If you still consider heavy contouring and baking with loose powder to be the definition of proper makeup, Gen Z has some news for you, this look is now officially considered “Millennial style” and not in a good way. Here are some key characteristics that define this trend:
Here is what you need to know about Sculpted Face Trend
1. Contour lines under the cheekbones
Older tutorials were their who used to teach people to draw a thick brown line from the ear to the cheek and then they use to blend it vigorously, resulting in shadows that looked overly dark and artificial in photos and in reels. Gen Z prefers subtle shading that simply adds warmth to the face rather than completely changing their shape.
2. Baking the face with loose powder
It is applied with a thick layer of translucent powder under the eyes, on the forehead, and on the nose, and letting it sit for a few minutes before dusting it off. While this technique was designed to “set” makeup so it wouldn’t budge under studio lights, in everyday life and mask like. The younger people nowadays tend to apply just a light dusting of powder where needed, allowing the skin to look natural.
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3. Sharp, drawn on eyebrows
This look features sharp, straight lines, often filled in with a pencil to create an almost stencil like appearance. The Gen Zs has now shifted towards the thick and upward brushed eyebrows that follows the natural growth pattern of the hair. Instead of heavy pencils, they use tinted brow gels, as this creates a softer and more natural look.
4. Mate lipsticks
These lipsticks were outlined with a liner as it was darker than the actual lipstick shade to make them appear larger and more defined used previously. Today, this trend feels outdated compared to the currently popular glossy finishes.
5. Bronzer as a contour substitute
This involved a thick “3” shape swept across the forehead, cheeks, and jaw to fake a deep tan and sharp structure. Gen Z’s version has a light, sheer flush of color just on the high points of the face, giving a natural sun kissed look rather than an obvious sculpted mask.
6. Heavy strobing with metallic highlighter
This made a wet looking glow on the upper part of the cheekbones, that was stood out against the matte contour. The current trend favours on achieving a soft, fresh and a dewy glow across the entire face rather than concentrating heavy shimmer on just one specific area.
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7. Smoky eyeshadows
This was considered as a daily essential and was sported even on casual occasions. However, theGen Zs now prefer to keep their everyday eye makeup minimal, with a touch of shimmer, soft line of eyeliner rather than a full blown smoky effect.
At the end of the day, none of this means the contoured, baked, glazed look was “wrong”, it was simply built for a different era of beauty, one shaped by flash photography and full glam Instagram feeds. Trends move in cycles, and what feels fresh today will likely feel dated again in another ten years.
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