Glowy skin may be the defining beauty trend of the decade, with highlighters, glow drops and lid glosses among the most popular makeup products on the market. And yet, the coveted look is still notoriously hard to do at home. Too much glow and you enter the realms of shine, yet too little and your glow is totally undetectable. We called upon celebrity makeup artist and founder of beauty brand Róen Beauty, Nikki DeRóest to reveal her 7 steps to glowy skin.
1. Do your skin prep
As any beauty insider will tell you, the secret to glowing skin starts well before makeup is actually applied. It all starts with skincare and skin prep – and it’s especially important at this time of year when skin can feel a little dry and lacklustre.
“Start with exfoliating twice a week to slough off any dry or dull skin, and quench your skin with a radiant moisturising cream and oil,” says Nikki. “I like to use both. If you are nervous to use oils, I always suggest start with just using them at night before bed, and then when comfortable can start using in the daytime too mixed with your moisturiser. I love the Mara Beauty oil or organic rosehip oil. If I am on the go or with a client, I like to use Skin Inc’s Pure Revival Peel. It’s an enzyme exfoliator that is non invasive and great to prep the skin before moisturiser.”
[/h2]2. Mix your moisturiser[/h2]
To add a little extra nourishment to skin before a big event, Nikki advocates getting creative and mixing your moisturiser with a glow-giving oil. “I like to mix moisturiser with a few drops of oil, I love Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base with a few drops of Mara’s Universal Beauty Oil. This is the prep I use on all of my red carpet looks.”
3. Massage
You’ve heard it before and you’re about to hear it again – if you don’t give yourself a glow-getting facial massage yet, you need to start. “A nice skin massage with your moisturisers brings a lot of blood flow to the surface of the skin,” explains Nikki.
4. Use liquid highlighter before anything else
You might think adding a touch of glow is the final step to any makeup routine, but Nikki says otherwise; “I like to use a liquid highlighter after the moisturiser before any foundations or concealers. I highlight the high points of the face and can be a little more aggressive with the amount of highlighter because I know it’s going under foundation. I usually end up mixing my own proprietary blend for a highlighter, but my favourite liquids are the Chantecaille Liquid Lumieres. This gives the ultimate lit from within look.”
“After my foundation and creamy concealer, I add a touch more highlighter just on those main points of the face, but prepping beforehand and then just touching a tiny bit at the end give a multidimensional glow.”
5. Layer on the glow to keep it going
“To keep the shine going, I love to use any of the shades from RÓEN Beauty’s Lid Illume Palettes. The texture and shine is like no other eyeshadow out there, and it gives the look of a wet eye without the mess or fuss. For a natural day to day look, my go-to shade is Nikki Dust from the 75o Palette. If I want to double down for shine for a night look, I like adding some of RÓEN Beauty’s Disco Eye Universal on top. It’s proven to be head turning when worn, trust me.”
6. Keep shine at bay
To finish the look, instead of going for a traditional powder, I love using Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Powders. They mimic ambient lighting, and the Dim Light Powder is universally flattering for everyone. It’s an instant blur and filter, without dulling the face.
“Then, I will use a loose, translucent powder to pull down shine in the hot spots for photos, using a small fluffy blending eyeshadow brush. Bobbi Brown has amazing loose powders, especially because it’s offered in different shades. Fair skin can go for traditional white, but there are also shades like Yellow, Rose, Peach, and Brown. Something for every skintone, which is a must. A little goes a long way and you don’t have to powder your entire face to keep the rest of the glow showing through.”
7. Nurture your glow
According to Nikki, a great glow isn’t just for the day. “I swear by an organic Rosehip oil, and LED light therapy treatments, and a good sweat at the gym,” she says.
More importantly, Nikki recommends consistency with skincare; “It’s important to stick to a consistent skincare regime and not switch or change constantly. The more consistent I am with my skincare routine, the less breakouts I have. Honestly, less is more.”
