No more heavy layers: The beauty world is switching to water-based makeup

While the previous decade was dominated by heavy contour palettes, full-coverage foundations and powders that created the traditional “glam” look, today’s beauty industry is changing course and embracing minimalism. If you ask leading magazines such as Vogue and Allure, today’s consumers are looking not only for minimalism, but also for good makeup products that do not compromise skin health. That approach has led to a new generation of hybrid makeup products that blur the line between makeup and skincare. What does that mean? Products that incorporate active ingredients such as niacinamide, ceramides, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid directly into the pigment. At the heart of this trend are water-based formulas, which make it possible to achieve the sought-after Cloud Skin look: soft, natural, breathable skin with a healthy glow that does not look overly made-up or overly shiny like “glass skin,” but simply radiant. It is a conceptual shift.