How Will You Look When You Emerge From the Pandemic?

As Covid restrictions loosen, a lot of women are finding that the carefully applied makeup they once relied on, pre-pandemic, now seems overdone, even a bit alien. Instead of full-coverage foundation, lipstick and blush, they’re choosing cosmetics with a softer look that’s more relaxed.

“Women are wearing plenty of makeup, even on camera, but it has a different sensibility,” said Patricia Saxby, who oversees the beauty selection at Bergdorf Goodman. “It is more toned down, for sure, and natural.”

For lips and cheeks, a popular option is a lightly textured tinted balm or stain. These products are frequently formulated with conditioning ingredients, like apricot oil and shea butter; their subdued finishes don’t require precise application or much effort.

“That’s what everybody wants,” Ms. Saxby said. “They want easy, quick, ‘put the product on your face, look instantly better.’”

An assortment of new lip products promises exactly that. Take, for example, Gucci’s Rouge de Beauté Brillant Glow & Care Shine Lipstick, introduced last month. Encased in a slender, vintage-look tube, it leaves a thin wash of color. (Like many of these products, the shades appear considerably more saturated in the package than on the lips.) The Tinted Lip Balm from Byredo, which came out earlier this month, is offered in three sheer, low-key options that suit many complexions.

Hermès recently added Rosy Lip Enhancer to its makeup line, in three pink-based versions that deliver a soft, pretty hint of pigment. (It’s pricey — $67 per tube — with luxe touches like the trademark Hermès orange box as part of its packaging.) Guerlain’s KissKiss Shine Bloom Lipstick, which was released in April, comes in 20 hues, most of which are quite neutral; one, My Kiss Glow, is a pale pink that adapts to the pH of each wearer’s lips to create a natural-looking tone.