In the past five years, beauty trends have shifted dramatically. While the 2010s were characterized by full coverage everything, the 2020s have been a lot more natural. The pendulum has swung in favor of more fresh, no-makeup makeup looks that make your skin the statement.
Case in point: glass skin and cloud skin— two beauty trends that focus on the complexion itself, versus what you layer on top of it. These trends put skin care at the forefront, with makeup merely a supporting character.
But what’s the difference between glass skin and cloud skin, and how can you try the looks yourself? Keep reading to get caught up on these viral beauty movements.
Glass Skin: Smooth & Glowy
The antithesis of the flat matte looks that took over our Instagram feeds in 2016, glass skin is all about the glow. The trend is rooted in the K-Beauty skin-first philosophy prioritizing hydration and radiance. This approach became more mainstream in the US post-pandemic, when many beauty consumers started to wear less makeup and focused more on their skin health.
Glass skin focuses on achieving a plump, shiny, and smooth complexion with minimized pores and sometimes a nearly-wet looking finish. Getting the look starts with a solid skin care routine.
Cloud Skin: The New Matte
While glass skin is about reflective radiance, cloud skin is a bit more nuanced. Cloud skin is matte: reimagined. I’m not talking about the flat, mask-like matte finish of 2016 popularity. This trend is all about looking like you’re wearing a filter, IRL.
Popularized by makeup artist Dominic Skinner, cloud skin channels a soft focus look that emulates the sun shining through clouds. It’s radiant, but in a hazy— not shiny or wet— way. This diffused look tends to be more camera friendly, and works across skin types, where glass skin can be a little much for oily skin.
The Skin Care Behind the Trends
Even though their final results are quite different, both the glass skin and cloud skin trends start with a hydrating and nourishing skin care routine that supports a healthy skin barrier.
Minimize Pores by Double Cleansing
While you can’t actually erase them— or shrink them, unfortunately— you can definitely minimize pores with the right skin care regimen. Double cleansing can help reduce their visibility by clearing away debris and build up of oil and makeup.
Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and SPF. Cleansing balms like the Haruharu wonder Centella Sunflower Makeup-Melting Cleansing Balm are my favorite to use for this first step. This dissolve all my makeup (even waterproof mascara!) while also replenishing moisture and improving uneven skin tone with ingredients like Squalane, Argan Kernel Oil and Jojoba Oil.
Once your makeup is removed, follow up with a mild, moisturizing cleanser like our Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel. This soap-free cleanser is made with natural surfactants from coconut, and helps you maintain a healthy skin barrier. In the morning, you can use the cleansing gel alone to rinse away sweat, oil, and residue collected in your sleep.
Smooth Skin by Exfoliating
Exfoliation definitely helps you get that glass skin glow, or cloud skin lit-from-within look. By dissolving dead skin, exfoliation helps your complexion look brighter and smoother.
The Haruharu wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence uses probiotics (yep, they’re good for your skin, too!) to exfoliate while also moisturizing, soothing and improving skin elasticity. It’s been clinically proven to improve moisture and skin barrier health after two weeks of use, making the glass skin look even easier to achieve.
The right time to apply essence is after cleansing— morning and night— before moisturizer. Apply to the entire face, and pat into the skin to absorb.
Protect with Moisturizing SPF
Before moving on to makeup, be sure to remember SPF. Because both of these trends hinge on an even looking complexion, sun protection is your best defense against the discoloration and skin concerns that sun exposure can cause.
The Haruharu wonder Black Rice Moisture Airylift Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ helps defend your skin against UV rays while also offering skin care benefits like improving skin tone. Plus, it also works well under makeup as a primer.
The ceramides and niacinamide in this moisturizing sunscreen helps hydrate, calm and brighten the skin, too, so it can work as your morning moisturizing step as well! Plus, its velvety semi-matte finish won’t leave you too dewy, but still looks naturally luminous.
Glass Skin Makeup Tips
Once your skin is cleansed and moisturized, you’ll want to opt for lightweight, radiant products that let your skin shine like glass.
A dewy skin tint can help achieve an even and blurred base look without being full coverage. Pair this with liquid blush and bronzer that melt into the face and add luminance. Keep the rest of your makeup subtle, with neutral tones and light layers.
