Back-to-school makeup is trending as TikTokers create clean looks that work for day-to-day

If you’ve headed back to school this week, we hope it’s been a smooth transition from scrolling through TikTok on your sofa to getting your head back into textbooks. But the latest trend on the video sharing platform, back to school makeup, is actually for anyone who’s keen on sporting a pared-back look or just wants a straight-forward tutorial for achieving an understated, yet dewy look. 

The trend centres around creating looks with minimal makeup that would pass in the classroom – so minimal eyeshadow and no lipstick, among other things – but it’s actually also a lesson in making fewer products go further that anyone could learn something from. 

It’s not clear where the trend started, we imagine just with school-goers and content creators trying to inspire each other with classroom-appropriate makeup, but the #backtoschoolmakeup hashtag now has over 52 million views, with some videos receiving hundreds of thousands of likes and comments. 

One such video is from user Danielle Marcan, a makeup guru with a three million strong following on the platform, whose take on back to school makeup has received over 1.2 million views. “OMG def doing this,” wrote one appreciative viewer, while another added: “I don’t go to school but I love this fresh look.”

Though it has to be said that some school goers weren’t particularly hopeful about getting the look through the school gates. “Id never be allowed to wear this at school,” one said, echoed by another who wrote: “If only I could wear this.”

But for those of us heading to an office, or to our bedroom desk (aka, our bed), the 10-minute routine is a no-brainer. So, let’s get cracking.

First, Danielle uses the raved-about CeraVe Moisturiser as a primer before adding a Rimmel foundation, which she explains is more of a “skin tint” rather than a full-coverage product: “It doesn’t really cover but it does neutralise your skin tone.”

The duo gives the creator perfectly glowy skin as a base for the Catrice Concealer, which she uses under her eyes to brighten the area, before moving on to a contour stick from Kiko, adding a dash of blush from Revolution. 

“For brows I’m using the strongest brow gel I know from the drug store, NYX,” Danielle explains, before adding a light smattering of black eyeshadow from elf Cosmetics (though lots of people have pointed out in the comments that many schools would clock onto this particular part of the look). 

Finally, the look is completed with mascara, some highlighter down her nose and on the apple of her cheeks and then it’s back in with the brow pen for some lip liner and then plumping gloss. 

And if you’re a fan of the look, Danielle’s video isn’t the only one to go-to, we’ve selflessly scrolled through the hashtag to pick out the best examples of the back to school makeup trend so that you don’t have to. The most popular use a mix of products and techniques, but all emulate the soft, glowy look that Danielle show us so seamlessly. 

And, if you’re short on time and just want the key takeaways, we’ve got you too, here are the top five makeup tips we’ve gleaned from this latest TikTok beauty trend:

1. Opt for a nude colour palette, it goes with every outfit and is easy to keep subtle.
2. Add dimension to your cheeks by sweeping a matte bronzer from the top of your ear to the apples of your cheeks. Try one with a little shimmer for a sun kissed glow.
3. Begin with a primer to make sure your foundation stays in place from class to after-school clubs or, if you’re like us, from the office to the pub.

RIGHT, playtime’s over, get back to whatever you were doing.