Your Plump, Cloud Skin Isn’t Complete Without This Essential Step

Jello skin, dumpling skin, cloud skin—whatever you decide to name your plump and bouncy face beat, you likely know requires a very specific balance of matte and dewy makeup products. Apply too much shine, and you’ll read way too glossy; but if you pile on the powder, you may wind up looking dry and cakey. 

Cloud skin appears plush and pillowy yet filled with moisture (you know, like a fluffy cloud holding onto rainfall).

So to nail the beloved makeup trend of the moment, you’ll want to aptly hydrate your skin without leaving behind a slick surface. How do you strike this delicate balance? You plump your skin from within. 

The essential step for plush, cloud skin

As any makeup artist will tell you, proper skin prep is crucial; before you even pick up that beauty blender, make sure to use plenty of humectants (hyaluronic acid, aloe, glycerin, etc.) to provide a temporary plumping effect pre-makeup. "By prepping the skin and ultra-hydrating it, your matte look will just be a texture finish and not a distraction," celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg tells us about matte makeup. 

We love a good HA serum, but to really secure an ultra-hydrated appearance, you don’t want to forget about internal methods—like, say, collagen supplements. 

Translation? You can secure naturally plush, cloud skin without a drop of serum—and you won’t have to worry about your matte makeup flaking off midday. 

The takeaway

Cloud skin looks oh-so soft and effortlessly plush, and it requires matte over dewy makeup. If your dry skin withers up at the very mention of setting powder, don’t fret: Aptly hydrate your skin from within, and the “cloudy” look becomes way easier to master.