For years, glass skin has reigned supreme in the beauty world think high-shine highlights, glazed cheekbones and that lit-from-within sheen that catches the light from every angle. But lately, makeup artists are dialing back the gloss in favour of something a little softer. Enter velvet skin, the soft-matte, blurred finish that’s quietly taken over everywhere from TikTok to red carpets.
“As we’ve moved away from heavy filters on social media, there’s this desire to still have a filter-like finish, but without the filter,” says Los Angeles–based celebrity makeup artist Lisa Chamberlain. “We still want to look beautiful, done up and put together, but just have it be a more real version of ourselves and that’s what velvet skin is.”
Think of velvet skin as glass skin’s more refined older sister. Instead of reflective shine, it delivers a diffused glow that looks smooth, plush and softly blurred like your favourite satin fabric. According to Chamberlain, it’s a timeless foundation look that evens out skin tone, brings life back to the face and minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines without looking heavy or cakey. The end result? Skin that looks effortlessly perfect, almost like you’re not wearing makeup at all.
One of the biggest appeals of velvet skin is how polished the diffused, natural-matte finish appears both in real life and on camera. It photographs beautifully in every type of lighting whether it’s high flash, natural light or studio lighting making it a go-to for red carpet glam that still feels wearable day-to-day.
Beyond aesthetics, velvet skin also reflects a shift in what feels attainable. While glass skin often requires intensive skincare treatments to achieve that ultra-reflective finish, velvet skin works across all ages, skin types and textures. The look focuses on building coverage through multiple thin, strategic layers that even tone, smooth texture and softly blur pores while still allowing real skin to show through. It’s polished yet breathable — elevated without ever feeling overdone.
To recreate the trend, start with proper skin prep. Cleansing with micellar water followed by a lightweight, peptide-rich moisturiser like the Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer creates a balanced base without excess slip. Next, apply a pore-filling primer such as the Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional Primer around the T-zone to create that soft-focus foundation.
When choosing a base, opt for a soft-matte formula like the NARS Cosmetics Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. Apply it in thin, buildable layers starting from the centre of the face and blending outward to keep the finish breathable and skin-like.
Setting the base is where the velvet effect truly comes to life. A light mist of the Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Soft Focus Setting Spray followed by a delicate layer of Veil Setting Powder helps seal cream products while maintaining dimension. To lock everything in, finish with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder using a velvet triangle puff for added smoothness and longevity.
