1. Water Droplet Skin

A flawless complexion that appears so pristine water droplets would roll right off takes center stage this season. Achieving a healthy representation of one’s natural skin tone, regardless of ethnicity, presents a unique challenge—it requires maintaining both the dermis’s elasticity and hydration while paying meticulous attention to texture. Above all, the availability of perfectly matched skin tone products is paramount. While researching competitor trends during a global business trip to Thailand, one notable observation was the extensive foundation color spectrum. Thailand’s geographical position as a confluence of Middle Eastern and Western vacation destinations and its diverse local population necessitate this wide range of color variations. While shades 21 and 23 dominate the Thai market, particularly in warm and neutral tones, maintaining an extensive shade range remains crucial for ethnic diversity.

In this season’s menswear collections, models showcased bases crafted with foundations perfectly matched to their skin tones, characterized by silky textures that impart an inner glow. The first half of 2025 will see ‘glow’ emerge as the definitive skin makeup trend, particularly emphasizing hydrated radiance that mimics post-spa luminosity. For optimal skin conditions, foundations infused with skincare benefits are recommended. HERA’s Silky Stay Custom Match, offering 125 distinct shades, enables truly personalized foundation creation. Its formulation, which delicately covers pores and texture, proves particularly suitable for men with excess sebum and rougher skin texture.

2. Gleaming Silver Point

Silver emerges as a focal color as AI-driven cutting-edge culture intersects with various industries. Among colors symbolizing ‘luxury,’ silver stands out for its futuristic, contemporary, and modern sensibility. This season particularly showcased cybernetic silver in both Fourth Industrial Revolution-inspired looks and makeup objects and colors. While women’s collections primarily utilize silver in highlighters and eye makeup glitter, men’s collections incorporate it as an accentuating color in hair, accessories, and strategic makeup placement, boldly minimizing shades. Silver appears as a signature accent throughout all grooming stages: Doublet’s metallic pigment eyeliner is revealed only upon opening the eyes, Jeanne Friot’s silver-tinted hair is shaped with wax, and Masu’s crystal silver gem applications. ETUDE’s Shine Fix Eyes Glitter in #Mystic Cosmos combines holographic pearls with a hydrating base to create striking metallic pigmentation that maintains clarity from every angle.

3. Natural Flush Perfection

As spring blooms approach, the quest for a blush that naturally enhances complexion gains momentum. Recently, it’s even found its way into techniques that visually shorten the mid-face. But have we ever witnessed such distinctive blush application in men’s makeup? This season’s looks evoke an almost girlish flush that transcends mere rosy cheeks. Men’s makeup now harnesses blush intensity for dramatic image transformation. The hardness of the blush formula determines whether color strokes appear bold or natural. Cream blushes, celebrated for creating natural, healthy radiance, offer a foolproof application that elevates any makeup look. Paris fashion houses have prominently featured fig-tinted coral hints and milky pink Rose Tan (Pantone #16-1511).

Global makeup artist Pat McGrath, who sparked a conversation with her artistic makeup direction at the Maison Margiela SS24 collection, declares that “blush transcends traditional makeup boundaries to become a tool of artistic expression.” This versatility in color and texture enables the creation of unique, innovative makeup looks. While blush has become a staple in both men’s and women’s makeup repertoires, the approach differs significantly—men’s application favors a soft matte finish rather than the glossy effect preferred in women’s looks. In contrast to the glazed, juice-inspired makeup trend, we see cheek makeup that remains calm while highlighting boyish charm. ETUDE’s Heart Pop Blusher in Squeeze Berry shade offers a refined baked formula that creates a clear color on the cheeks.

4. Juicy Strawberry Milk Vibes

Rose Shadow (Pantone #13-1906), a powdery baby pink, continues reigning as the primary color in men’s makeup grooming. While the luminosity that follows facial contours plays its part, the color itself introduces a feminine touch. Since the SS24 Men’s collections, delicate color combinations that evoke spring sensibilities have complemented the ongoing soft styling trend—a milky muted pink serves as a connecting point from complexion through eye makeup to lips. When working with color in men’s makeup, modulation is crucial. While medium-low saturation delivers sophistication and gentleness—qualities frequently embraced by S/S fashion houses—excessive application risks creating an unfamiliar makeup aesthetic. The pink accent that once trended through unexpected placement has evolved in this season’s men’s makeup trends to tint under-eyes and lips subtly. For those seeking to translate men’s fashion house inspiration into a real way, lip makeup offers an accessible entry point. HERA’s Sensual Lip Custom Match provides unprecedented personalization with three textures of velvet, gloss, and plumping, 142 diverse shades, and five distinct fragrances for customer selection. To diffuse accent colors across the face, scoop lip product lightly with your fingers and pat gently over the eyes or the bridge of the nose to naturally harmonize tone and mood.

5. Glam Shimmer Contour

‘Simple, restrained, concise’ - these descriptors have long defined men’s makeup. Yet examining the expressions of masculinity in recent collections reveals how bold contours can exude powerful masculinity even while minimizing color. This explains contour’s emergence as a key trend this season. While shading has traditionally dominated men’s makeup over contouring, this season’s fashion house collections spotlight soft contouring techniques. The more pronounced and precise these lines become, the more they amplify a dandy, intellectual aesthetic.

Highlighter and shading do more than reshape facial structure—they also enhance eye makeup dimensionality. Silk cream textures, in particular, impart a natural luminosity to the cheekbones, forehead, and nose bridge, promoting an overall impression of skin health.

As slow aging gains prominence, contouring products increasingly incorporate skincare ingredients. The butterfly zone’s elasticity has become a year-round concern across all ages. The cheekbone area, prone to dark spots and bumpiness, has become an indicator of youthful appearance. HERA’s Healthy Glow Dewy Balm, a multi-glow formulation, enhances skin’s natural radiance while providing immediate skin-improving benefits. This glow balm offers an intuitive solution for creating natural facial dimension for those uncertain about foundation shade selection or shading intensity.