Since it became popular, social media giant TikTok has given the world numerous beauty trends. From goth, E-girl, kawaii, and VSCO presentations, it’s clear that there are many ways to express oneself with beauty products to create unique, one-of-a-kind looks.
In late 2020, a recent contender on the scene of breathtaking beauty looks is the soft girl makeup look. This aesthetic emphasizes quiet, feminine beauty that helps recapture an image of innocence and fresh youth.
Initially adopted by teenagers, soft girl rose to prominence on TikTok. In that venue, it has inspired thousands of fresh-faced females to delve into “barely-there” cosmetics and accessories.
Goodbye steamy, sultry seductress. Hello cute, feminine, girl next door.
Breaking Down The Soft Girl Look
The soft girl makeup trend is feminine, almost to the extreme, with lots of pinks, pastels, glitter, and delicate patterns. It places a heavy emphasis on accessories, fashion, and makeup.
A typical soft girl look consists of soft eye makeup and liquid eyeliner balanced with kisses of pink blush and highlighter across the cheeks and nose. Some soft girl enthusiasts choose to sport “tattoo” stamps of flowers, hearts, and geometrical shapes. Faux freckles, silky lashes, and a perfect, dewy pout complete this look of youthful, playful innocence.
Accessories
Accessories for a soft girl include childlike trinkets, including jewelry, hair clips, and even stuffed animals as accompaniments for daytime play. Butterfly, flower, and teddy bear motifs commonly appear in materials like plastic, rubber, or enamel coverings on hair accessories and jewelry.
Colors are chosen to deliberately contrast fashion choices, with little attention given to color coordination. The whole concept behind the look is to highlight youthful femininity There is a heavy emphasis on added jewelry, hair accessories, and even handbags and shoes that help to create the soft girl aesthetic quickly gaining traction in the fashion world.
Clothing
Clothing for a soft girl ranges from the simple white, pleated tennis skirt and pastel crop top to an oversized hoodie with cute, cartoon-like graphics and leggings. Plenty of knee-high socks and oversized cardigans exist in this fashion trend. One might even see some fluffy textures and pieces that emphasize this look’s soft, comforting elements.
Some choose to contrast the more delicate aspects of this style with chunky boots and black handbags to add an air of interest and depth to the aesthetic.
Hair Options
Soft girl hair embraces an “anything goes” hairstyle philosophy, with one exception — severe cuts and styles in single colors. That means cotton candy pink is a go, as are multi-layered looks and soft curls that cascade over the shoulders. Even short bobs can take on a more delicate look with fringe across the bottom and the addition of some pastel hair chalk, which easily washes out with shampoo.
Don’t forget to add some hair ribbons, brightly colored barrettes, a floppy straw hat, or a soft cloth patterned headband that coordinates with your outfit to complete your soft girl aesthetic.
More Than Cute
The soft girl look is an over-exaggeration of fashion and makeup choices that teen girls have normalized for decades. In this look, the unique vulnerability of remaining quiet and feminine is defined as a strength.
Many supporters of the soft girl movement have been criticized for undermining this country’s concepts of feminism and feminine power. Adrienne Matei, a journalist for The Guardian newspaper, said the following:
“The soft look isn’t new – teens have pursued cuteness forever, and the underpinnings of soft-girl style have long incubated on Instagram, and on Tumblr, where glittery girlishness has been associated with a controversial fourth-wave “Tumblr feminist” effort to satirize gender expectations by amplifying feminine stereotypes.”
Still, the trend continues to push forward as younger and older women embrace this iconic concept of strength and beauty in understated, overtly feminine ways.
The soft girl aesthetic is not meant to be an “all or nothing” expression of the self. It is often used to explore and embrace those delicate parts of the female identity and celebrate what brings them joy.
Whether you’re a fan of her music or not, singer Ariana Grande is a major player in the soft girl culture who embodies much of what the trend is about. She is unapologetic about her style choices, remaining simultaneously solid and gentle, sexy and cute while rocking oversized sweatshirts and thigh-high socks. Fans across the globe emulate her style.
This individualistic expression of dress, makeup, and hairstyles showcases Grande’s personality, but it has not stopped nor even slowed her progression as she produces one chart-topping single after another.
Reddit boasts a soft girl forum where fans of fashion can share their looks. Posts have such captions as “felt soft today” as they inspire others to embrace fashion and makeup concepts.
Although no specific lifestyle is attached to the soft girl aesthetic, undercurrents of positivity, joy, innocence and youth attract more and more fans with every social media post.
