Barely-there beauty: 5 makeup trends to try for SS19

Spring has arrived – according to the calendar, anyway. And with the longer days, fewer layers and slowly rising temperatures comes a great opportunity for a beauty refresh, one that swaps out the high impact party looks of winter for something a little more subtle for the new season.

While at first glance the experimental and masterful looks found on the catwalk don’t seem like the most wearable of trends, upon closer inspection, there’s plenty of inspiration to be taken from the SS19 shows, especially when it comes to barely-there beauty. Here are five things for you to try to update your look for spring…

It’s time to put away the powder highlighter and halt the strobing routine: for SS19, your glow should come via a natural-looking sheen or glassy finish. Think post-swim holiday shine rather than the glittery glam seen so frequently on Instagram.

Spotted at Alexa Chung and Richard Malone, it’s not as daunting as it sounds: use a generous amount of hydrating primer (try Illamasqua’s Hydra Veil, £34; or Becca’s Backlight Priming Filter, £28) under little to no foundation and finish with a radiance-enhancing spray – NYX’s Dewy Finish setting spray (£7) or Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir (from £12) will do the trick. Spritz throughout the day for extra dew.

It’s not just high-shine skin that’s having its moment in the spotlight, but lips and eyes are also getting in on the action. You heard it right: gloss is officially out of retirement. If you disregard the sticky, teenage associations that have long tarred its reputation, embracing gloss will add a chic on-trend twist to your makeup regime.

While a coloured gloss on the lid – like the rosy pink seen at Giorgio Armani – is a surprisingly simple way to add a twist to an otherwise bare face, the super simple look created by Pat McGrath at Victoria Beckham can be easily copied with a touch of gloss or balm to the lids applied with a finger.

If you’re feeling more DIY, try it out with a clear balm you already have. Otherwise, YSL Beauty’s Eye Gloss Smudger can be used alone or over shadow for a youthful "wet" look.

If elaborate cut creases and ten-step eyeshadow techniques aren’t your thing, you’ll be pleased to hear about the monochrome look that reigned supreme across the SS19 catwalks. Used alone, the colour taupe is a great shadow colour that can accentuate your eyes with natural results.

At Prada it was feathered outwards to enhance the eyelashes; at Alberta Ferretti, it was gently smoked out to make the eyes pop and at Emilia Wickstead, a light wash created a natural lid contour – but all had similarly subtle effects.

Taupe, which covers the range of shades between brown and dark grey, can be found with both warm and cool undertones and so can complement a host of skin tones. First, identify your own undertone and find a matte shadow just a few shades darker with the same undertone. Not sure where to start? Morphe’s taupe palette has a whopping 35 shades.

Blush might be a staple product in most routines, but the childlike charm of a natural-looking flush has a much less polished finish than usual. Perfect for summer, it was seen at Jacquemus and Molly Goddard and is best achieved with a gel, cream or liquid formula. To mimic a healthy glow that comes from a day spent outdoors, try Glossier’s Cloud Paint – dawn is great shade for darker skin tones – dabbed with the fingers onto the apples of your cheeks.

The right pair of glasses can complement your beauty look. To discover a range of stylish specs, visit specsavers.co.uk