Espresso Makeup Routine
TikTok likes to compare most things to food—you can be a tomato girl, opt for vanilla chai hair, or wear a strawberry makeup look.
While these trend names are sometimes farfetched (and, TBH, look nothing like the foods to which they’re being compared), “espresso makeup” is the perfect name for the latest trend that’s circulating the web.
As a bit of a refresher, this past summer started off with the latte makeup trend. The routine consisted of various brown- and tan-toned makeup products that were used everywhere, including the eyes, lips, and cheeks. The trend cast a bronzed dew onto everyone who tried it, and even celebs like Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, and Lori Harvey tried latte makeup on. Still, as the fall approaches, a glowing latte beat is being put on the back burner for darker and sultrier café-inspired beauty.
So, why is “espresso” the perfect name for the espresso makeup trend? Put simply, it really does look like a cup of espresso. While latte makeup relies on warm-toned tans all over the face, the espresso makeup routine relies on dark brown hues around the eyes, plus a soft-matte contoured complexion that still allows slight radiance to peer through. It’s the culmination of everything that’s trending right now—you can benefit from wearing this look whether you’re a clean girl who wants to dip into deeper cool weather colors or are going for the Indie Sleaze trend this fall.
Content creator Danielle Marcan popularized the name, calling it “the grunge sister of the latte makeup” in a TikTok video. “The focus is all on the eyes, but we want the skin to be even. A lot of bronzing and contouring as well.” Ahead, a step-by-step guide on how to achieve espresso makeup.
Sculpt Your Base
As with any makeup routine, you’ll first start off by applying concealer and foundation to your skin to even out any imperfections. After that, you can bake under your eyes and around your t-zone, but lightly dust the rest of your face with powder for that demi-matte finish. Next, apply your favorite contour stick to your cheekbones, jawline, and hairline to sculpt your features and add a hint of bronze. You can even use a contour powder as a blush for this routine.
Cafe Lids
Once you establish your base, apply a dark brown pencil heavily on both your upper and lower lash lines, as well as the lower half of your lid. After blending the product out, Marcan notes to “take a cocoa shade eyeshadow and then set this and bring it up to your brow.”
Then, using a black eye pencil, create a small wing on either eye, dragging the product across your upper lashline and onto your lower waterline. To get that lived-in, moody look, you can smudge out the black liner ever so slightly using your finger and then finish the eyes off with loads of your favorite black mascara.
Crema Lips
Crema is the mark of a good espresso, and the creamy nude part of this makeup routine is in its lips. “For lips, I want the brown shade so I'm using my brow pencil and nude lipstick,” Marcan explained. Since this makeup routine calls for absolutely no pink during a time when pink is all the rage, though, you can also supplement the nude lipstick with your favorite nude-pink lip gloss.
Et voilà, a look that,—just like an actual shot of espresso—will add a slightly dangerous kick to your fall beauty routine.