Embracing The Soft Girl Look
Embracing this girly girl look is easy, with attention to hair, skin, and the right products. Basic staples of the soft girl look include pastels, rosy-looking skin, bright eyes, and fluffy lashes (real and fake). Adding textures such as freckles and face art are other aspects of playfulness that are encouraged and celebrated.
With these critical elements in place, you can recreate, experiment, and alter your look to rock the soft girl persona, making you stand out in a crowd if you so desire.
Use this step-by-step guide to create an everyday soft girl look that positively glows.
Prep The Canvas
Skin that glows healthily from the inside out is essential to the soft girl look. Find a skincare regime that cares for your skin and its unique type. Oily and acne-prone skin should focus on calming breakouts and eliminating shine. Dry skin should be hydrated and moisturized so it can achieve lush color.
Clean, moisturized skin is essential to creating your soft, feminine look. Supergoop Glow Screen is a makeup primer worn under the foundation that acts as a skin balancer, hydrator, and sunscreen. It is specifically formulated to grip makeup, providing you with superior all-day wear in the most demanding situations.
Now you’re ready to start painting.
Apply A Great Foundation
“Good” isn’t good enough when finding a foundation that meets all of your skin’s unique needs. Of course, if your skin is naturally dewy and fresh, feel free to go au natural while you unleash your feminine wiles. For the other 99 percent of people with skin flaws and imperfections to conceal, choose a soft matte or dewy foundation finish in a shade that complements your skin tone and balances your unique skin type and texture.
Choose light, medium, or full coverage, then start blending and creating a look that will become the foundation for soft, beautiful colors as you craft your soft girl persona.
Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint is a great product that doesn’t look too cakey when applying it.
Read on for more on these products to perfect your soft girl look; feel free to reach for others if the suggested products here don’t work for you.
Conceal Dark Spots And Circles
No fresh, youthful look has hyperpigmentation and dark circles. If you have these, it’s time to conceal or correct them.
A defining characteristic of soft girl makeup is bright, youthful-looking eyes. Peach-toned, color-correcting concealer — such as Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector — will effortlessly sweep sleep and stress away from your eyes, making them look doe-eyed and dewy.
This quality product can also correct hyperpigmentation and cover troublesome blemishes to give you that peaches ‘n’ cream complexion befitting of a soft girl.
Blush Some Baby Pink
Rosy blush is the cornerstone of a soft girl’s makeup look. Hundreds of variations exist on the trend — from an everyday hint of color to whimsical and creative interpretations involving heart-shaped stamps and clouds painted on the cheeks.
Those who want to dip in their toe instead of jumping right into soft girl might try Cloud Paint In The Shade Puff. Create rosy cheeks and blend as you go, or spot stamp for a more definitive statement. A splash of color is a highlight that brings together and brightens your complete soft girl look.
Highlight Your Best Features
This soft and sweet aesthetic is dramatically improved by adding a little highlighting product in all the right places. Dab your favorite highlighter onto cheekbones, eyelids, your Cupid’s bow, the inner corners of the eyes, and even the tip of the nose to make your face come alive.
Those nurturing sensitive skin will enjoy Armani Beauty Highlighter, as it will play up all of your best features without compromising your complexion.
Bring Out Your Lush Lashes
A feminine, fluffy lash is vital to creating a gorgeous soft girl look. Choose to bring out your natural lashes or enhance them with some fillers, and away you go to make your “come hither” lash eye.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is perfect for this kind of creativity. The hourglass-shaped wand lifts, grips, and coats lashes until they can’t take any more. Complement this flashy lusciousness with the perfect soft-winged eyeliner to showcase your innocent yet seductive side.
Craft The Perfect Pout
Lip shades that are traditionally marketed as “nude” have historically complemented pale or fair skin. Still, these subtle nude nuances are consistently changing as more and more women demand a nude shade that looks best with their skin tone.
When thinking of soft girl transformation, you’ll want to focus on peaches, pinks, and nudes for a smooth, feminine glow to the lips. You can even add some shine to the bottom lip for a fuller, more hydrated pout. Think Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Lip Balm to tackle the job of creating soft, feminine lips.
Digging Into Products
Now that you have a few tips and tricks on creating the soft girl look, here are some of the suggested products that have been tried, tested, and approved by other beauty enthusiasts who have perfected their own soft, feminine, and flirty looks. Though there are a bevy of attractive options on the market, creating a comprehensive soft girl look can be done by applying these quality products.
Time to start sculpting.
