7 Easy Steps To Achieve Glowing Skin
Chelsea Graziano • Apr 09, 2021
A step by step Guide to creating healthy, glowing skin.
7 easy steps to achieving glowing skin
This post contains affiliate links. If you shop via a link marked with an '*' I may earn a small commission. As transparent as I like our beauty products to be, I will always do the same for you. I only ever recommend products that I love and use and will never promote a brand that isn't cruelty-free or that I don't believe in. Thanks :)
Glowing skin has never been more popular, it shows health and vitality and gives the impression we are living our youthful and happy best lives. Gone are the days of adding buckets of metallic, shimmering powders to our cheekbones to achieve a glow of some sort, time has moved (thankfully) and now we want more than just glitter.
To me, achieving a glow is so much more than applying an illuminating product, it's good skincare, it's a healthful and balanced skin tone and a dewy (not oily) texture. If we are getting real, it starts with diet and sleep, but it would be wrong for me to educate you on those topics since I'm partial to a good pizza and late night. Instead, I will be guiding you through the best cruelty-free beauty products and sharing some application tips along the way.
The way to execute this is simple, it's about cleverly applying the right products in the right places, and allowing our natural skin to gleam through from beneath. I've put together seven easy steps to follow to achieve that glowing summer-ready super fabulous skin.
1, It all begins with skincare - Sticking to a good skincare routine is extremely rewarding when it comes to getting the perfect canvas for a glowing base. It means less makeup is required and encourages a smoother more even skin texture. Cleanse, exfoliate, add serum, moisturise and finish with a good SPF. I am loving the Krave beauty kale-lalu-yAHA
exfoliator at the moment. It's powered by AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids). It uses Kale to boost antioxidants, sugar cane-derived Glycolic Acid to wash away any dead skin cells, and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate the skin.
2. All about that base
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Choosing the right base can feel like a complete minefield, there are so many shades and textures out there. It can be so overwhelming, especially when you've not had the chance to try many brands on the market. Fear not, I've got you. The first step to choosing the right base is deciphering whether your skin is cool-toned, warm-toned, or neutral. Cooler tones tend to have more yellow and green undertones, whilst warm have pinks and peaches, and neutral tones have a mixture of both. Another way to check which skin tone you have is by looking at the colours of your veins. If they appear blue you're likely to be cool-toned, and if they appear green - warm. If they look blue-green, neutral. BB creams and tinted or sheer coverage bases tend to be more forgiving and easier to match up. I also prefer lightweight bases like tinted moisturisers as they grant your skin the chance to shine through just the right amount. The Inika organic BB cream foundations*
are stunning on the skin, easy to blend, and such a light and natural coverage. They have an impressive shade range too - great for all skin tones. Also the Ilia true skin serum foundations*, Id say this product has a touch more coverage for those who want to even their skin tone and texture a little more. It's such a nourishing makeup product, it feels like a luxury skincare treatment.
3. Cover-up and brighten
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I use concealers mainly for two different purposes. One for covering blemishes and the other for brightening the under-eye area. When selecting a concealer for coverage I recommend something a little drier. This type of concealer is more likely to stay put on oily areas because it's more matte. For the under-eye area, something light in texture works wonderfully and buffed on gently it will leave a seamless finish. You can always go a shade lighter to brighten the under-eye or go for a peachy tone to help cover darkness. I adore the Ilia true skin serum concealer*. It never looks cakey or too visible on the skin - great for all ages.
4. Enter bronzed goddess -
Now that the base is even, well-hydrated, and balanced, it's time to add some colour. Think of bronzer as coming from the outer edges of the face and making its way inwards. From the hairline down to the forehead, buff the product in, applying less pressure the closer you get to your brows. Then with the cheeks stronger nearer the ear and lighter as you sweep along the cheekbone. It's also nice to add some to the nose for a sunkissed finish. I'm loving the MILK Makeup matte cream bronzer stick, it's buildable and so easy to blend. You can even get away with warming it into the skin with your fingers, great for on-the-go busy barbaras.
5. A flush of Blush
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This is all about creating a natural flush of colour to the skin, which is why I love cream and liquid textures best. They look most realistic on the skin and glow from within rather than being sat on top of your skin like most powder blushes do. I also love to add a touch to the nose just to balance the colour across the face and give a youthful appearance. My current favourite is the Ilia colour haze multi use pigment.*
6. Glow up
- Now for the highlight, a lovely (almost) finishing touch. We are no longer adding all the powder highlights, there are so many beautiful balms and creams on the market now, and they leave such a beautiful and natural texture on the skin. The BECCA Skin Love Glow Glaze Stick
is glorious on the skin and gives a beautiful, buttery 'candlelit' finish. Focus on the high points, the top of the cheekbones as well as the tip of the nose, and avoid areas that could leave you looking oily such as around the mouth and the centre of the forehead. Powders aren't a total no-go, there are lots more refined products out there such as the Illamasqua Beyond Powder*, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder,
and the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powder.
For extra glow, you can add a powder on top of a cream or balm.
7. Matte down -
Finishing The final step is matting down any areas that you're likely to get oily, usually the T zone. I love the Hourglass Veil translucent setting powder. It's a refined and featherweight silky powder that glides on the skin and leaves no texture. For the dry skin Deirdre's, you can skip this step if you wish. I am also dry, but I do get some unwanted shine around the sides of my nose, so a little light dusting here and there works wonders.
So there you have it, a guide to creating super natural, cruelty-free, healthy glowing skin by carefully building light layers of products and only using them in the places you need. I can already see you all glowing from here!
This post contains affiliate link. If you shop via a link marked with an '*' I may earn a small commission. As transparent as I like our beauty products to be, I will always do the same for you. I only ever recommend products that I love and use and will never promote a brand that isn't cruelty-free or that I don't believe in. Thanks :)
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