#30dayglowup - Day 6
Natural, bronzed, thick brows, (almost) imperfection free - The Boy Beat
With the
evolution of current make up trends from heavy, full coverage Instagram makeup
to the more natural, glossier girl inspired natural model makeup, a new style
of makeup application has rolled up onto the scene - the 'Boy beat'. With the
emphasis on thick, full brows, fresh skin and natural lashes this look has
become increasingly popular on YouTube and Instagram.. I love this new adaptation of the ‘no-makeup makeup’
trend as, whilst I can appreciate the artistry and talent of full coverage,
full beat makeup looks, I’ve always been more drawn to developing my makeup
skills to look effortlessly flawless. From learning about the boy beat I have
adapted some of the techniques I learned to my preferences and incorporated
them into my makeup routine to suit me using my favourite products.
What is the 'Boy Beat'
The boy
beat is a recent makeup trend that almost mimics natural imperfections so that
the overall appearance comes of as natural. Whilst accentuating ‘flaws’ seems
like the opposite of many makeup looks it is a key part of the boy beat look – redness,
moles, dark circles, these are all welcome here.
This
concept of not covering parts of your face that societal beauty standards deem to
be unappealing might seem strange at first, but in my opinion the freedom of
being non-conforming and accepting and showing parts of yourself you wouldn’t ordinarily
has a great amount of value. Whilst I’m not about to put cool tone shades under
my eyes to mimic dark circles or overly redden my face, I have decided to incorporate
some of this idea into my makeup routine.
How I'm incorporating it into my makeup routine
Brows
Now, I’ve never been against the fluffier brow look and given how much brow laminations have increased in popularity and how common soap brows are, I hardly think the ‘boy brow’ can be considered an imperfection anymore. There’s literally a Glossier product called that so I’m not going to pretend to be making a controversial statement here. However, a bushy brow is part of the ‘Boy beat’ look and given my fondness for it, naturally I incorporated it into my routine. I’m lucky to have pretty thick eyebrows so this isn’t too hard for me – I use NYX brow gel to push the brow strands upwards and fill them in with some eyeshadow. If you have thinner brows I’d recommend trying soap brows – there’s so many YouTube videos and Tik Tok tutorials for this that are super helpful.
Only using coverage where you need it
Obviously this title is a bit redundant - no one 'needs' coverage, it's only your areas you would prefer not to be on show, which is completely personal. Getting a
good foundation match and only using the minimal amount has been pretty life-changing for me in terms of making my makeup look natural. I use the Missha
Perfect Cover BB cream and tend to mix shades – it gives a natural, dewy finish
that looks very similar to skin. The shade selection for this is very limited
however and you have to order it online in the UK. I now only apply it with my
areas of acne scarring and pigmentation which tends to be my cheekbones, and I leave
along my jawline and forehead.
As well
as minimal foundation I’ve found changing my concealer placement to be very
important. Firstly, I now apply it under my foundation/BB cream so that when I lightly
blend over it my under eyes match my skin tone – I’m not looking to be
highlighted or ‘snatched’, just natural. Also, I use a lot less concealer; just
a bit in my under-eye (by my nose and then in an upwards direction at the outer
corner). At the moment I use the Collection concealer because it works and it’s
cheap. It works but it’s not the most revolutionary concealer. For acne or
especially dark marks I use Kevyn Aucoin sensual skin enhancer but that baby is
expensive – it is very very full coverage so I would recommend the splurge if
that’s what you’re going for and can afford it, otherwise I wouldn’t say it’s
essential.
I also
only powder areas where I need it now. Because my skin does get slightly oily
this does tend to be most of my T zone, but I do now resist the temptation to
put powder all over my face. I find it gives my face a dewier look overall
which is more natural than fully matte. For this I use the No. 7 loose setting
powder in translucent which apparently is a dupe for the Laura Mercier powder
(I’ve never tried that one). No flashback or creasing and it keeps my make up
in place so 10/10 from me.
For all
of these complexion related tips I’d recommend watching YouTuber Robert Walsh’s
videos – he’s a qualified MUA and a big advocate for using only the amount of
makeup you need. He explains these techniques far better than I ever could so definitely
check him out.
Freckles and moles
I have
quite a few larger moles on my face which used to look sort of faded when I apply
makeup. Now though, if I apply my foundation over that area I will carefully remove
the coverage over the mole with a q tip. I also sometimes gently go over them
with an eyebrow pencil to emphasis that they’re moles and not hyperpigmentation.
If you are blessed with freckles, please don’t cover them up they’re so pretty!
Leaving moles and freckles visible fits in perfectly with the ‘Boy Beat’ vibe
and makes it more ambiguous as to if you’re wearing makeup.
Sun-kissed
Did I
just come back from two weeks in the Bahamas or is it makeup? For this look,
you shouldn't be able to tan. Bronzed and sun-kissed while still natural is a
difficult balance but having that ‘caught the sun’ look is very endearing to me
and something I’ve implemented from the boy beat idea. I like to apply a bit of
bronzer and blush to my nose as, when you tan naturally, the sun tends to catch
there a bit more and make it a bit darker. I use The Body Shop honey bronzer
and apparently this collection is the last of their non-vegan products and they’re
looking to switch it to a coconut collection instead, according to the nice man
working at the till the other week. I really support the Body Shop and their cruelty
free and vegan ideologies so if you’re looking for a bronzer or any makeup, definitely
check them out.
This one isn’t
exactly a boy beat trick, but it links in here nicely. If you want a more
natural highlight, then I’d definitely recommend using a liquid highlight
underneath your foundation. Especially if you’re only applying in a thin
coverage in limited areas then the glow with come through more – looking less
like makeup and more like your complexion. I use the Iconic London glow drops
and they work so well; you barely need to apply any because it’s so pigmented
so even though it’s a big pricey, it lasts ages. I don’t even use the dropper I
just tap the end with my finger – the first time you use it be careful not to
add to much because it blends out well and you don’t want to go overboard.
Anyway, I
digress. I also use some blush on the tip of my nose to make it every so slightly
pink. Whilst in general I prefer cream products on my cheeks as they blend better,
I prefer powder products on my nose due to the precision. Just make sure you do
blend them well still – we’re aiming for subtlety here.
Pouty lips
Lip balm
instead of liquid lipstick? Sounds like me to a tee. I can’t really accredit my
lip makeup routine to the Boy Beat look since I’ve been doing it for years but
hey, if it fits. I normally line my lips with a Bourjois lip pencil of the same
colour, blend it with my finger and apply some Vaseline (I prefer the cocoa
butter one). Pretty simple here.
In conclusion
That’s
it! How I’ve incorporating the Boy Beat look into my makeup routine so that it
suits me and my preferences. For me the idea of embracing your imperfections
instead of covering them fits into my glow up journey perfectly, and if I can
reflect that in my makeup application then what’s not to like. More natural makeup
is what I wear on the day to day and so I’m always looking for ways to better
my technique and give a more flawless finish – or less flawless according to
boy beat principles? Who knows. Wearing this look makes me feel more confident
on the day to day which is very important for having your own glow up.
I hope
you found this helpful and learned something about this very different style of
makeup application. Let me know how you incorporate this idea of ‘perfect
imperfections’ into your makeup routine or if it’s a fully brand-new concept to
you. I hope you’re enjoying this post and my glow up journey tips and tricks so
far, and thank you for reading!
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