Everyone loves to have glowing skin, but the truth is that most people unfortunately are not blessed with it naturally. The good news? You can easily achieve that radiant looking skin using makeup! With a few easy steps, you will have that beautiful, dewy glow without looking too oily. Read on to see which products we suggest using based on your skin type.
We’ve compiled a step-by-step list on how you can get glowing skin depending on your skin type. If you have normal or combination skin, lucky you! You can use any of the products from both categories. Keep in mind, just because your skin is dry or oily, you aren’t limited to only liquids or only powders — just make sure you are using more hydrating products on dry skin, and mattifying products on oily skin.
One tip to achieve glowing skin is to try using a Beauty Blender to apply your foundation. The Beauty Blender is a sponge that you dampen before using, so that extra moisture you push into your skin while blending out your makeup will help your skin look plumper and healthier.
Dry Skin
If your skin is dry, you’re going to want to use more liquid and/or cream products for some added moisture. This doesn’t mean you can’t use any powders — you can use a hydrating foundation with a powder highlighter, for example, but any extra moisture you can get is best. Everyone’s skin is different, so find what works for you! Here are the steps to glowing, dewy and radiant skin with product options for dry skin.
1. Exfoliate & Prep
Exfoliating your skin is the first step in revealing its natural radiance. Use a mix of sugar and olive oil as a DIY version. Olive oil will give you some deep moisture, just make sure you allow it time to sink into your skin before priming your face — you don’t want your makeup sliding off! For dry or normal skin, you can begin by using a hydration spray on your skin — try Jane Iredale’s Pommisst, “a facial spritz with the added benefit of Pomegranate Extract, a powerful antioxidant and UV protector also known to help protect against skin cancer.” This mist will hydrate and plump your skin, the perfect prep for the look we’re trying to achieve.
2. Prime your face
Use a hydrating primer for your face — Marc Jacobs Coconut Primer is the perfect way to begin your foundation routine. This primer is infused with 5 different types of coconut to hydrate and nourish the face. A great drugstore option is the e.l.f. Hydrating Face Primer, infused with Vitamins A, C, and E for nourishing and anti-aging benefits.
3. Apply Foundation
The next step is foundation — mix Kevyn Aucoin’s Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting in with your foundation for an all-over, natural glow. It’s not glittery or over the top, it just gives the face a beautiful radiance. L’Oreal True Match Lumi is the perfect foundation for a dewy skin look. It offers medium coverage with a luminous finish, and comes in two different formulas — liquid and cushion. This foundation is lightweight with 40% water to hydrate the skin. It comes in a variety of shades so you can find the perfect match for your skin tone. Another option is the Josie Maran Vibrancy Foundation. Infused with 100% pure argan oil, this “breathable, lightweight, medium-to-full coverage formula features a powerful blend of moisture-enhancing ingredients that help soothe, smooth, and restore skin’s luminosity.”
4. Add blush
For blush, you can really use a powder or a cream — a tried and true favorite is the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso. This peach colored blush looks great on a variety of skin tones. This subtle color offers a natural looking flush while adding light to your cheeks without looking too shimmery.
5. Highlight
The final step in achieving glowing skin is applying a cheek highlighter. Apply a cream like Kevyn Aucoin’s Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting to the high points of your cheek bones and just above the outer part of your eyebrows. Add some down the nose, on your cupid’s bow and on your chin for light-catching radiance. L’Oreal 24 hour Infallible Eye Shadows can also double as cream highlighters. Stick to something close to your skin tone — Iced Latte is a beautiful shade that can be used on a variety of skin tones, and you can’t beat the drugstore price tag!
Jaclyn Hill’s Champagne Pop by BECCA Cosmetics is a favorite among many because it goes with so many different skin tones.
6. Set your makeup
Finish the look off with a setting spray — this will not only ensure your makeup will last all day, it will also help all of your products to “melt” into your skin and make them look more natural. Try Urban Decay’s “Chill” Setting Spray which is hydrating to the skin and gives some serious staying power.
Oily Skin
If your skin tends to be oily, you’re going to want to use more powders and mattifying products so your face doesn’t look too slick. It doesn’t mean you are limited to only powders — you can use a mattifying primer with a liquid foundation, for example, but sticking to powders will ensure you’ll look radiant instead of greasy. Here are the steps to glowing, dewy and radiant skin with product options for oily skin.
1. Exfoliate
Exfoliating your skin is the first step in revealing its natural radiance. Use a mix of sugar and grape seed oil as a DIY version. Grape seed oil is hydrating but also regulates your skin’s natural oils, making it the perfect option for oily skin. Give it ample time for the oil to fully absorb into your skin before priming your face so it doesn’t make your foundation break up.
2. Prime
Use a mattifying primer for your face — try Rimmel Stay Matte Primer to combat oil and make sure you won’t get too greasy. This primer is an ultra-lightweight formula that helps minimize the appearance of pores. It controls shine for up to 8 hours creating a soft, matte complexion without feeling too heavy on the skin. Primer is an important step in makeup, especially for oily skin, because it’s what your foundation and the rest of your makeup grabs onto.
3. Apply Foundation
Moving on to foundation — mix Kevyn Aucoin’s Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting in with your foundation for an all-over, natural glow. It’s not glittery or over the top, it just gives the face a beautiful radiance without looking oily. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation is the perfect foundation to keep your oil at bay, and combined with the cream highlighter it will still provide you with that beautiful glow. It is an air-light formula with a demi-matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours. There are 12 different shades in warm, cool and neutral skin tones — choose the one that suits your skin, or mix them together to create your perfect foundation color.
4. Add blush
For blush, you can really use a powder or a cream — a tried and true favorite is the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso. This peach colored blush looks great on a variety of skin tones. This subtle color offers a natural looking flush while adding light to your cheeks without looking too shimmery.
5. Highlight
The final step in achieving glowing skin is applying a cheek highlighter. Try a powder highlight like Jaclyn Hill’s Champagne Pop by BECCA Cosmetics. It is flattering on many different skin tones and is very blendable. Apply it to the high points of your cheek bones and just above the outer part of your eyebrows. Add some down the nose, on your cupid’s bow and on your chin for radiant skin when it catches the light.
6. Set your makeup
Finish the look off with a setting spray — this will not only ensure your makeup will last all day, it will also help all of your products to “melt” into your skin and make them look more natural. Try NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray to keep your face from getting too oily throughout the day.
You know your skin best, so use which products you think are going to work with your skin. You can try mixing different combinations of both cream/liquid formulas with powders to see what looks and wears best on you. Makeup is all about experimenting — there are no rules! Here is a step-by-step tutorial to get glowing skin using some of the products listed above.
If you’re looking for more makeup tips, be sure to check out our post on How to Waterproof Your Makeup for Summer.
Photo credits: Kristen Love
Source: Jane Iredale
