As anyone who has a TikTok account knows, opening the app for a quick and innocent scroll usually devolves into an hour-long activity of watching makeup tutorials and learning about new techniques. (Or is that just me?) The latest one that’s making the rounds on the social media platform is called “underpainting.” While this makeup application method isn’t anything new, it’s currently blowing up on TikTok, and everyone from beauty influencers to editors and celebrities is taking part in it.
Monika Blunder, celebrity makeup artist and founder of her namesake beauty brand, is here to explain what it is and why it’s so popular right now. “As the name implies, you’re painting on your blush, bronzer, and contour under your foundation,” she says. “When done right, the foundation laying on top softens the makeup underneath and almost makes it look like your blush and contour are living under the skin.”
Celebrity makeup artists Scott Barnes and Mary Phillips are apparently big fans of this technique (their clients include Jennifer Lopez and Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, respectively), so of course, my interest was piqued. Keep scrolling to learn everything you need to know about the underpainting makeup trend and see what happened when I tried it.
