5 Makeup Trends That Look Better IRL Than on Instagram

Real skin, real light, and real life instead of studio lights and face filters.

Let’s talk about the kind of makeup that makes people do a double take in person…not just double tap on a screen. Social media has made us all connoisseurs of perfection, but you know what’s rare? Makeup that actually translates beautifully in real life. That doesn’t look flat or overdone. That moves with your skin and still looks good in an elevator mirror with awful lighting.

1. Underpainting

Underpainting is a makeup technique where you apply contour, blush, and highlight before your foundation. Think of it like sculpting your face underneath your base, so when you layer a sheer foundation on top, everything looks softer, more natural, and like it’s coming from within..not sitting on the surface. It's a soft focus effect for real life skin.

• It looks more natural:
  The foundation softens everything, so instead of harsh contour lines, you get subtle, believable definition.

• It adds depth without heaviness:
  You don’t need to pile on as much bronzer or blush on top…your skin ends up looking more dimensional and less heavy.

• You use less product overall:
  Because everything blends together more seamlessly, there’s less layering and caking.

• It mimics real skin:
  Underpainting creates that natural shadow and flush that looks like it’s coming from your face, not on your face.

It’s basically the no makeup makeup version of sculpting.