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The quest for the perfect makeup technique is as old as time. In the early aughts, it was all about YouTube tutorials. Now, people consume the same content on TikTok – the videos are just shorter. One application that’s gaining a lot of traction right now on the latter app is the “demi method.” Similar to micro coloring or micro concealing (where you apply small, precise dots of concealer or color corrector to your face as needed), the demi method takes a less-is-more approach to makeup.
If “quiet luxury,” “clean girl,” and countless other trending aesthetics from the last year point to anything, it’s that we’re not quite ready to give up the minimalist approach to beauty, allowing the demi method to fit right in. Derived from old-school makeup techniques, the theory is all about enhancing your complexion subtly. Shortly after one of our editors tested the demi method, it was adopted into her daily routine. Ahead, keep reading to learn what the demi method is, how to do it, and more.
What Is the Demi Method?
The demi method is designed to replace your need for a traditional foundation. “It focuses on restoring your natural skin tone, enhancing your best features, and letting your true face shine without covering it up,” Cara Brook, a makeup artist and CEO of Seint Beauty, tells POPSUGAR. “The demi method maintains the unique qualities of your face and uses the wide array of colors in your skin to your advantage.”
Brook has 20 years of experience in makeup artistry and says out of all the techniques she’s used throughout her career, this one “makes you look the most like you,” adding, “You’ll genuinely have a fraction of the product on your face, flaws will be invisible, and it will last all day.”
The entire practice is based on strategically correcting rather than covering by reducing the contrast between the light and dark areas of the face, leaving your skin tone looking more balanced. “A flawed premise we all have ingrained in us is that we should look for dark spots on the face and cover them up,” Brook says. “Learning demi teaches you a new way of seeing – that in reducing the light spots, the ‘dark’ actually blends together to make for a smooth finish.”
@caralynbroook Replying to @Pao Amaini The Demi Method undereye tutorial #undereyes #demimethod #demi #mua #demimethodmakeup
How to Do the Demi Method
The technique only involves two steps, which are repeated across the entire face. All you need is a fine-tipped brush and two colors of pigment – one that’s slightly lighter than your skin tone and one that’s darker. Brook says you can use a variety of different products for this, from two different colors of eyeshadow to bronzer and even concealer.
To put it plainly, the goal is to balance the pigment in your face by applying the light shade to any dark spots in your skin and the dark shade to any pockets of lightness. You want to use a lot of precision and only a little bit of product.
“Get comfortable zooming in on small sections of your face,” Brook says. “Most people like to start with the undereye to get the most bang for their buck.” Once you repeat those two steps on your entire face, you’re left with a smooth, even finish that barely has any product on it.
After your base is done, you can do the rest of your makeup however you’d like. However, you may discover you don’t have as much need for your blush and contour, as the natural coloring of your face will still be visible.
The Demi Method vs. Natural Makeup
At first glance, the demi method may seem similar to any natural makeup application, but where it differs is the amount of product used, as well as the type. “‘Natural’ tends to produce a flattening effect, and most people see it as using neutral colors and appearing like there isn’t makeup on the face, when there may actually be quite a bit,” Brook says. “It can take the life out of your face, requiring more products to bring back the glow that existed in the first place.”
Instead of a no-makeup makeup look that actually uses 13 different products, the demi method really only requires two items. For this reason, it’s also great for anyone who has texture in their skin that they want to minimize. Oftentimes, heavy foundation and concealer only emphasize inconsistencies in the skin’s surface.
Though the technique may take a little getting used to, once you master the method, it’s a breeze.
