Every so often, there’s a makeup look I find myself wanting to create again and again. Right now, I’m all about sheer, glowy skin, soft stony tones, cream textures and makeup that feels polished without looking overworked.
I’ve just come back from ten days at the Toronto Film Festival, working with six different clients, and this is the kind of makeup I kept coming back to. So for Episode 33 of Makeup Live, I wanted to take everything I’ve been loving lately – the products, textures, tones and techniques – and bring it together in one look.
My model was the gorgeous Tayla from Boss Models in Manchester, and the direction was simple: beautifully prepped skin, tonal beige-brown eyes, a soft neutral lip and, for once, no pink anywhere. I wanted it to feel creamy, undone and effortless, while still having enough polish for a red carpet.
This really is my favourite kind of glam right now. Here’s how I created it.
Prep is where the skin is made
For this kind of makeup, everything starts with the skin. I don’t want to rely on foundation to create the finish; I want the skincare underneath to do as much of the work as possible, so by the time I get to complexion, I can use less product and let the skin show through.
For Tayla, I started with the Medicube Triple Collagen Toner. Toners have come a long way. Back in the day, they were all about stripping the skin and leaving it bare and squeaky, whereas the new generation of Korean toners does so much more. This one sits somewhere between a liquid and a gel, leaving the skin feeling cushiony, bouncy and full. I pressed it into Tayla’s skin and gave it a moment to settle before moving on.
I spent quite a lot of time in Toronto’s Korean beauty shops too, so a few of those discoveries have definitely made their way into my kit.
The foundation I can’t stop using
The day before the live, I was in London for the launch of the Drunk Elephant Camo Triple Peptide Drops, and they’ve quickly become one of my favourite complexion products. I actually packed a back-up foundation for Toronto and never opened it. I used the Camo Drops across different skin tones, ages and clients throughout the festival, and so many of them commented on how good their skin looked.
It’s a skincare-first foundation, which is exactly the direction I’m loving with complexion at the moment. I want skin to look perfected, but I don’t want to see the foundation sitting on top of it. On Tayla, I used Light 7C, taking the complexion perhaps a touch deeper than her natural skin tone.
I applied it with the MYKITCO 117 – MY FLAWLESS COMPLEXION, going a little old school. It’s one of the brushes I knew I wanted in the collection from the very beginning, and it’s been with us ever since. The key word here was restraint. I pulled right back on the amount of foundation I used and let the large, soft brush do the work, moving it in a light, whisking motion so only the tips of the fibres were working product into the skin.
I didn’t want to cover what we’d created with the prep. I wanted to refine it, perfect it and still see Tayla’s real skin underneath. That’s really the whole idea behind this glam. Minimal makeup can actually be some of the hardest makeup to do because it’s pure technique. Knowing where to add product – and, more importantly, where not to – makes all the difference.
If your client has redness, blemishes, broken veins or pigmentation, treat the whole complexion like this first, then go back with concealer only where it’s needed rather than adding more coverage everywhere. I let Tayla’s complexion settle before adding a little soft sculpt with the Milk Makeup contour stick in Stoked, blended with the MYKITCO 184 – MY FLAWLESS MULTI.
I knew I wanted to keep the majority of this makeup cream-based. Cream textures are a huge part of why I’m loving this kind of glam at the moment: they blend into one another, stay flexible and keep everything looking like skin.
Why cover what’s already there?
One thing I’m trying to do more at the moment is work with what’s naturally on the face instead of automatically erasing everything and rebuilding it. Tayla had this beautiful natural tone underneath her eyes and, rather than completely covering it, I decided to make it part of the look. That slight shadow felt cool and worked perfectly with the stony, tonal direction I wanted for the eyes.
For concealer, I used the new Vieve Skin Nova Concealer from my friend Jamie Genevieve’s brand. It’s buildable and luminous, which works perfectly with this style of complexion. I want my concealer to mirror what the foundation is doing rather than suddenly introducing a heavier, more matte texture underneath the eye.
I applied a small amount with the MYKITCO 142 – MY ANGLED POWDER. Yes, it’s technically a powder brush, but the angle and density work beautifully for lightweight concealing. It gives you brightness without completely taking away the natural tone underneath, and that’s the balance I’m looking for with this makeup: perfected, but never erased.
