‘Siren skin’ is a shimmering makeup look straight out of the ’90s | The Citizen

New York Fashion Week revived nostalgia for the fantastical beauty looks made popular by the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in the 1990s.

And this trend now has a name: ‘siren skin,’ which means glistening, almost wet-look skin with shimmering highlights. A makeup look that won’t go unnoticed in the run-up to the festive season.

Quiet luxury was the order of the day at New York‘s fashion shows for the spring/summer 2024 season, but not all brands followed the trend quite to the contrary.

Luxury label, The Blonds took the opposite path, focusing on opulence, glamour and fantasy, inspired by two mythical creatures – mermaids and unicorns – whose imagery regularly influences the worlds of fashion and beauty.

The theme gave rise to beauty looks with XXL nails, with colorful polish or adorned with rhinestones, as well as dark or pastel eyeshadows, and especially, shimmering skin.

It’s a trend that some Millennials may already have mastered to perfection, having tried and tested it in the late 1990s.

Moisture and glitter

Beauty content creator Cat Quinn posted a video showcasing the ‘siren skin’ look, evoking the The Blonds fashion show, and explaining that she tested it under the guidance of makeup artist Jessie Lefler.

It shows the young woman wearing a subtly shimmering purple eyeshadow, and having her body covered with a mix of two products that are seemingly essential for creating the ‘siren skin’ look.

These are two MAC Cosmetics essentials: Strobe Cream luminous moisturizer and Glitter Reflects Transparent Pink glitter powder for face, body and hair. This duo helps give skin a slightly moist (or highly moisturized) effect, with subtle shimmering reflections.

@catquinn Siren Skin at the Blonds was inspired by mermaids and unicorns. Had to try it with @Jessie Lefler using Reflects Glitter and Strobe Cream from @maccosmetics #iworkatmac #maccosmetics #mactrend #sirenskin #nyfw #theblonds #mermaidcore #mermaidtok #siren ♬ THANK YOU FOR USING MY SOUND – Fairies

In just a few days, the video amassed over 10,000 views, suggesting the emergence of a strong trend in the weeks to come.

And while the The Blonds fashion show was for the spring-summer 2024 season, there’s a strong chance that this beauty look will be adopted long before then, particularly in the run-up to the festive season.

Note that it’s not essential to use the two products mentioned by Cat Quinn: a light moisturizing cream and a shimmering powder will suffice, whatever the brand.

Reminiscent of shower makeup and laminated skin

While this new trend is all about glitter and shimmer, it’s also reminiscent of two other beauty aesthetics that went viral in late 2022 and early 2023: laminated skin and shower makeup.

Both sought to recreate a moist, or wet-look effect, like after a workout in the case of the former, or after stepping out of the shower in the case of the latter. The same effect is seen, to a lesser extent, in the ‘siren skin’ look.

Laminated skin sought to achieve a wet-look complexion, or more precisely, a natural glow effect, thanks to a light foundation and a setting mist, while shower makeup relied on the use of a glowy base, foundation, moisturizer and contouring products.

The idea remained the same as for ‘siren skin,’ however, in creating the effect of naturally radiant skin, albeit without the glitter.