte, satin or shimmer) is up to you.
While keeping everything soft and blended, you still want to play up the glam by incorporating a liner for some definition. For a more dramatic look try a liquid liner, or keep things soft and simple with a smudgy pencil.
When it comes to brows and lashes, you’ll want to keep things soft and fluffy. Try a fibre brow gel for a feathered, brushed up effect, and some fluttery but natural false eyelashes to achieve this lush, dreamy look.
Brush up your brows with the Benefit Gimme Brow + Fibre Gel. This product uses microfibres to make brows look thicker and fuller.
Sabrina uses the Napoleon Perdis Mastermind Nude Engineering Eye & Face Shadows to create a subtle eyelook. First she applies the shade “Organise” with a fluffy blending brush to her crease, to create warmth and definition.
Create a dramatic wing using the liquid ink side of the M.A.C COSMETICS Dual Dare All Day Waterproof Liner- Dare Black. Sabrina draws a diagonal line extending from her outer corner first, before taking the line across her upper lash line.
Sabrina creates fluttery lashes with the Maybelline Falsies Push Up Angel Mascara, which has a push-up and plumping effect. Apply several coats and let it dry.
After you’ve finished the eyes, it’s time to perfect your soft glam makeup base. The next few steps are about defusing your glowy base products with a soft, blurring powder so things look seamless and blended.
To keep things truly neutral there is no blush used in this routine, however you can add a cream or powder blush in a neutral shade to add some extra dimension to your look.
Sabrina uses several pumps of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation to create a luminous base, blending in the product with a dense foundation blending brush, using packing and stippling motions.
To conceal and brighten, try the Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer in a few shades lighter than your foundation. Apply it with the applicator under your eyes (create a large upside down triangle), and down the centre of your face (forehead, nose, cupids bow and chin). Then, blend it in using the same brush you used for your foundation.
Using the Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Quickie Contour Stick, directly apply the product across the top of your forehead, the hollows of your cheeks, down either side of your nose, the top and bottom of your lips and your jawline. Then, blend out this creamy product with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.
You can bake under your eyes using the cult classic RCMA No Colour Powder. This powder suits a wide range of skin tones and can be applied, and later dusted off, with the Real Techniques Setting Brush. Leave this powder on for at least 5 minutes while you complete your next step. You can also bake underneath your contour to accentuate that line.
Smoke out your lower lash line with the shade “Criminal”, a chocolate brown matte, from the Napoleon Perdis Mastermind Nude Engineering Eye & Face Shadows palette. Then, dust off the remainder of your baking powder.
Using a damp beauty sponge, apply several drops of the ICONIC London Body Illuminator to the highpoints of your cheeks and your nose for a soft, diffused glow. Or amp it up with a powder highlighter like the M.A.C Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish.
For the soft glam effect, look no further than your favourite nude lipstick. Pair this with a lip liner in a similar or slightly darker shade to accentuate your lips shape.
For that real 90s supermodel lip try using a dark nude lip liner like the M.A.C Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Stripdown. Follow the natural shape of your lips, only slightly overlining them for a pronounced pout.
Finally, Sabrinna applies a nude shade of the M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick such as Velvet Teddy or Taupe. Apply it straight from the bullet and then pat it in so it is softly blended.
We hope you enjoyed this easy soft glam makeup routine! This look can be recreated with a wide range of neutral, glowy makeup products from any price range, so have fun experimenting with your soft glam makeup look.
This routine was transcribed by India Williams.
Before you start your glowy makeup look, why not try this skincare routine for radiant skin?
Ashleigh Butterss from IT Cosmetics shares her favourite products and tips for bright glowing skin. This simple anti-aging skincare routine will help bring out your natural glow.
Chloe Turner, Educator at M.A.C Cosmetics shares her best products to prep the skin for a glowy look...
