Reader question: How to achieve dewy, glowing skin
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 9:27AM I love the look of fresh, dewy and glowing skin. Can you give me a few products that will help me achieve that? Thank you. - Therese
Hi Therese! I love this question because I love glowy skin as well. I don't understand the obsession with matte skin because our skin is not matte in its natural state. Nothing screams *makeup* than a face that's covered in a blanket of matte powder, for me! Shine is fine as long as you're able to control it and place it strategically on your face.
A dewy-looking face starts with good skin, of course, so make sure that your skincare routine is up to spec. I find that using serums make a huuuuge difference - try the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate or the Shu Uemura Tsuya Skin Serum (which I am testing recently). These work super well! As for makeup, there are many products that you can use to achieve a glowy face. The trick is to use only one or two of them at any given time, depending on the look you want to achieve.
Face Base: for an all-over glow
A thin, light-coverage foundation can deliver dewy skin simply because it allows our natural skin to shine through. Remember, in order to achieve dewy skin, you must not cover up your bare skin with too much makeup. Light, illuminating makeup will just enhance your skin, not blot it out.
The Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup gives such a nice dewy finish. If you want something with even lighter coverage, try the VMV Hypoallergenics Skintangible SPF30 which is a tinted moisturizer with SPF30.
Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow + Palgantong
Go for translucent finishing powders just to set the foundation without giving any extra coverage. I love the Palgantong Theatrical Powder for this purpose! If you're into pressed powder, try mineral with some shimmer in it.
Illuminating Powders: Extra enhancement on top of a matte or satin face base
These are powders that contain shimmer so fine that you can apply them in broad sweeps all over your face, just to get an overall glow. They're best on top of heavy-coverage foundations to sort of make them look more like skin.
The Guerlain Meteorites Perles in Teint Dore 03 is the perfect example - it's almost invisible except the skin just gets a subtle ethereal glow. The MeMeMe Goddess Rocks gives a more obvious shimmer, so best to apply it with a big kabuki brush only on the cheekbones and center of the face.
Meteorites
Goddess Rocks
Highlighters
Highlighters bring light to the face because they contain shimmer. When highlighting, focus on only the high points of your face to enhance your bone structure while making your skin glow at the same time. I love the Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter because it looks so natural and blends beautifully on skin! You can also DIY by using a shimmery champagne eyeshadow (powder or cream).
How I highlight - I always do the squiggles in white for basic highlighting. The ones in yellow, just once in a while when I want a super glowy face. I just want to emphasize the bones and planes of my face since I have chubby cheeks and a round shape! Blending is important!
Shimmery Blushes and Bronzers: Glow-from-within color
No one wants shimmerbombed cheeks, especially if they tend to be oily! So use shimmery face color in moderation. A light layer is enough to give you a natural, glow-from-within flush. Tip: don't apply too close to your nose - try to start farther back from the apples of your cheeks, then brush upwards to your temples.
Here are some of my fave shimmery blushes.
Avon Ideal Luminous Blush in Peach
Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Beauty's Touch
Etude House Dear My Blooming Cheek Blush in Breathless Pink
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Bronze
And that's about it! What are your dewy/glowy skin favorites? How do you achieve it? Let me know in the comments! :)
Reader Comments (21)
Hi Liz- how much are these products and where can I buy them? I really want to have a dewy , glowy face like yours! SO Pretty!
I love dewy skin! It took me years before I figured out that I had to work on my actual skin first before looking to makeup for that "glow". When I started moisturising properly (as in no more "scorched earth" tactics on my face), my skin became healthy and balanced. So now I don't even need base that much.
For a boost, though, I need one thing and one thing only: Nars Orgasm :) I have the multiple (which is more of a highlighter) and the original blush in powder form. <3
Hi @Marianne! Just click the links to see pricing and availability info. :)
@Krysty True! No need to fake a dewy glow if skin itself looks fab.
These are great selections! You're right. Correct highlighting is key to achieve dewy skin. Nothing says "YOUTH" than when your skin is sparkling in all the right places. For me it's a bit of a challenge, though because I have oily skin that's why I matte up with a loose powder everyday. I top it off with highlighters like these. The one from Etude looks like The Body Shop's Petal - that I'm currently using. And then there's Shimmer Waves also from The Body Shop, similar to Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks. For Shimmer Waves, I lightly dust the lightest shades on my forehead, bridge of my nose and my chin. Then for the gradient shades, I light dust on my cheeks.
