If you’re not a huge fan of foundation clogging up your pores after a long day, or you hate hiding your gorgeous freckles from the world but still want to look even-toned, I might have the trending makeup routine and technique for you. Listen up, foundation antis and freckled queens! The Demi Method is taking minimalist and natural makeup to a whole new level, and it’s all over my TikTok FYP.
The Demi Method is basically a form of color-correcting made super simple and subtle. This technique is all about enhancing your natural beauty. Makeup artist Cara Brook coined the term Demi Method, and popularized the technique. It’s blown up on TikTok over the past few months, with the hashtag #demimethodmakeup receiving over 30 million views. Brook’s makeup line, Seint, wrote that the Demi Method “balances your features, keeps your natural glow and color intact, and removes distractions” from your face, allowing your beauty to shine through.
Brook said in a TikTok that if you’re going to try the Demi Method, “the closer you can get to a mirror, the better.” Time to whip out those handheld mirrors everyone! After watching countless TikToks about the Demi Method, I’ve simplified the steps to this technique — and don’t worry, I’m not going to gatekeep them from you.
I’ve learned that the key takeaway to this technique is balancing your skin tone. The first step is to find the lighter spots on your face and darken them. With a fluffy brush for larger areas and a fine-tipped brush for smaller spots, add bronzer or contour to the lighter areas of your face. You’re just evening out your skin tone to start.
The next step involves a bit of emphasizing. Play up your eyes with a warm toned or brown shadow. You can contour the bottom of your lip and the bridge of your nose with a small brush as well. The most fun part, in my opinion, is adding blush! Yes, the Demi Method calls for blush (thank goodness).
The last step is to add light to the darkest areas of your face. This is where the dreaded under-eyes come in. With a bit of concealer and that fine-tipped brush, apply concealer only to the darkest parts of your under-eyes. You can go back and add a bit more contour or bronzer in the lighter areas on your cheeks to contrast the darkness of your under-eyes, too. Feel free to conceal any smile lines or dark areas near your lips as well. Make sure to take baby steps, only adding a little makeup at a time and then blending the crap out of it.
Have acne or redness that you want to conceal? The Demi Method covers that, too (pun intended). Brook says to darken the lighter area that makes a ring around the zit with contour and a tiny brush or makeup pen. Then, carefully dot an orange shade on the darkest part of the zit. The darker your skin tone, the brighter the orange you should use. Any acne color-correcting palette, from Seint to Nyx, will help cover up those blemishes.
The final touch to the Demi Method is to do whatever you want! Put on some mascara, fill in your eyebrows, and you’re done! Consider this no-makeup makeup look complete.