(Makeup)

TikTok’s ‘Coastal Grandmother’ Craze Has Entered The Beauty Chat

Here’s how to recreate it.

April 25, 2022

REX FEATURES

You’re standing barefoot on the creaky but well-made wooden porch of your oceanfront Southampton home. You wrap your plush oatmeal-colored cashmere throw around your glowing skin, gaze out at the water, and wonder what might’ve happened to your college lover, separated by time and distance so long ago. Welcome to the beige-swaddled world of the Coastal Grandmother, the internet’s aesthetic du jour. It’s breezy, it’s natural-adjacent, it’s wholesome with just enough mystery (complicated romantic pasts! unabashed but tasteful displays of wealth! cuffed linen pants!) to be interesting. While the sartorial style is easily identifiable, its beauty equivalent, Coastal Grandmother makeup, can be a bit trickier to nail. Fortunately, all it really requires is some top-rated no-makeup makeup, a touch of summery glow, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Diane Keaton movies in which she wears a jaunty little hat.

Grab some cheese and wine from the good part of the grocery store, settle into a wavefront rocking chair, and light your most decadent candle in preparation — it’s time to explore exactly how to get the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic.

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The first thing to understand is what the Coastal Grandmother is. Beauty-wise, the aesthetic occupies a sort of in-between land that combines typically mature makeup sensibilities (matte skin, carefully coordinated colors, a fixation on looking “presentable”) and classic coastal casualness (sunkissed complexions, general irreverence). It’s not quite the buttoned-up Martha’s Vineyard scene, but it’s definitely not the typical beachy, coconut girl vibe typically associated with the coast, either. The patron saints of the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic include people like Meryl Streep, Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten, every Nancy Meyers protagonist ever, and Oprah — especially when she’s proffering a leafy bounty from her own garden. In a somewhat meta twist, even younger celebrities are starting to embrace the atheistic. The past few days have seen Selena Gomez and Anne Hathaway both showing off their cream-colored Coastal Grandmother ensembles, with Hathaway (herself a Nancy Meyer movie veteran) even describing her outfit as exactly that.

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The best beauty brands for the Coastal Grandmother look are the same ones you’d turn to for securing the “clean” look that also went viral on TikTok. Minimalist favorites like Ami Colé, REFY, and Merit come to mind, as well as their slightly beachier counterparts like Jones Road, Rare Beauty, and Kosas. The makeup worn by Keaton’s character in the summertime staple Something’s Gotta Give is perhaps the ultimate example of the look — matte skin complemented by a delicate, satin blush, just enough eyeliner to define and accentuate the eyes, and a hint of some frosty lip color that seems like it could be either from a lipstick or leftover from last night’s glass of merlot. In the world of Nancy Meyers, brows are given about as much consideration as synthetic fabrics — as in not at all — so just capitalize on what you have naturally with some brow-building fiber gel or clear gel, skipping the more defined pencils and pomades for now. Bronzer might not be the first Coastal Grandmother product that comes to mind, either, but a subtle sun-kissed radiance is crucial — especially when there’s so much ivory involved in your wardrobe.

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And though it’s not makeup, another key aspect of the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic is clean, natural nails. If you do opt for an acrylic or tip, keep the color a delicate nude lest you veer into the Baddie Grandmother aesthetic (that should be a thing any day now). All in all, the vibe is just relaxed beauty — like the sands of time have left you less concerned with a full face of makeup but not entirely indifferent. After all, Coastal Grandmothers are always running into ex-husbands at the neighbor’s backyard wedding or falling in love with their son’s boyfriend whilst they’re home for a visit.

In a society so obsessed with youth, it’s nice to see a style so distinguished by advanced age be so thoroughly embraced by very young people. This Coastal Grandmother aesthetic is also one marked by an embrace of imperfection and simplicity. A few products, all of which combine to enhance rather than transform or erase any features, bring the face to life with sumptuous fabrics and neutral color palettes round out the wardrobe. It couldn’t be a better choice for a fun, breezy summer — no thoughts, just romantic intrigue, chilled white wine, and vibes.

Below, shop the TZR Coastal Grandmother makeup starter pack for everything you need.

We at TZR only include products that have been independently selected by our editors. We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Kosas

Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer

$28

A two-in-one hybrid that’s at once an eye-illuminating, dark circle-obfuscating concealer and a lightweight, daytime eye cream, Kosas’ signature product sinks into skin for an undetectable, Coastal Grandmother-approved finish.

Estée Lauder

Double Wear Sheer Long-Wear Makeup SPF 19

$46

The sheer, SPF-filled version of Estée Lauder’s famed Double Wear foundation lends the same all-day staying power of the original but is lighter and more suited for a day outdoors in the garden, along the shore, or biking into town — all places you can spot the Coastal Grandmother in her natural habitat.

Kevyn Aucoin Beauty

Loose Setting Powder

$42

To a Coastal Grandmother, there’s a fine line between a sophisticated matte face and a dry one that shows off every crease and pore. Thankfully, Kevyn Aucoin’s loose powder made to set makeup never veers into feathery, crepe-y territory. The impossibly fine one-color-fits-all powder banishes excessive shine while lightly blurring the skin to keep it close-up ready.

PAT McGRATH LABS

Skin Fetish: Divine Powder Blush, Matte Finish

$39

A delicate sweep of matte blush is as critical to the Coastal Grandmother makeup aesthetic as a cashmere pashmina, and Pat McGrath’s highly blendable is the best of the best. When in doubt, opt for either a faint, natural shade or one that replicates the flush you get when you realize that you are still in love with your blustery yet unforgettable ex.

LYS Beauty

No Limits Matte Bronzer

$18

Smooth, blend-friendly, and comfortable on the skin, LYS Beauty’s take on bronzer is more than Coastal Grandmother-friendly. The key here is that the bronzer is devoid of sparkle, adding warmth to the face without looking like makeup.

MERIT

Brow 1980

$24

Eyebrows aren’t too much of a thing in the world of Coastal Grandmothers, but they still need a bit of love, color, and definition. Merit’s brow builder is more like a lightweight brow mascara, plumping up the hairs but never making them too heavy or harsh.

Rare Beauty

Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara

$20

The hardest part about nailing the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic is keeping the mascara relatively minimal — the beachy grandma look more so favors a very lightly defined eye. Selena Gomez knows Costal Grandmother style well, and it’s reflected in Rare Beauty’s lash-conditioning formula.

Jones Road

The Best Pencil

$22

This eyeliner pencil looks just like a real pencil — and as such, it’s equally easy to wield and apply. The buildable formula is perfect for lightweight eye looks and, if you’re careful with it, the tip sharpens to a very fine point to make a careful, ultra-thin lining job a snap.

Ami Colé

Lip Treatment Oil

$20

One of the few Coastal Grandmother-approved makeup items that isn’t a straight-up matte, a just-wet-enough lip oil (especially one that doubles as a treatment, like Ami Colé’s) ties the entire look together. A refreshing berry shade — think wine-like — is always a safe bet, too.