Products that prioritize skin health are quietly replacing heavy makeup habits.
To all those who dread their multi-step skincare routine at the end of the night and find that one clip from “American Psycho” particularly triggering, your prayers have been answered. Now you can “forget to take off your makeup” and fall asleep anxiety-free, because your skincare is your makeup. The lines between serums and foundations are blurring as skincare brands introduce products that double as makeup. This “skincare as makeup” trend flips the script on the old foundation-with-a-drop-of-serum approach. Instead of traditional cosmetics spiked with a few skincare ingredients, the focus is on skin health first, coverage second. The goal is a makeup-like finish with genuine skin benefits, prioritizing a dewy, natural complexion over heavy coverage. The industry is taking note that brands are responding to consumers who want “skin-caring” cosmetics delivering instant glow and long-term improvement. In short, your moisturizer, tint, or highlighter might now be your makeup – and it’s a radical reimagining of our beauty routines.
Dubbed “skinimalism,” this trend marries makeup and skincare for the best of both worlds. Instead of masking every flaw, people are letting their real skin – pores, texture and all – shine through. On social media, the no-makeup makeup look and bare-faced selfies have surged. Ever since Pinterest declared skinimalism the “new glow-up” in 2021, searches for terms like “natural everyday makeup” have skyrocketed (up 180% that year). The indication is then that many consumers now prefer to enhance what they have rather than cover it up. Well-tended, glowing skin has become the beauty ideal, making foundation-heavy looks feel outdated. This – amplified by TikTok tutorials and Instagram “skin drop” routines – has pushed brands to create products that align with the less-is-more mindset.
One pioneer of the skincare-as-makeup movement is Glow Recipe, a K-beauty inspired brand built on fruit-powered ingredients and fun, dewy results. Glow Recipe’s whole philosophy is about celebrating real skin (the co-founders even avoid words like “flawless” or heavy retouching in their ads) and encouraging a juicy, fresh-faced glow. Co-CEO Christine Chang highlighted this when discussing their viral Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops with Ipsy, calling it a “multitasking, easy-to-use skincare product with both skincare and makeup benefits” that brings out your inner glow. Building on that success, Glow Recipe recently launched the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush, a tinted cheek serum. This serum-blush hybrid plumps and hydrates the skin while giving a buildable, natural flush of color that melts into skin. In other words, it treats your cheeks with brightening niacinamide and moisture as a serum would, and leaves them with the kind of dewy, subtle pink tint you’d expect from a light cream blush. Glow Recipe’s skin-first makeup approach exemplifies the trend where healthy skin is the star, and the color is just a bonus.
Another key player is Versed, a brand known for affordable, clean skincare now venturing boldly into makeup. Versed frames its new makeup collection as an extension of your skincare routine. “Versed Makeup is makeup that’s good for your skin… everything you put on your skin is an extension of your skin care,” explained the brand’s creative director, Lola Gonzalez to GCI magazine. True to that vision, Versed’s formulas are packed with active levels of ingredients and avoid anything that might clog or irritate. The Skin Solution Multi-Serum Skin Tint with Mineral SPF 40 is a standout example – it offers lightweight, breathable coverage and sun protection, all while delivering active skincare benefits for all-day hydration. In essence, it’s a serum, moisturizer, SPF, and tint in one.
“Beauty consumers are becoming more sophisticated — they want skin care benefits in makeup, but they also want good coverage and payoff,” notes Versed’s product development lead in that same interview with GCI magazine, citing how there used to be compromises between a nice feel and lasting performance. Versed’s hybrid products are designed to eliminate those compromises, so using their skin tint feels like wearing a nourishing serum, yet it evens your tone like a light foundation. By launching a full makeup line (from a serum-concealer to a cream blush stick) that adheres to skincare-first principles, Versed exemplifies how consumer demand is reshaping product development across the industry.
Perhaps no brand illustrates the “your skin but better” ethos more personally than Ami Colé. Founded by Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, Ami Colé was born from the need for minimalist complexion products for melanin-rich skin. N’Diaye-Mbaye has often said she created the brand to enhance, not mask, natural beauty. After surveying her community, she told Byrdie that regardless of age, “people want their skin, but better,” which led her to formulate each product with “a skincare-first approach”. The hero product, Skin-Enhancing Tint, is a sheer skin tint designed to let deeper skin tones glow through. It provides a breathable, soft-focus wash of color that evens out discoloration without hiding the complexion’s richness. “Brands weren’t giving me the tint I wanted,” N’Diaye-Mbaye said to Byrdie, noting that many earlier options either didn’t come in her shade or felt heavy. Ami Colé’s tint is the answer – a lightweight, nourishing formula that blurs imperfections just enough while feeling like you have next to nothing on. It’s clean and fragrance-free, and the shades are curated with nuanced undertones so that those with brown and Black skin can find an exact match for their “no-makeup” look. The brand’s inclusive, skin-first philosophy has struck a chord; by celebrating real skin (Ami Colé’s Instagram proudly features unretouched faces and community feedback in product development), it proves that the demand for skincare-as-makeup spans all complexions.
As consumers continue to prioritize skin wellness over superficial perfection, more companies are likely to innovate in this hybrid space. We’re already seeing legacy brands and celebrity lines follow suit with “skinification” of makeup products (tinted SPFs, serum-foundations, priming moisturizers) that echo this trend. The movement is also pushing progress in sustainability and simplicity. Fewer layers in a routine can mean fewer products bought (and tossed), and brands like those above emphasize eco-conscious formulas – from Glow Recipe’s natural, recyclable packaging to Versed’s vegan, cruelty-free standards – that align with healthier skin and a healthier planet. The minimalist beauty approach also opens doors for new marketing strategies and market expansion. These products appeal not just to makeup enthusiasts, but to skincare purists, busy professionals streamlining their routines, and even men looking for imperceptible coverage. In an era where 75% of consumers say they prioritize feeling good over just looking good, “skincare as makeup” is poised to transition from trend to norm. Brands will continue refining these multitaskers – imagine even more advanced tints with probiotic skincare tech or blushes that boost collagen over time. Ultimately, the future of beauty may well be a cabinet of products that make you look great now and make your skin even better later. And if that’s the case, the days of choosing between health and glamour could be happily behind us.