My face gets oily after 4hrs.. I dont think i can wear this type of look. It looks good though, looks fresh.:)
I've never tried to do a glowy make-up look because Im afraid I may look too oily. Thank you for these tips Ms. Liz! I definitely want that MeMeMe goddess rocks! :)
I use to overkill shimmers on my cheeks! Haha I love this post!
I just discovered highlighters and bronzers. They're so amazing!!!
You highlight the parts to get that dewy effect. I have ooily skin and
I prefer my foundation matte so I use highlighters to achieve that
dewy glow!!! :) Great tip!
it is always the highlighter that does the trick perfectly :)
I have oily skin so I completely mattify my face before going out. It always ends up being dewy later in the day, anyway. Haha!
I like using dewy/watery finish BB creams to achieve the dewy look. I have dry skin so I can get away with it. Then I use highlighter on top. If the BB cream is balmy enough then no need for setting powder. :)
I find that using primers also help, dewyness looks better if your skin is "poreless"
I learned a lot here! Aside from being a late bloomer when it comes to make-up I tend to shy away from things I don't know or comfortable of doing such as highlighting. I'm afraid to do it wrong but uber thank you for this post, I'll try your tips and see if it works for me. Thank you :)
I love a dewy finish! :) I am enjoying the use of VMV's Skintangible. It's able to keep my skin moisturized and dewy even after I put on my makeup. I love Guerlain's Meteorites and Benefit's Watt's Up highlighter too. Guerlain gives an extra oomph to my face and Watt's Up is an instant pick-me-upper when I feel like my skin is dull. I wish someday I could try Shu uemura's Tsuya Skin Serum haha I'm excited for your review!
My nose and the apples of my cheeks oil up more than usual lately. Adding highlighter really highlights my skin problem. :)) Wah I especially hate highlighters when my pores are nagfifeeling moon's craters. Super obvious pores! But pag well-behaved and tightened ang pores J am in love with highlighters and shimmery what-have-yous. :) Great tips as usual, I just found out I've been doing the application of shimmery blushes/bronzers wrong. I'll keep these in mind, Ms. Liz! :D
Totally true! :) a glowing skin is always gorgeous! A bit of shimmer wont hurt :) In fact, it will actually provide you a glow and fresh look :) you just need the right products :) AND I ALL LOVE THE PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS POST :) In my case, I use a matte foundie because of my oily skin. but for my blush, a hint of shimmer perfects the look :) highlighters are always good to create that beautiful look :) heard of shu uemura's tsuya skin products. they all seemed great! :)
Great tips! Can you also share where we can find cheaper highlighters? The ones you mentioned kasi are kinda pricey. And also, what's a good cleanser to use? I heard from a friend that Skin Food has good cleansers, any thoughts?
Oily Skin and Enlarged Pores, Do Not Fret!
You can still achieve the glowing skin by using matte foundations sans highlighters! Oh Yes!
Use 2 shades of foundations, one lighter and one darker (by a difference of one shade).
The lighter shade, apply on the center of the face.
The darker shade, apply on the outside parameter of the face.
Achieve ang glowing skin kaagad sans all the shimmers!
If dewy talaga ang peg, wet the brush before application. This will make the matte foundations look/feel lighter on the skin.
Apply your favorite flush, curl lashes , apply lip balm and you are ready to make the world smile!
I love hightlighting! It just gives the face a natural glow, if done correctly of course! Love your healthy glow look here:)
beautythursday.blogspot.com
i disagree, there's really nothing wrong if you want to achieve matte skin, especially if you are very oily and you commute on a daily basis. i always achieve a perfectly good matte skin and it doesnt look make uppy.
kanya kanya lang yan.
I completely agree with all your tips Ms. Liz! :) But in order to also achieve that - Having a healthy lifestyle is also very important. Eating the right foods, exercise, enough hydration and enough rest and sleep.
Which is better Ms Liz, VMV Skintangible or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer? Thanks!