A fresh, glowy face will light you up, even on the coldest, darkest days of winter. Join me for all the tips and tricks to pull it off.
The shorter, darker days of winter always make me feel a little blah, so I was inspired to create a luminous, bronzy look as a pick-me-up! For this feel-good full face, we’re going to focus on skin prep and glowy, everyday staple makeup products for an effortless but put-together look that comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Step 1: Apply your skincare
Cleanse your skin to get it ready for makeup. As an extra step when I want to boost my glow, I like to pop open a Darphin Ideal Resource Renewing Pro-Vitamin C and E Oil Concentrate Capsule, heat it between my hands and press it into my skin. Pressing, instead of rubbing, ensures and even application and the best possible absorption of your products. My skin instantly feels more hydrated and ready for makeup. Apply your moisturizer and sunscreen as you normally would.
Step 2: Treat and prime
I love to treat myself to an eye mask while I do the rest of my makeup — my favourite right now: Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Express Eye Masks. This way, my eyeshadow fallout will be easy to clean up — just peel off the masks(!), and I’m doing something good for my eyes while I tend to the rest of my face.
Last but not least, apply primer to ensure your makeup goes on flawlessly. I like Milani Cosmetics Skin Quench Hydrating Primer, which has coconut water and hyaluronic acid to plump and smooth the skin.
Step 3: Start with the eyes
To get your bronze on, start by applying Smashbox Always On Cream Eyeshadow in “Guava” all over the lid and blend it out towards the crease with your finger. These shadows are excellent on their own, but they can also be used as a base for powder shadows, which is what I will do here.
Next, apply the Forever Dynamic Eyeshadow Palette in “Serenity” to the lid to create subtle glam and enhace the eye. With our similarly hued cream shadow as our base, this second layer is super easy to blend.
For a simple, smoked-out liner, I layered two products. First, I lightly applied Annabelle Pencil Eyeliner in “Blue Marine” to my lash line. Then I smudged over the line using the dark brown shade from the palette.
At this point, I peel off my eye masks — such a great feeling! Then, swipe on Lise Watier’s Eye-Opening Vegan Mascara. I love this one because it really helps lashes soar without making them stringy or clumpy.
Step 4: Correct and conceal
Now that our eyes are done, let’s move to the face. Begin with a colour corrector if you need one. I have really dark circles under my eyes, so I like to colour correct first with an apricot tone, like Annabelle Perfect Corrector in “Peach”. Blend that out and follow up with your concealer of choice — I used Rimmel’s Lasting Radiance Concealer.
Step 5: Apply your foundation
I used Too Faced’s Born This Way Foundation, which is neutral in tone; the yellow tones help counteract my redness, whereas the pink undertones match my skin really well. If you want an extra airbrushed finish, use Quo Beauty’s Airbrush Sponge to blend.
Step 6: Add blush and highlight
Now is the the time to highlight that gorgeous skin of yours! I’m using Revlon Skinlights Prismatic Highlighter in “Daybreak Glimmer” on the high points of my face (that’s your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose!) for glow and dimension. To get a diffused, natural look, I used Quo Beauty’s Contouring Blush Brush. To finish, I added Milani Blush in “Luminoso #5” to make my cheeks pop!
Step 7: Give your lips some love
You’re almost done! I used Lise Watier Lip Designer Lip Liner in “Linen” to line my lips and followed it with Maybelline Lifter Gloss in “Silk.” The hyaluronic acid in this gloss helps to moisturize and plump the lips and gives you a natural wash of colour and high-shine finish.
Step 8: Smile and selfie
A smile is an instant mood-booster, and tops off this soft, subtle and glowy look. You look fabulous!