"Butter Skin" Is The New Hot Aesthetic, According To BeautyTok

Everyone is talking about butter, the once-villainized kitchen staple. Gone are the days of margarine and butter alternatives — the real stuff has never been hotter. In the kitchen, people are putting butter in coffee and dates. Scrolling Pinterest, a bevy of butter-yellow fashion and nail inspiration is everywhere. And now, for beauty girlies, everybody wants their skin to look as soft and creamy as the cooking essential.

Meet the “butter skin” trend, which has picked up where glazed donut and glass skin complexions left off.

What Is Butter Skin?

This look combines moisturized, soft-focus makeup. Unlike glass skin, this isn't just about showing off a juicy face that’s slathered in plumping serums. A buttery complexion is achieved by skin prep and makeup techniques that deliver the perfect middle road between Hailey Bieber’s famed glazed radiance and a matte finish.

It was only a matter of time before the ultra-dewy, highlighter-heavy makeup looks that have dominated for the past several years met their match. Butter skin isn’t about looking shiny or even imitating no-makeup skin: It’s natural-inspired, but polished and satiny — not glossy or artificially illuminated.

On the red carpet, makeup artists have been opting for soft, subtle complexions that appear airbrushed with an almost velvet-like finish. The result: classic, bombshell faces that are glamorous without being glazed.

“Butter skin looks like real skin, just super healthy and supple. It’s more wearable, especially in dry or cold weather,” says celebrity makeup artist Kat Guevara of Flower Knows. “It’s simple, rich, and gives that luxurious glow we all love — without the grease.

Celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng is responsible for many looks that inspire the butter skin trend. She’s recently worked with Gracie Abrams, whose recent soft glam and watercolor blush have been impeccable; Sofia Richie, who gave luminous bombshell with an understated buttery complexion at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party; and Simone Ashley, whose unreal-looking skin is a masterclass in velvety radiance.

How To Achieve The Look

It’s all about the proper skin prep in order to create that gorgeous, velvety finish. “The skin should feel deeply moisturized, plump, smooth, and velvety — literally buttery soft,” says Guevara. “Unlike the ultra-wet finish of glazed skin, the butter look focuses on nourishment and real radiance, not just shine.”

Begin with a hydrated base. Think formulas that sink into the skin rather than sit on top of it and makes it look shiny.

For your makeup, try a light foundation or even a natural-looking skin tint. From there, layer creamy blushes and bronzers over your canvas for a light radiance rather than da ramatic glow. “Use a creamy foundation like NARS Light Reflecting or Fenty Eaze Drop, then a creamy, hydrating blush,” says Guevara (take a nod from the watercolor blush trend). “Finish with a light powdering of the T-zone with Flower Knows Strawberry Cupid Pressed Powder and a dewy spray such as the Charlotte Tilbury or Tatcha Mist.” Et voila: You’ve got a glow that looks good enough to eat.