When Erich Gonzales’s and Julia Barretto’s images hit the internet, people definitely took notice. No matter where beauty trends may lead, this classic look will never go out of style. Clean, fresh, and with just the right touch of pink, you really can’t go wrong with this “blooming” aesthetic. But because the look is simple and subtle, it’s doubly important for the makeup to be applied really well so that it looks perfectly seamless.

Want to master this look? Let’s break it down and help you achieve a fresh start this 2020!

Images via instagram.com/erichgg and instagram.com/juliabaretto

Bloom Basics

The look starts with having a glass skin base. This is actually achievable with the help of concealer and lots of highlighter, but it also relies heavily on having actual good skin brought about by a consistent skincare routine. Dark spots and a pimple or two can be easily managed with pinpoint coverage, but having problematic texture such as patches of acne, flakes of dry skin, or deep scars, might mean that you’ll have to make compromises with your expectations for this look.

In keeping with the “natural beauty” vibe, the brows should not look filled in. To fix uneven growth or extend the brow shape, choose a buildable brow product that you have good control over. You can use powder like in2it Waterproof Eyebrow Color (P400 at department stores), a pen like K Palette Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow (P1,050 at Beauty Bar), or a pencil like shu uemura Hard Formula Brow Pencil (P1,400 at Sephora). Stick to colors that are a little softer than your head’s hair color. Most importantly, make sure the brows are groomed and brushed up with with brow soap!

Eyeliner is also skipped for this look, as the focus is on lush, super-curled lashes. If you’re not up for getting a lash lift or extensions, try natural-looking false eyelashes like the 3S Pre-glued Eyelashes (P250 at Beauty and Minerals). You can also doll up your own lashes with invisible eyeliner, clump-free mascara, and a proper curling technique.

Colors to make you bloom

Color cosmetics are the next crucial step, and it is important to choose products that aren’t too heavy, too pigmented, or too matte. Balmy finishes in cool rose pinks are perfect for Pinay skin tones! Monochrome cheeks and lips help bring out the flush of color against such a bare base, so you may want to use the same product for both.

Angela wears Colourette Coloursnap in Woke

A cream multi-purpose color for both lips and cheeks would be perfect as they look shiny on the cheeks and hazy on the lips. Sam swears by the 3CE Take A Layer Multi Pot (P1,485 for 4.2g at Sephora) but you can also check out Canmake Cream Cheek (P590 for 0.64oz at SM Beauty) or Colourette Coloursnap (P250 at Colourette).

If you have a deeper skin tone similar to Angela’s and Sam’s, and want a more obvious “bloom”, you may opt for dustier roses like 3CE Take A Layer Multi Pot in Cabbage Rose, Canmake Cream Cheek in 11 Heavenly Heart, or Colourette Coloursnaps in Kween. These kinds of colors tend to work better with deeper skin tones, as lighter roses might not show up as much or sometimes even clash with more complicated skin tones. Reds may work as well, but they easily lean “drunk” rather than “blooming.” Nothing wrong with a drunk blush look, but it’s a completely different aesthetic!

Swatches of the Hourglass Lighting Palette in Dim, Incandescent, and Radiant

This look’s highlight map will be a bit difficult to adjust to if you’re used to Instagram-makeup. Blooming makeup requires a sheer highlight product diffused across wider areas of the face, as opposed to IG-makeup’s thin streaks of blinding highlighter. Consider a high-impact, yet easily diffusible product such as Colourette Shimmertints in Crystal Prism (P349 at Colourette) or a sheer glow product you cannot overdo, such as Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (P3,900 at Sephora). For the blooming look, a light yellow-based highlight can work on most skin tones. If you worry these will look too light on you, consider our morena-friendly highlighter suggestions.

Avoid using a large-particle highlighter with obvious glitters, because the chunks will bring out a party look that clashes with the real-skin goals of this look. A pearlescent product, thinly applied over larger spaces of the cheek and forehead will perfectly bring out that bloom!

Are you ready to try “blooming makeup”? Share your selfies on the Project Vanity Facebook community page or tag us on Instagram @projectvanitycom!