Achieving the Perfect “Butter Skin”: The Latest Beauty Trend for Luminous Complexion
The beauty industry has been obsessed with luminous skin finishes for several years now. From donut skin to dewy dumpling skin to glass skin, the quest for the perfect glow has dominated beauty conversations and routines. While matte skin remains in the beauty background despite the revival of other ’90s trends, our collective fascination with radiant complexions has evolved into something new: “butter skin.”
Google searches for this trend have surged by an impressive 300 percent in just the past month, with countless tutorials appearing across social media platforms. This latest development represents another chapter in what experts call the “foodification” of beauty—where culinary-inspired terminology creates instantly relatable skincare concepts.
What Exactly Is “Butter Skin”?
To fully understand this trending technique, we consulted with skin and makeup experts who broke down the essentials of achieving this coveted look.
“Butter skin focuses on achieving a complexion that is ultra-smooth, plump, and deeply hydrated, resembling the softness and richness of butter,” explains Ifeoma Ejikeme, skin expert and founder of ZKIN and the Adonia Medical Clinic. “It has its origins in Korean skincare philosophy, where deeply hydrating the skin and strengthening the skin barrier is a primary focus. However, it’s gained traction as people want to move towards a more balanced, long-term approach to skin health.”
Unlike some fleeting beauty trends, butter skin represents a holistic approach to skincare and makeup application, prioritizing skin health while achieving that signature luminous finish.
Creating Your Butter Skin Foundation: The Skincare Essentials
The secret to perfect butter skin begins with thorough preparation. The skincare regimen creates the ideal canvas upon which makeup can enhance—not mask—your natural radiance.
“Focus on a hydration-first approach while reinforcing the skin barrier,” advises Ejikeme. “A skincare routine should prioritize gentle cleansing, hydration layering, barrier repair, and protection with SPF.”
For optimal results, search for products containing:
- Ceramides and fatty acids: These strengthen the skin barrier
- Peptides: Help improve skin elasticity and firmness
- Hyaluronic acid and glycerin: Draw moisture into the skin and lock it there
- Lactic acid and PHAs: Gentle exfoliants that remove dead skin cells without stripping away essential moisture
- Squalane: An oil that mimics the skin’s natural sebum and seals in hydration
Ejikeme emphasizes the importance of consistency: “There are no quick fixes; the key is consistency and layering. Butter skin is essentially about maintaining healthy, hydrated, and resilient skin over time.”
Her recommended routine begins with a non-stripping cleanser like CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser to maintain skin barrier health. This should be followed by exfoliation with a gentle formula such as Glow Recipe PHA + BHA Toner, which can be used daily if your skin tolerates it well, or biweekly for more sensitive complexions.
Perfecting Butter Skin: The Makeup Approach
Once your skin is thoroughly hydrated, strategic makeup application completes the butter skin effect. Makeup artist and Vieve founder Jamie Genevieve explains that this look prioritizes enhancement over concealment.
“It’s all about skin that looks really hydrated, almost like you want to touch it, skin that looks juicy and plump,” Genevieve notes. “Focus on perfecting skin, but not completely covering it up. It’s less about layering on heavy foundation and more about the skin prep underneath and using products in a really mindful way.”
Genevieve recommends beginning with a hydrating, luminous primer followed by a lightweight, skin-enhancing foundation or concealer, depending on your desired coverage level. The market now offers numerous lightweight, skincare-infused base products suitable for all skin types—finding one that works harmoniously with your complexion is crucial.
Her personal favorite combination includes Vieve Skin Nova primer—a golden-toned formula clinically proven to boost skin hydration by 202 percent—paired with their Complexion Balm, which delivers buildable coverage with a radiant finish.
Highlighter plays a pivotal role in achieving butter skin, but Genevieve stresses the importance of selecting formulas with diffused, natural finishes rather than stark, obvious shimmer. “Think shining a light on a block of melting butter; that’s the glow,” she explains, recommending cream or liquid formulations that integrate seamlessly with your base products.
The Butter Skin Application Technique
Genevieve shares her unique approach to achieving the perfect butter skin finish:
- Apply primer with your fingertips to warm the product and help it melt into the skin
- Use a single dense foundation brush for multiple products—foundation, cream bronzer, and highlighter—with minimal cleaning between applications
- Apply highlighter to the high points of your cheekbones, jawline, and forehead
- Use your foundation brush to thoroughly buff these products together, creating that signature buttery blend
- Set with a dewy finishing spray instead of powder (or use powder very sparingly only in areas that tend to become excessively oily)
“There’s something about the way that the products mix on the brush that makes the application really seamless,” Genevieve explains about her single-brush technique.
The final result is a complexion that appears naturally luminous, healthy, and yes—buttery smooth. This approach creates a polished yet effortless look that works for everyday wear while still appearing refined and intentional.
As beauty trends continue evolving, butter skin represents a welcome shift toward techniques that prioritize skin health alongside aesthetic appeal. By focusing on hydration, barrier protection, and thoughtful product application, this trend delivers both immediate visual benefits and long-term improvements to your complexion.