Pearl Skin Is The Next Evolution Of The Glass Skin Makeup Trend
Glossy glam has reigned supreme for a while now and isn't going anywhere. That said, it certainly deserves an upgrade. So, instead of highlight-heavy makeup, consider indulging in a different approach to glowy skin: pearl skin. This newest sheen-forward makeup trend comes courtesy of TikTok, and frankly, it's beautiful.
Pearl skin might sound like another trend whose appeal lies mostly in its quirky name, but it's not just the late 2010s highlight craze all over again. It's more than that — it's a way to add glow to the face without making you look like you painted glittery stripes all over your cheekbone or like sweat is messing up your makeup. As its name suggests, pearl skin aims for a soft glow and a whimsical sheen, unlike any other makeup trend. Achieved with healthy, hydrated skin and well-placed highlighter, this trend makes glowing look easy.
While it's great that we have all embraced the healthy, glow-from-within look so opposite from previous years' skin-drying matte makeup, the beauty world has seen little trend variation since this monumental pivoting. This is exactly why pearl skin has taken off: People need a je ne sais quoi that can only be achieved through well-placed makeup, and now it's here.
What is pearl skin?
To put it simply, pearl skin equals less glow and more iridescence. Aiming for something that closely resembles the sheen of freshwater pearls or the rainbow glow of an oyster in the sunlight, pearl skin takes inspiration from oceanic sources that remind us of summer. "The application is similar to highlighting but with some small tweaks," makeup artist Melanie Baresse told Glamour. "While you would traditionally place highlighter along the tops of your cheekbones, with pearl skin we see it blended onto the apple of the cheek and along the cheekbone, as well as onto the forehead."
So, instead of the usual wet look that we associate with glowy makeup — mainly achieved with moisturizing primers, glowy foundations, and lots of hydrating setting spray — the pearl skin look embraces the more meticulous, careful application of glow exactly where it is needed. It has none of that brushing your highlighter directly onto the highest point of the cheeks and definitely no lip gloss topping off your eyeshadow. No, this glow is subtle enough for the workplace if that's what you want, office-siren style.
How to get pearl skin
How does one achieve this subtle sheen? Quite easily as long as you have the right technique. Plus, you can use any form of highlighter, whether cream, liquid, or powder. After all, the pearlescent sheen starts way before any highlight touches your face. Makeup influencers' preferred method? Glossy primers. "I'm using the Mac Strobe Cream in Silverlight to get that lit-from-within look," TikToker Gaps said in a pearl skin tutorial before applying their foundation.
Makeup artist Emily Gray agrees that a properly hydrated face — as always, good makeup starts with solid skincare — and a matte base are the secrets to success with this makeup trend. But, as she clarified to PopSugar, not all hope is lost for people with dry skin or those who don't jive with matte foundation. "Choose a demi-matte [option] and take some time to really hydrate your skin before application," Gray explained to the outlet. Once your base is done — concealer, contour, blush, and bronzer included — you can move on to the juicy bits.
For a slightly wet, straight-from-the-clam sheen, start for a cream highlight and then set your glow in place with your favorite powder. Finally, place your highlighter liberally over the cheekbone, forehead, and brow bone for that staple pearl-like sheen.