The blueprint for luminous skin
While I was in Toronto, I visited one of the original MAC Pro stores and came across some products that immediately took me back: Hush, Shell, Pearl and Improper Copper. The MAC Cream Colour Bases were the blueprint for luminous skin for me. We used them at every single show.
For this look, I used Hush on the base. There’s no obvious frosted particle, so you get this beautiful creamy luminosity without sparkle. It’s exactly the kind of finish I’m drawn to again now.
MAC is where it all started for me. I joined in 2001 as part of the original team that opened the Trafford Centre store and stayed for 15 years. From 2003, I started assisting some of the world’s biggest makeup artists backstage, including Tom Pecheux, Val Garland and Charlotte Tilbury, sometimes working on four shows in a day.
That period still influences how I approach makeup now, particularly looks like this where the skin and texture are doing more of the talking than the amount of product.
The eyes: shadowing, not eyeshadow
The eyes are probably my favourite part of this look. I wanted beige and brown: stony, tonal and slightly cool. We’ve been living in a world of pinks and peaches for a long time, and I kept thinking about those beautiful stony beige-browns you’d see in late ’90s and early-2000s makeup.
I didn’t use concealer on the lid. Instead, I went straight in with the Milk Makeup contour stick in Stoked, buffing it over the lid with the MYKITCO 128 – MY BUFFING CONCEALER before wrapping it around the lower lash line with the MYKITCO 243 – MY TAPERED CREASE. That slightly sleepy, undone eye is exactly what I’m loving right now. There’s makeup there, but it doesn’t immediately read as ‘eyeshadow’.
If you want a beautiful blend, my tip is to start with creams and build your shadows over the top. I used the shade Theory from the Blend Bunny Cosmetics palette by Alissa Ashley with the MYKITCO 224 – MY SOFT BLENDER, creating a soft neutral halo around the eye. It’s not really about eyeshadow; it’s about shadowing the eye.
For a little more definition, I went back in with the 243 and a deeper shade, placing it into the outer V for a soft smokiness. Then I pressed a little MAC Cream Colour Base in Shell onto the lid and used the MYKITCO 242 – MY PRECISE CREASE to add a touch to the inner corner and underneath the brow bone.
Creams photograph beautifully because they look lived-in. They give you that pressed-in, healthy finish rather than everything looking perfectly powdered and placed. That’s what I love about this glam: it looks expensive without looking like you’ve tried too hard.
Brows: lifted, never dragged down
I kept Tayla’s brows really simple using the MAC Eye Brows Styler in Stylized. I didn’t want to change them; I just filled in the edge and tail, keeping everything lifted towards the outer corner. You’ll know my kind of brow: arched, shaped and always lifted.
With a look this restrained, every little decision matters. I keep references in my mind or on my phone while I’m working because it’s so easy as an artist to slip back into your usual technique and start painting by numbers. Having that reference keeps the whole makeup moving in the same direction.
A tonal lip – and no blush at all
This was another part of the look I loved. No pink blush, no pink lip and no automatic pop of colour on the cheek. Instead, I kept everything within that same stony, beige-brown world.
For liner, I used the MAC Lip Pencil in Greige. If you know my lip liners, you’ll know I love Stone. Stone is slightly greyer, while Subculture is warmer, and Greige sits beautifully between the two. I overdraw the lip through the centre only because I want the volume to sit centrally rather than taking it out towards the sides, which can make the mouth look wider and lose its natural shape.
Over the top, I used the MAC Lustreglass Lipstick in Alone Time. It’s a glazy beige, slightly warmer than the liner, which gives the lip just enough life while keeping everything tonal. As always, I applied it with the MYKITCO 504 – MY BLURRED LIP.
I don’t want lipstick to look thick or painted on. The synthetic fibres press the colour into the lip while diffusing the liner, giving you that effortless, pressed-in finish. The lip ties back into the eyes, the eyes tie back into the natural tones of the face, and suddenly the whole look makes sense.
