This is how you get the Victoria’s Secret makeup look
Lights, camera – angels. After a lot of criticism and a not so successful comeback with something. And if you absolutely must wear those pumps, make sure they are a pair with an ankle strap, so your leg is broken up again. Also very nice: a nice sneaker. Nikes, Vans, Mipacha’s, actually anything works, and such a sporty shoe creates a nice contrast with the sexy skirt. Victoria’s Secret back on the catwalk and that means one thing: we’re going to see those amazing makeup looks again. Secretly you can already spot these, because everyone with a beauty blender on TikTok is recreating the look. Do you want to look like a Victoria Secret model too? Follow these steps and before you know it, you’ll be walking in a blow-out and getting scouted.
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Step 1: skin prep
Yes, no matter how good the products you use: makeup won’t sit well, and especially won’t stay put, if you don’t prepare your face properly. This doesn’t have to be a 100-step routine, but something is handy. Hydrate your face well, because the Victoria’s Secret look is matte. Wet your face and use hyaluronic acid or a good moisturizer. After you let this absorb, move on to the primer. The e.l.f Power Grip is great for this. It ensures that the foundation stays put.
Step 2: eyebrows
Everyone has their own way of doing makeup, but especially in the Victoria’s Secret look, you need a natural brow. That’s why it’s better to do this step before applying the rest of your base. Do them how you like: use a pen, pencil, or a tinted brow gel and fill them in. But: don’t go too big. They are fluffy, but always in a straight, not too thick shape and naturally colored. Gel them in place if you want and do something we haven’t done since 2016, the golden makeup year: highlight the eyebrows with concealer. Do you remember those amazing cut creases and ‘carved brows’? If you remember that, you’re a makeup veteran. It might feel a bit unnatural, but we’re going to do it again. Do it lightly, not with a thick concealer stripe like back then. And handy: you can also use this concealer on your eyelids – you’ll prime your eyelids for the eyeshadow right away. You do need to set that with powder before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: the eyes
Now that the eyes have a base, we can play with eyeshadow. We do this before all foundation, because we’re going to work with glitters and color. You don’t want that in your foundation. Which colors you choose depends on which look you want to recreate, but the shows were known for their warm brown tones or pink tones with lots of glitter in the same shade. You start blending the colors on your eyelid together, because one thing Victoria’s Secret did well: that eyeshadow was blended to perfection. You work from the darkest to the lightest color. When you’re satisfied, apply the glitter over the side and the middle of your eyelid. To make your eyes sparkle, apply a line with a black eyeliner on the upper waterline of your eye. With the same eyeliner, you create a wing. Then it’s time to curl your lashes and apply mascara. Do you have some time left? Apply extra false lashes – those half ones on the outer edges of your lashes. That gives just a bit more wow effect. Remove the glitters under your eyes with a makeup wipe or cotton pad and we move on.
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Step 4: the base
Then we move on to the base, perhaps the most important part of the whole shebang. The models walked in their prime with a natural, matte look on the catwalk. A bit of bronzer, some blush, highlighter – it’s all part of it, but nothing too heavy. Spray some fixing spray to hydrate your face after that long battle on your eyelids and let it absorb. Then choose a foundation that suits you, but is high coverage. Everything needs to be covered: every spot, every mole – we don’t want to see it. Oh yes, and even though this is a matte look, the foundation doesn’t have to be matte. You can also achieve that with powder. Apply it with your brush and go for it. Set your foundation with setting spray before applying the powders, because that base must not move.
Step 5: Cream contour and blush
The models are always snatched in their face for some reason, so you want to replicate that. You do this with contour. It serves as a shadow in your face, so please don’t choose a warm brown color. A cool brown color is usually the way to go. Apply it to your hand and pick it up with your brush. Apply this under your cheekbones, along your hairline and jaw to create natural shadow and depth. Blend this well, no one wants to see ugly stripes. Especially not now that you’re a model, haha.
Blush is not a statement in the Victoria’s Secret makeup like it is nowadays. Apply it lightly on your cheeks and nose to emphasize that youthful glow, but not too much. You’re not Sabrina Carpenter.
Step 6: concealer
This is for highlighting. That’s why you use it well under your eyes (which you should also do), but also under your contour. This way you ‘snatch’ your cheekbones even more. Blend this out first with a brush and then with a beauty blender for the best seamless look.
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Step 7: powder
Doutzen Kroes and Adriana Lima were not known for their beautiful glow. At the peak of the show, everything revolved around the matte look with highlighter as a light glow. So that concealer, contour, and blush you need to – you guessed it – powder. Otherwise, those creams will melt off your skin. With a setting powder and powder puff, powder all the areas where you applied concealer. And don’t forget your forehead.
Then you go over your forehead and cheekbones with a powder bronzer. And we can’t forget the powder blush either. Choose colors that are similar to each other, otherwise it will be, uh, a circus.
Step 8: the final mascara and eyeshadow
Now that your concealer and powder are on, you can finish the eye look. Apply one of the dark colors from the eyeshadow look lightly under your waterline and finish with mascara on your lower lash line. With a black eyeliner, line your lower waterline: this is the trick to perfectly emphasize your eyes.
Step 9: highlighter
In the advanced 2025, most of us naturally all use a cream highlighter, but grab that powder highlighter from your makeup drawer for this look. Apply it above your cheekbones, in the inner corner of your eye, on the tip of your nose, and under your eyebrow.
Step 10: lips
Fortunately, they were already off the glossy lips back then. Grab a lip liner and gloss that match each other and the eyeshadow and apply it, girl.
And there you are. It looks like you just stepped off the 2000s Victoria’s Secret catwalk. Run away from all the paparazzi and fend off the partners. Going for the complete look? Curl your hair in a voluminous blow-out and voilà. This is how you get the OG Golden era Victoria’s Secret bombshell makeup look.
