Latte makeup is the Hailey Bieber-approved makeup trend that’s taking over TikTok

If 2023 has taught us one thing, it’s that the TikTok beauty community is obsessed with rebranding makeup trends. First it was cloud skin (AKA soft matte makeup), then came Wednesdaycore (goth glam), and now? Latte makeup is quite literally everywhere. 

The tag #LatteMakeup has over 127 million views (and counting). And if you’ve opened your ‘For You’ page lately, chances are you’ve seen your favourite influencer putting the trend to the test. Even Hailey Bieber is a fan.

So what exactly is latte makeup and what’s all the hype about? Let’s take a look…

What is latte makeup?

The trend is all about smokey, neutral, bronzed tones, and came about after a post from Aussie makeup artist Tenielle Jai went viral. Think “bronze goddess, summer smokey, kind of vibes” Jai explains. 

And considering almost every celebrity, influencer and person we know has jetted off on a European summer adventure, it’s no surprise that bronzy, goddess-like makeup is trending.

The monochromatic look is all about creating an effortlessly sculpted face, featuring warm caramel tones and a hint of metallic in the eyes. Think anything with rich, golden undertones, steering clear of anything red-based. “Everything is caramel,” explains Jai.

"This [look] is really dependent on your undertones,” says Jai. “If you want to work in a latte look that is more suited to your undertone, maybe caramel tones are not for you.”

The solution? Consult an undertone colour wheel to find the perfect ‘neutral’ hues to create a latte look that suits your skin’s undertone. “If you’re quite a cool undertone you’re going to go for taupe-y browns. If you’re a little bit more neutral, [go for] peachy browns,” Jai explains.

Latte makeup tutorial 

Want to try the trend for yourself? Jai has got you covered with a full tutorial.

She starts with an ultra-glowy base, using the Iconic London Radiance Booster ($63.36 at Cult Beauty) around the outside of the face to create a bronze canvas.

Next, it’s time for cream bronzer. Jai uses this in place of contour, which is typically cool-toned, taking the bronzer down the cheekbone, across the forehead and through the brow bone. And no – we’re not done with the bronzer yet. Jai then takes a softer bronzer to contour her nose, lips and sweeping it along the lower lash line.

“You can almost finish there, if you’re a minimal makeup wearer,” says Jai. But she doesn’t (same). 

She uses the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer ($51 at MECCA) to add dimension and brighten up the under eyes, nose and chin. 

As for the eyes, she takes a nude brown pencil along the upper and lower lash line, through the crease  and blends it out with a blender brush. Jai opts for the Sigma Ambience Eyeshadow Palette ($86 at Beauty Bay) for eyeshadow, taking the caramel shade through the crease, eyelid and along the lower lash line to really smoke out the eyes. Hot tip: if you have down-turned eyes, focus the product on the inner corner to really enhance the look.

Jai then adds a hint of caramel shimmer to the middle of the eyelid before taking another brown pencil liner to her waterline. The finishing touches? Mascara (“Lots of it!”), a dusting of shimmer on the inner corner, a light dusting of powder, and a honey-toned tip liner with nude lipstick.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to make it an iced latte makeup look with some frosted eye shimmer or extra highlighter.

Want to nail the latte makeup look? We’ve rounded up the best sun-kissed bronzers for every skin tone…