Setting without losing the glow
For this makeup, I didn’t want to suddenly powder away everything we’d spent time creating. I used the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder where I needed it, particularly underneath the eye, while keeping the cheeks glowing. Not every look needs a full set, and with this one I wanted to keep as much of that natural luminosity as possible.
To take away any powdery finish, I finished with the ONE/SIZE Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray. A few spritzes, a moment to dry, and that powdery top layer disappears. The skin looks like skin again.
Lashes: less is more
Tayla has incredible lashes, and too much mascara would have completely changed the feeling of the look. I used black mascara with the MYKITCO 301 – MY DEFINED LASH, working right into the root and gently moving through the lashes side to side.
I wanted separation and definition rather than heavy lashes. That restraint is what keeps everything feeling modern and lets the softness of the rest of the makeup come through.
Why this is my favourite glam right now
For me, this look is less about one particular product or technique and more about the overall approach. I’m loving makeup that feels considered but not overworked: beautifully prepped skin, a sheer complexion, cream textures, stony tonal eyes, a beige lip and natural shadows left where they add something. No blush just because we feel like we have to add blush.
I chose the textures first and then the tones, so everything worked together and felt harmonious. It takes me back to those early-2000s runway girls – creamy, lived-in, healthy and effortless – but with modern products and textures.
It’s refined enough for a red carpet, relaxed enough for real life and, most importantly, the person underneath still looks like themselves. Right now, that’s exactly how I want makeup to feel.
From the chat: your questions answered
Does the application method matter with the Camo Drops?
Absolutely. You can customise the coverage depending on how you apply them. Fingertips will give you more coverage, while a sponge can build the formula further. For the sheerest finish, use a large fluffy brush and work with the tips of the fibres.
Will it cover pimple marks or pigmentation?
It depends on the level of pigmentation. Both the foundation and Vieve concealer sit on the luminous side, so for areas that need more coverage, I’d pair them with something like NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer or an Hourglass concealer.
Do you colour correct?
I do when it’s needed, but it’s very easy to overcorrect. Under the eyes, particularly on deeper skin tones, correction can be really important. I still love the MAC palettes, and I like what Huda is doing with correctors. The key is not to overdo it.
Would the 504 work with a lip marker?
For a lip marker, the 504 may be slightly too wide. I’d use the 242 – MY PRECISE CREASE instead. It’s synthetic and pointed, so you still get plenty of control and shape.
Are MYKITCO brushes synthetic?
Around 80% of our range is synthetic. You can find the fibre details for each brush on its individual product page.
How do you feel about the By Terry Hyaluronic powder?
I love it. It’s in my kit too. Choose your warrior – there’s a powder for everyone now.
How do you keep a glowy look lasting all day?
It starts with your skincare and foundation choice. The Camo Drops stay put even with a complexion this glowy, and I’d finish with the ONE/SIZE Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray.
Want to get inside my head a little more?
Every week after Makeup Live, I share the full story, techniques and inspiration behind the look here on the MYKITCO blog. And if you missed last week, Grace hosted Episode 32 and talked through MY MODULAR BAG – something that has been a lifesaver on my recent travels.
The full product edit
Skin prep
Medicube Triple Collagen Toner
Complexion
Drunk Elephant Camo Triple Peptide Drops – Light 7C
Vieve Skin Nova Concealer
MAC Cream Colour Base – Hush
Milk Makeup Sculpt Stick – Stoked
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
ONE/SIZE Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray
Eyes
Milk Makeup Sculpt Stick – Stoked
Blend Bunny Cosmetics palette – Theory
MAC Cream Colour Base – Shell
bareMinerals Strength & Length Mascara
Brows
MAC Eye Brows Styler – Stylized
Lip
MAC Lip Pencil – Greige
MAC Lustreglass Lipstick – Alone Time
MYKITCO brushes
117 – MY FLAWLESS COMPLEXION
184 – MY FLAWLESS MULTI
142 – MY ANGLED POWDER
128 – MY BUFFING CONCEALER
243 – MY TAPERED CREASE
224 – MY SOFT BLENDER
242 – MY PRECISE CREASE
504 – MY BLURRED LIP
301 – MY DEFINED LASH
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Episode 32: New In, MY MODULAR BAG
Episode 34: My approach to bridal makeup