To set your makeup, choose a natural-finish (not mattifying) setting spray.
Cloud Skin Makeup Tips
You’ll first want to be sure your skin care is completely absorbed before finishing up your cloud skin look with makeup.
For your foundation, look for blurring formulas. Choose liquid or cream bronzers and blushes that are radiant, but not shimmery, and apply with a damp sponge for a smooth blend. Don’t leave any harsh lines or stark contrast between products.
After letting your makeup set a bit, add a thin layer of loose powder with either a puff or damp sponge. Applying powder right away can result in a cakey, mask-like appearance, so be sure to exercise patience here!
You’ll want to focus your powder application on areas prone to getting shiny, like the T-Zone: your forehead, nose, and chin. You can add a light layer to the cheeks at the center of the face, but keep powder away from the high points where you want the glow to highlight your features.
Seal everything with a natural finish setting spray, which will help blend the powdered areas into the rest of your makeup and increase wear time.
Which Skin Trend Should You Try?
There are no rules when it comes to experimenting with beauty, though we do have some insight on who these trends may work best for.
If you have oily skin, the cloud skin trend may be more comfortable for you, as it’s more balanced when it comes to shine. Normal to dry skin will be able to support a glass skin look a little more easily, if shine isn’t a concern for you.
Whichever you choose to try, focusing on a hydrating and nourishing skin care routine will give you a gorgeous base for whatever beauty trends pop up next.
Meet the Author
Miranda has been a trusted voice in the online beauty community since 2012, sharing her reviews, tips and tutorials on social media and her blog. Her expertise has earned her recognition as a repeat judge for the Glamour Beauty Awards and features in publications like Seventeen Magazine and Allure Magazine. One of Miranda’s main missions centers around uncovering the best bang for your buck in the beauty aisle, sharing budget-friendly beauty products that perform like high end options. When she’s not elbows deep in makeup, you can find her curled up with a book and her two cats, alongside her gamer husband. Find more from her on her blog, Slashed Beauty.
Cloud Skin vs. Glass Skin: The Complexion-Forward Beauty Trends Taking Over the Internet
In the past five years, beauty trends have shifted dramatically. While the 2010s were characterized by full coverage everything, the 2020s have been a lot more natural. The pendulum has swung in favor of more fresh, no-makeup makeup looks that make your skin the statement.
Case in point: glass skin and cloud skin— two beauty trends that focus on the complexion itself, versus what you layer on top of it. These trends put skin care at the forefront, with makeup merely a supporting character.
But what’s the difference between glass skin and cloud skin, and how can you try the looks yourself? Keep reading to get caught up on these viral beauty movements.
Glass Skin: Smooth & Glowy
The antithesis of the flat matte looks that took over our Instagram feeds in 2016, glass skin is all about the glow. The trend is rooted in the K-Beauty skin-first philosophy prioritizing hydration and radiance. This approach became more mainstream in the US post-pandemic, when many beauty consumers started to wear less makeup and focused more on their skin health.
Glass skin focuses on achieving a plump, shiny, and smooth complexion with minimized pores and sometimes a nearly-wet looking finish. Getting the look starts with a solid skin care routine.
Cloud Skin: The New Matte
While glass skin is about reflective radiance, cloud skin is a bit more nuanced. Cloud skin is matte: reimagined. I’m not talking about the flat, mask-like matte finish of 2016 popularity. This trend is all about looking like you’re wearing a filter, IRL.
Popularized by makeup artist Dominic Skinner, cloud skin channels a soft focus look that emulates the sun shining through clouds. It’s radiant, but in a hazy— not shiny or wet— way. This diffused look tends to be more camera friendly, and works across skin types, where glass skin can be a little much for oily skin.
The Skin Care Behind the Trends
Even though their final results are quite different, both the glass skin and cloud skin trends start with a hydrating and nourishing skin care routine that supports a healthy skin barrier.
Minimize Pores by Double Cleansing
While you can’t actually erase them— or shrink them, unfortunately— you can definitely minimize pores with the right skin care regimen. Double cleansing can help reduce their visibility by clearing away debris and build up of oil and makeup.
Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and SPF. Cleansing balms like the Haruharu wonder Centella Sunflower Makeup-Melting Cleansing Balm are my favorite to use for this first step. This dissolve all my makeup (even waterproof mascara!) while also replenishing moisture and improving uneven skin tone with ingredients like Squalane, Argan Kernel Oil and Jojoba Oil.
Once your makeup is removed, follow up with a mild, moisturizing cleanser like our Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel. This soap-free cleanser is made with natural surfactants from coconut, and helps you maintain a healthy skin barrier. In the morning, you can use the cleansing gel alone to rinse away sweat, oil, and residue collected in your sleep.
Smooth Skin by Exfoliating
Exfoliation definitely helps you get that glass skin glow, or cloud skin lit-from-within look. By dissolving dead skin, exfoliation helps your complexion look brighter and smoother.
The Haruharu wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence uses probiotics (yep, they’re good for your skin, too!) to exfoliate while also moisturizing, soothing and improving skin elasticity. It’s been clinically proven to improve moisture and skin barrier health after two weeks of use, making the glass skin look even easier to achieve.
The right time to apply essence is after cleansing— morning and night— before moisturizer. Apply to the entire face, and pat into the skin to absorb.
Protect with Moisturizing SPF
Before moving on to makeup, be sure to remember SPF. Because both of these trends hinge on an even looking complexion, sun protection is your best defense against the discoloration and skin concerns that sun exposure can cause.
The Haruharu wonder Black Rice Moisture Airylift Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ helps defend your skin against UV rays while also offering skin care benefits like improving skin tone. Plus, it also works well under makeup as a primer.
The ceramides and niacinamide in this moisturizing sunscreen helps hydrate, calm and brighten the skin, too, so it can work as your morning moisturizing step as well! Plus, its velvety semi-matte finish won’t leave you too dewy, but still looks naturally luminous.
Glass Skin Makeup Tips
Once your skin is cleansed and moisturized, you’ll want to opt for lightweight, radiant products that let your skin shine like glass.
A dewy skin tint can help achieve an even and blurred base look without being full coverage. Pair this with liquid blush and bronzer that melt into the face and add luminance. Keep the rest of your makeup subtle, with neutral tones and light layers.
To set your makeup, choose a natural-finish (not mattifying) setting spray.
Cloud Skin Makeup Tips
You’ll first want to be sure your skin care is completely absorbed before finishing up your cloud skin look with makeup.
For your foundation, look for blurring formulas. Choose liquid or cream bronzers and blushes that are radiant, but not shimmery, and apply with a damp sponge for a smooth blend. Don’t leave any harsh lines or stark contrast between products.
After letting your makeup set a bit, add a thin layer of loose powder with either a puff or damp sponge. Applying powder right away can result in a cakey, mask-like appearance, so be sure to exercise patience here!
You’ll want to focus your powder application on areas prone to getting shiny, like the T-Zone: your forehead, nose, and chin. You can add a light layer to the cheeks at the center of the face, but keep powder away from the high points where you want the glow to highlight your features.
Seal everything with a natural finish setting spray, which will help blend the powdered areas into the rest of your makeup and increase wear time.
Which Skin Trend Should You Try?
There are no rules when it comes to experimenting with beauty, though we do have some insight on who these trends may work best for.
If you have oily skin, the cloud skin trend may be more comfortable for you, as it’s more balanced when it comes to shine. Normal to dry skin will be able to support a glass skin look a little more easily, if shine isn’t a concern for you.
Whichever you choose to try, focusing on a hydrating and nourishing skin care routine will give you a gorgeous base for whatever beauty trends pop up next.
Meet the Author
Miranda has been a trusted voice in the online beauty community since 2012, sharing her reviews, tips and tutorials on social media and her blog. Her expertise has earned her recognition as a repeat judge for the Glamour Beauty Awards and features in publications like Seventeen Magazine and Allure Magazine. One of Miranda’s main missions centers around uncovering the best bang for your buck in the beauty aisle, sharing budget-friendly beauty products that perform like high end options. When she’s not elbows deep in makeup, you can find her curled up with a book and her two cats, alongside her gamer husband. Find more from her on her blog, Slashed Beauty.