Send nudes: How to ace the no-makeup look in 2025
We still love makeup that looks like we’ve got nothing on. But we’ve wiped away the cakey layers of the past. Here’s how to master the nude look of the moment
A few weeks ago, content creator Jhanvi Bhatia (@JhanviiBhatiaa) posted an Insta story, in which she wore nude makeup, but covered a blemish with a heart-shaped pimple patch. Her 433K followers loved it: “They all said it looks so cute and natural”.
The look of the moment is really looking like yourself – pimple patch included. Nude makeup used to be about fixing every flaw to look perfect. Now, it’s about looking hydrated, happy and chill. “The nude look of 2025 is natural and real. There is no room for a cakey face,” Bhatia says. OG makeup artist Namrata Soni says that nude looks are the toughest. “You are wearing makeup but must make it look like you aren’t wearing any. But it must also look like the glow is from your skin,” she says. “That calls for good prep, an eye for colour-matching, and intelligent painting.”
Here’s how to get it right.
Set it up. Pick shades of brown that match your skin colour, plus ones that are lighter and darker, so the look isn’t flat. This means soft pinks, peaches, beige, brown and mauves.
Lighten up. Bhatia’s college routine is just concealer, blush and lip balm, all in nude shades (and an acne patch when needed). “People often wear one just because it looks cute,” she says. Makeup artist Leena Goradia cuts out heavy foundation and layers of products, particularly to achieve a perfect Important Meeting Face.
Go all out. Soni’s soft, hydrated, 2025 nude look comes from applying a hydrating sheet mask on a cleansed face 20 minutes before makeup begins. “Don’t forget to remove the excess liquid or gel from your face with a cotton pad or a moist towel when done,” she says.
Build it up. She then contours the nose, jawline, cheek bones and forehead with a cream or liquid formulation to give the face a flushed glow. The soft look doesn’t come from thick sponge application. Soni warms some foundation on the back of her hand and goes in with a brush to apply thin layers only on the parts of the face that need them. “This gives good coverage, a flawless, airbrush finish, won’t feel heavy, but still delivers a soft look.” Set the area under the eyes, the forehead and the lids with a powder formula.
Focus on the eye. Older nude looks called for four brown shades on a single lid. The new technique is simpler. Soni suggests a light layer of rose gold, with deep brown closer to the lash line and just above the socket, to make the eye look bigger. Use a deep brown eyeliner, smudge it a bit. Do a layer of brown or clear (not black) mascara. And you’re done.
Let the rest follow. No need for heavy glossy lips. Lip liner, then lip balm or tint are enough. Aim for hydrated, not drenched. No blush needed, just a bit of highlighter high on the cheekbones and brow bones.
Go up a notch. Goradia’s Important Meeting Look starts with a thin layer of gel or silicone primer, then corrector and concealer where needed. No foundation. Use a skin tint instead. It’s lightweight and goes on with less fuss, but delivers a natural evenness and glow. “If you like, dab a little compact powder, so the makeup doesn’t budge.”
Cheat a little. Office eye looks used to be sharp, black-edged, defined. Now they’re softer. Pick from pinky-browns. Don’t touch the shimmer. Use a brown eyeliner or a kajal pencil and smudge it a little. No winged edges needed. For work, it’s OK to cheat a bit with a pink, coral or mauve lip, adding some gloss or sheen to balance the matte eye. Just don’t go all-brown or you’ll blend into the background.
From HT Brunch, August 23, 2025
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