Skin Primer: Supergoop Glow Screen Makeup Primer
Supergoop Glow Screen Makeup Primer is a hydrating primer with powerful SPF 40 and blue-light protection to condition, and protects skin from all types of radiation. Containing a rich, pearlescent finish, this primer leaves skin luminous when worn alone or underneath your favorite foundation for a finished, soft look.
Adding hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 helps to boost moisture levels in the skin. Calming sea lavender helps to provide powerful antioxidant protection while balancing moisture levels.
Supergoop primer contains a dedicated blend of all-natural, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients designed to prime your makeup routine and prepares your skin for inner and outer beauty. 
Foundation: Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint
Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint is an award-winning tinted foundation/serum with feathery, light, dewy coverage. Containing active levels of quality skincare ingredients, minerals, and powerful SPF, this one-step foundation and skincare will hydrate, smooth, and refine bare skin, making it look like your skin is naturally flawless.
Various shades allow you to customize your perfect tint any time of year. At the same time, the commitment to clean beauty ensures that this product is vegan, cruelty-free, silicone and fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and safe for even the most sensitive skin. 
Spot Correction: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector
Flawless skin got one step closer to being a reality with Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish Color Corrector. Designed for those little imperfections that drive everyone batty, this color corrector effortlessly conceals dark circles, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation to offer a fresh, youthful glow.
Deep, rich pigments also correct redness and irritation, giving sensitive skin a chance to breathe under the rich emollient formula that simultaneously hydrates and nourishes. A wide variety of soft, beautiful colors allows you to highlight, darken, and correct to your heart’s content as you customize your unique glow. 
Blushing Beauty: Glossier Cloud Paint In The Shade Puff
Glossier Cloud Paint knocks it out of the park with various shades of sheer, buildable blush. This moisture-rich formula helps hydrate and visibly plump skin, leaving you with the fresh, dewy glow you’ve been craving.
A lightweight, gel-to-cream texture allows for silky smooth application and blending. A pea-sized pearl is all that is needed to obtain a sun-kissed glow. Buildable coverage lasts until you take it off. Its iridescent, light-diffusing technology allows you to create a beautiful, luminous complexion that people can’t help but notice. 
Sculpt And Highlight: Armani Beauty Highlighter
Armani Beauty Highlighter allows you to play up your best features, drawing attention to sculpted cheekbones, sparkling eyes, and the perfect pout. This nearly-invisible highlighter creates visible perfection on any area of the face you wish to enhance.
The ultra-sheer, powder-free formula boasts a no-makeup feel with easy application and on-the-go simplicity that allows quick touch-ups. Play up those cheeks, highlight the eyes, and sculpt the perfect cupid’s bow lip to create your best, most confident look. 
Flirty Lashes: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
In case you wonder if this product delivers on its namesake promise, rest assured that it does. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara will take your natural lashes and boost them to supernatural levels of lush beauty. This all-natural formula will thicken, lengthen, and strengthen curls with just a single coat.
Film-forming polymers help to lock color and rings into place, while Acacia Senegal tree extract will set your volume until you remove it. A unique hourglass-shaped brush provides superior coverage and voluptuous volume for an explosion of vibrant color to emphasize your eyes’ natural beauty. 
Create Full, Luscious Lips: Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Lip Balm
Dior provides options to create a lush and inviting soft girl pout. Lip Glow Color Reviver Lip Balm can effortlessly give a kiss of color and softness that conditions, plumps, and hydrates lips for hours after your first application.
Advanced color reviver technology directly reacts with your skin’s unique chemistry to release the right amount of color for your complexion. All-natural ingredients and rich emollients energize lips from within for a whole, fresh, and radiant glow that transforms your lips from drab to fab.
Spice Up Your Complexion: KYDA 2 Colors Liquid Freckle Pen
Adding freckles is a final touch that soft girl enthusiasts use to spice up their complexion. If you are blessed with natural freckles, embrace them. Those who do not have those sun-kissed spots can easily add fake freckles with products like the KYDA 2 Color Liquid Freckle Pen.
The liquid texture of these pens makes it easier for the product to adhere to the skin for long-lasting color enhancement. Mix and match colors for multidimensional playfulness, or stick with tried and true tones of light or dark brown to create the look you want.
Play, Create, Celebrate YOU
The soft girl aesthetic is truly unique because you can play with your distinct personality and preferences to craft the look you want. Embrace soft and pink one day, and bolder peach with some vibrant hair accessories the next.
You just might inspire others as you bring out your true femininity and inner diva with this trend-setting, soft but powerful makeup look.
