How to Achieve the Ethereal Makeup Look 

Everyone has wanted to look like a fairy at one point or another in their life. Thankfully, you can accomplish that look with the power of ethereal makeup. Whether you’re going for a minimalist and neutral or maximalist and colorful look, let yourself shine with this trend. 

The Meaning of Ethereal Makeup

Ethereal makeup is an aesthetic trend that’s all about enhancing your features to look as delicate and elegant as possible. Think out-of-this-world fairy or primo ballerina. Some people create looks that borderline magical or fairy makeup, keeping the staple feature of glow or shimmer as possible.

These are one of those looks that certainly appeals to the feminine gaze much more, which makes sense for many makeup enthusiasts. About 49% of American women wear cosmetics to boost their confidence, while 26% use it for self-expression. And thankfully, ethereal makeup gives you the best of both worlds. 

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i only wish i had places to wear makeup like this 😫 #makeup #2000s #ethereal #makeupinspo

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How to Recreate Ethereal Makeup

Everyone has their own interpretation of what ethereal makeup will look like. Some go as minimalist as possible with their color palette for more of a bridal look, while others prefer to look like a full-blown pixie with all kinds of colors. Here’s the general routine of how you can recreate it.

1. Use a Good Primer

Before applying makeup, make sure you’ve primed your skin. Moisturizer is ideal for this, as ethereal makeup typically depicts soft and supple skin. You can also incorporate sunscreen and serum to protect the skin. 

Use a good primer as well. Smoothing ones can refine your skin texture and help with the illusion of smooth skin. However, you also want to mattify oilier parts of the face, like the nose and forehead, to keep the makeup on for hours. 

2. Create a Dewy Base

The next step is to create a dewy base. A radiant skin tint should do the trick if you’re trying to go for a more natural look. However, if you’re looking for more coverage, consider a luminous foundation. Blend well with a brush. 

Make sure you use a lighter concealer to create that beautiful contrast for the higher points of your face. Bronze and contour with creams for extra emphasis. Later, you can mattify these sections with the slightest hint of powder.  

3. Aim for Rosy and Glowy Cheeks

Ethereal makeup simply needs rosy and beautiful cheeks. Most people suit the viral baby pink shades, but you can certainly go for more cool-toned lavenders or plums if it matches your skin’s undertone a little better. Add it to the apple of the cheeks. 

Put on some extra glow as well. Cream blushes usually provide a little bit of shine, but you can always enhance them with cream or powder highlighter. Apply it to the cheeks, the tips of the notes and the brow bone. As always, blend and mattify the areas that make sense. 

4. Add Freckles for a Sun-Kissed Effect

A bit of a more optional addition, but you may want to add freckles to your ethereal makeup. It’s playful and it makes you look like you’ve basked in the sun. You can opt for the old-fashioned freckle pan for something more natural, or go all-out with rhinestones if you’re extra.

Pro-tip for more natural ethereal makeup: You can use an olive-leaning shade if you have fair skin. Warm browns can often look a little too muddy, but these kinds of hues just add the right amount of definition without going overboard. 

5. Soften Your Brows

Another small detail about ethereal makeup is how soft the brows should be. In comparison to other aesthetics that may require stronger brows, you generally want to leave the brows as is. Brush them up with a little bit of clear brow gel and you’re good to go. 

If you do want to fill them in, focus on making them look as natural as possible. You can match them to your hair color for a more seamless look. A spoolie is also your best friend in blending out the pigment of your chosen eyebrow products. 

6. Get Your Most Shimmery Eyeshadows

Shiny eyeshadows are the pinnacle of an ethereal makeup look. Most people place this toward the inner corners of their eyes—both the upper and bottom parts—to have more of that focus on the center of their face. It also contrasts pretty well with the outer part of your eyes. 

Anything with a little sparkle works. You can use shimmer eyeshadows for a softer and refined glow. However, if you’re looking for more intensity, you can never go wrong with glitter. Whether it’s multichrome or iridescent, they will fulfill your fairy makeup fantasies. 

7. Put on a Baby Wing and Feathery Lashes

Accentuate the eyes ever so slightly with a baby wing. It can take a little bit of practice, but you want just the slightest flick upward. You can use brown eyeshadow to make the lift a little more subtle before moving on to brown or black liquid eyeliner. 

Feathery lashes are also a great addition to the look, whether you’re going for a more airy or more dramatic version of ethereal makeup. A good mascara can do the trick, but you can also experiment with smaller falsies. 

8. Consider Going Graphic

If you’re trying to go for a more colorful ethereal makeup, you can try experimenting with graphic eyeliner. It’s a good way to branch out from just applying colorful powder eyeshadow, as you’re adding liquids that will typically stand out more.

You can sketch first with a brown liner on the areas you want to draw on, like the forehead, cheeks and outer eye. From there, take any eyeliner of your choice and just get creative. Squiggles can be fun, but you can also try drawing little stars, flowers, hearts and more. 

9. Get Glossy and Beautiful Lips 

A glossy lip is the last touch of shine to complete your ethereal makeup look. They made quite the comeback a couple of years back when everyone was feeling nostalgic about the 1990s and early 2000s.

You can use any color on the lips, as long as you feather it out and make it seem as soft as possible. Regular lip gloss can work, but other formulas, like a lipbalm or oil, can still give that same shine. You can also explore glitter glosses for maximum shine. 

Get Your Fairy Makeup On

Ethereal makeup has layers and layers to it, but it all comes down to a romantic and whimsical look that makes you look absolutely surreal. Add these pops of color and shimmer to your routine and come alive with the extra shine.