How to go (nearly) naked

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the colour palette, Rosie Green has some nude news

Many of you will be dismayed to learn that the no-make-up-makeup look is back. In my decades-long career as a beauty editor, it’s resurfaced more times than pedal pushers (which, incidentally, are on trend, too, god help us).

You’ll remember the look from the early 1990s. The reality, back then, was that loads of slap was involved, but we told ourselves this didn’t count as it was mainly taupe.

Then there was the actual no-make-up look that came a couple of years later. The poster girl here was Obsession-perfume-era Kate Moss. Sadly, for the rest of us, only the supermodel herself could pull it off.

After that there was the social-media iteration, with skin indeed product-free, but also airbrushed by filters to the point where everyone looked like a waxwork.

Now there is the 2024 version, as seen on the Chloé catwalk earlier this month. But hold your scepticism because, you know what? It seemed doable. A contrast to all the marker-pen eyebrows, Miss Piggy lashes and creosote-hued fake tan that have proliferated recently, this felt fresh; pared back but pretty.

And it wasn’t just prepubescent models wearing it – there were some 40-somethings, too. To prep the models for the look, they were treated to a mini facial by Orveda (a brand whose products are known for depuffing and boosting radiance). Skin was evened out with just a little concealer, then a pretty nude blush added. Brows were lightly defined. Ditto lashes. A subtly coloured lip balm was applied.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that subtle equals low maintenance. This look works best with tinted brows and lashes, and skin that’s hydrated and glowing.

Remember, too, that when it comes to revealing ‘flaws’, some are acceptable (dark shadows, for instance, can be ‘poetic’) and some are not (a big pimple). You’ll need to cover the latter.

Because let’s face it, there’s ‘real’ and then there’s real.