By Asia Milia Ware, a writer for the Cut who covers fashion and beauty. She also writes the column “Why Is Your Skin So Good.” She has covered fashion and beauty for seven years with bylines in InStyle, Teen Vogue, Paper, and Essence. 
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: @sofiarichiegrainge/Tiktok
Leave it up to the clock app to bring back beauty trends that no one asked for. This week’s example? Concealer on the lips, an early-aughts trick for creating an ombré nude effect. That was the idea, anyway — in reality, the look was often more crusty and dry because concealer formulas simply aren’t made for lips.
But last week, Sofia Richie Grainge posted a TikTok showing off a “pumpkin spice” fall lip that she loves. The video was an ad for YSL Beauty’s viral candy-glaze gloss stick, the nude that’s in everyone’s purse in 2023. But the “cherry on top” of Grainge’s routine was the shocker — “a tiny, tiny dot of concealer” dabbed into the middle of her lips for a finished look that enhances definition.
@sofiarichiegrainge Love @YSL Beauty Candy Glaze - soo glossy and hydrating #YSLBeautyPartner
♬ original sound - Sofia Richie Grainge
While Grainge definitely has influence — she started making TikToks before her south-of-France wedding earlier this year, and “quiet luxury” has been trending ever since — the comments suggest her followers are having trouble getting on the concealer lips bandwagon. “What year is this?” one read. Another said, “✨Millennials assemble✨ 😅💕” But I’m not sure they meant “ assemble to bring it back.” Concealer (or foundation) lips were celebrity-beloved in the early aughts, often because extremely limited shade ranges made finding the perfect nude lipstick a challenge. Makeup artists would use base colors to create definition in the lips, but sometimes they did the opposite. Instead, concealer lips often blended into the rest of the face.
While the hype around YSL’s candy glaze is absolutely deserved, it’s also worth noting that there are a plethora of multiuse products on the market these days and more than enough nude lipsticks with great formulas. We’ve come too far in beauty to turn back to dry camouflage lips.
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