What Is Maillard Makeup?
It’s named after a cool chemical reaction that happens when food gets all brown and delicious under heat. Think warm, earthy tones, a bit retro, and totally giving off those cozy Autumn vibes—for your face!
China’s beauty enthusiasts are going wild for Maillard Makeup, and today, I’m gonna spill the beans on how to rock this stunning Maillard Makeup look.
From prepping your skin to nailing the eyeshadow game and those finishing touches on lips and brows. And don’t be fooled by the fancy name—this trend is surprisingly versatile, fitting everyone’s vibe no matter their skin tone.
Ready to dive into the warm and enchanting world of Maillard Makeup?
And don’t forget to explore another viral Chinese makeup trend—Douyin makeup! In my recent articles, I’ve uncovered the magic of Douyin’s transformative styles, with the tutorial for dark skin garnering the most attention, offering a fresh twist to my usual aesthetic.
Maillard Makeup Tutorial
Skin Preparation:
- Begin with essential skin preparation. If your skin has undergone extraction, use a color-correcting primer to even out your complexion and moisturize dry patches.
- Choose a green base primer to neutralize any reddish undertones.
Base Makeup:
- Select a cushion foundation shade that closely matches your natural skin tone to conceal any blemishes, including dark under-eye circles.
Contour:
- Apply contour to specific areas, including the nose tip and the region connecting the brow bone to the nose root. Extend the contour higher to the groove at the brow bone for a more pronounced structure.
- Set the contour with loose setting powder for a matte finish.
Eyeshadow:
- Use a brown, earthy eyeshadow palette. Apply a light coral shade and a muted almond hue.
- Apply the mauve top shade as a base color on both upper and lower eyelids, blending it up to the groove of the eye socket for a natural look.
- Use a grayish tor shade with a flat brush on the crease for depth and dimension. Extend it to the lower lash line for a softer smokey eye.
- With a flat angled brush, pick up black eyeshadow to extend a subtle eyeliner from the outer corner of the eye, focusing on the lower outer lash region.
Blush:
- Apply the light coral shade of blush to the center of your cheeks, extending it upwards to connect with the eyeshadow region for a warm and cozy finish.
- Add a layer of blush with the almond hue at the center of your nose bridge. (Recommened products are below.)
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Eyes and Lashes:
- Apply a large area of eyeshadow primer on both upper and lower eyelids.
- Blend eyeshadow into the eye socket and extend it to the lower eyelid.
- Deepen the color along the upper lash line.
- Draw eyeliner along the roots of the lower lashes, leaving the latter part 2-3mm bare, and use remaining eyeshadow to create a contour for the lower lash line.
- Use a light beige shade to brighten the inner corners of the eyes and extend slightly upwards and downwards.
- Focus on highlighting the inner corners of the eyes.
- Brighten the middle of the eyelid and the area below the lower lash line.
- Apply eyeliner and false eyelashes.
Highlighter:
- Choose Your Highlighter Shades:
- For the nose bridge and tip: Use a champagne shimmery highlighter.
- For the inner corners of your eyes: Opt for a beige shimmery highlighter.
- Nose Bridge Highlighting:
- Take the champagne shimmery highlighter on a small brush or your fingertip.
- Apply it to the bridge of your nose, starting from between your eyebrows and extending down to the tip.
- Apply in a horizontal manner at the tip to give it a better forward-projecting effect.
- Inner Corner Highlighting:
- Switch to the beige shimmery highlighter.
- Use a small brush or your fingertip to apply it to the inner corners of your eyes.
- Technique Tips:
- Apply the highlighter with a light hand to avoid a heavy or overly shiny look.
- Blend the highlighter gently for a seamless finish.
- Highlighter Placement:
- For the nose bridge, focus on the top and center, avoiding the sides.
- For the inner corners of the eyes, target the areas near the tear ducts.
- Additional Tips:
- You can layer the highlighter for a more intense glow.
- Blend the highlighter well with the surrounding makeup to create a cohesive look.
Brows:
- Fill in eyebrows by tracing strokes of brow hair for a natural full brow look. Consider using brow gel for added definition.
Faux Freckles or Beauty Moles (Optional):
- Inspired by another Beauty Guru, strategically place faux freckles or beauty moles in areas that appear dented to lift and enhance those areas visually.
Lips:
- Choose a warm red shade with brown undertones for the lips, perfect for the Fall season.
- Soften the look by smudging the edges using a lip brush.
Final Touch:
- Admire the completed Maillard Makeup look, versatile and suitable for anyone, regardless of their skin tone.
- Apply a champagne shimmery highlighter to the nose bridge and the tip of your nose for a forward-projecting effect.
- Use a beige shimmery highlighter on the inner corners of your eyes for brightness and sparkle.
Pro Tips:
I adore this makeup style—it’s all about that soft and smoky vibe, no harsh lines or heavy eyeliner.
The secret is the blush placement—it’s my latest favorite. Achieving this is a breeze: I applied a taupe color on my lips, blending it seamlessly, and then did the same under my eyes.
A touch of mascara on both top and bottom lashes, and voila! Simple and natural. The only thing I missed was the blurred 3D lip technique, but I’ll get there!
If you’re eyeing new products for this look, go for matte powder shades—these looks usually aren’t too dewy or shimmery.
For lips, a semi-matte lip tint or a non-glittery lip gloss is perfect to nail that “freshly baked” look. (You can not miss these Chinese brand lipsticks. They are just simply stunning!)
My favourite ones: Chioture, Hold Lives and Flortte 💓