The secret to non-sweaty dewiness
I’m not sure I’ve ever been so obsessed with a beauty trait as much as I have been with GLOW. Of course there was the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural obsessesion of the early 2010’s where I carried the powder around with me in my bag and dusted it over my face every 20 minutes, and the extreme heart palpitations that followed when I realised that my local Boots sold double-thickness false eye lashes. But nothing has had the longevity quite like the pursuit for ultimate complexion reflection. It’s consumed me for at least the past three years and has outlasted the trend of mirror-like highlighters that flooded the market back in 2016. Ah mate, I’ve moved on from highlighters. Now the aim for shine encompasses the beauty trifecta: lifestyle, skincare and makeup. It’s a multi-faceted approach that I’m pretty chuffed with the outcome of; there’s still a way to go, but we’re heading in the direction of dewiness. So today I thought I’d chat through the long list of things that I do in order to plump up my dehydrated epidermis with hydration in any way that I can. Your skin is looking like a desert too? This routine can turn the Sahara into sebum in the best kind of way…
LIFESTYLE
Feel free to take what I say with a pinch of salt here, because I am currently writing this post with one hand, whilst dipping the other into a bowl of Dairy Milk Giant Chocolate Buttons, BUT it’s all about balance. I’m not particularly regimented with my diet and don’t restrict myself in anyway, but I try to be big on fish (salmon and seabass are my personal favourites) and veg in general (broccoli, sprouts, sweet potatoes and avocados really do it for me). In fact that makes up our dinner most nights of the week. We don’t on the whole drink that much booze and I don’t drink coffee or tea because I’m still not a proper adult.
The two big lifestyle inputs that I feel make the most difference though are water (surprise, surprise!) and exercise (SHOCKER!). The thing with water intake is that I can visibly tell if I haven’t chugged back my recommended intake each day, which is apparently two litres, although I try to aim for more like three or four if I’m looking like sandpaper. One day of being back of track with it all and already I’m usually able to spot a noticeable difference. The change I feel is much subtler with working out, but I do feel rather than adding to ‘glow’ in particular, it participates in making me look healthier. Like a little perkier in the cheeks. It’s like a big ol’ wheel really and when they’re all working together in perfect harmony (which in reality is like one day out of seven), I feel better inside and out as cliched as it is to say it.
SKINCARE
A true glow only comes from within (or sweating profusely), however a combination of the right skincare helps me fake it till I make it. I won’t bore you with every single tiny detail of my current routine (if you want that, watch this video), instead I’m breaking it down to the top players who really are the MVPs of the glow game. Aside from just generally running a tight ship with my routine, I’d say that the one product that gives me instant results whenever I feel flakey and like my makeup isn’t sitting well, is the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. It’s seriously incredible stuff and the physical and chemical exfoliants work together in unison to brighten my skin and slough away the dead stuff revealing radiance. I do this step once a week and if I ever forget to do it, I soon realise when my foundation starts to cake up and look like clay on my skin. If you fancy something that has a similar result, although more subtle as it’s applied overnight to the skin – the Herbivore Moon Fruit is a great pick.
For no makeup days, I add the Kiehl’s Glow Formula Skin Hydrator into my routine as a faux-primer step, because it gives a sheen to my skin without adding glitter at all. I look like the best version of my hydrated and well fed ‘I’ve just done Pilates’ self. The final shoutout that I have to give is great for if I’m barefaced or have makeup on. It’s what Into The Gloss have termed the ‘skincare snack’ and until their recent post, it was a step that I had been seriously neglecting. So enter the Herbivore Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist – or any hydrating mist for that matter – which gives your skin a literal drink and say hello to some welcome mid-afternoon shine.
MAKEUP
It might seem crazy that even after eating a shoal of fish, necking water and applying various chemical exfoliants and luminous lotions to my skin, that I still have to increase the wattage even more with illuminating makeup products – but that my friends, is the life of an extremely dehydrated person. In terms of primers, you can’t go wrong with the Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer which is basically the most moisturising primer you will find. Trust me, I’ve tried them all. I switch around my bases, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they are as glowy as I can get ’em, although the key is to apply whatever you’re using with a BeautyBlender. The moisturise in the sponge helps to blend, takes away any excess product and gives you a fast and easy way to smoosh product into your skin without having to use your hands.
The obvious way to add that finishing touch, the ‘cherry on the top’ of desired shine, is with a highlighter and if you’re a regular watcher of my videos then I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I’m inputting the Glossier Haloscope in Quartz here. In fact I recently had to decant the leftovers into a pot as I managed to dig out a tonne out product from the packaging and now it’s even easier to use. I dab it on with my fingers and basically press it all over my face, but focusing on my non-existent cheekbones. For something with more punch, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone. That’s the shade that works best for me, although their colour line-up is vast. I find it best dusted on with a small brush and then bopped over with the BeautyBlender for ultimate ‘I’m just naturally this dewy’ glow. PAH! You know the real reason. I told you this list was long…
Photos by Lauren Shipley
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