‘Lit from within’, ‘glowing skin’ phrases we hear almost everywhere. Personally I am sick of hearing it over & over, but then it’s summer, who doesn’t want to look healthy and glowy right?
So here’s a guide to achieving glowing skin. A 15 min manual if you may, cos I know we all are pressed for time!
I like to start with skincare. As no amount of makeup can make up for unhealthy skin.
Also since this is a quick guide. I am just focusing on speedy remedies. Starting with..
Exfoliation
As you may already know, our skin is made up of layers and layers of cells. The oldest layer being right on the top.
As skin renews its self and constantly pushes new cells to the surface, this older layer sits on top and starts to accumulate as a coating covering the new healthy skin underneath. This is how you find skin to be dull and lackluster.
In order to achieve maximum luminosity, the accumulated dead skin cells need to be gently brushed away. So we use an exfoliator. Personally I prefer a chemical exfoliator over a mechanical exfoliator (regular face scrubs or wash cloths) which is a very mild form of exfoliation using peeling products with fruit acids or lactic acids (which I shall do a separate post on later). But since many of you are most likely to have a scrub of some sort at hand, I say grab that. If it’s a brightening exfoliator, even better!
Gently exfoliate your skin with this. Vigorous, over enthusiastic buffing is not advised as this leads to broken capillaries and sensitized skin which leads to red and raw skin. Not the look we are aiming for.
Moisturize
For the new skin to be glowy we need to ‘water’ it.
Exfoliation temporarily takes away the natural layer of sebum on top of your skin. So we absolutely must moisturise after exfoliation. This stops skin from loosing its moisture as well as help retain and capture moisture to the upper layers with the help of ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid.
Moisturisers also help temporarily take care of dry flaky skin. Which is the key culprit that inhibits light reflecting off your face (which is what creates the said glow we are after). The best way to explain this is, think of how light reflects off a smooth flat surface as opposed to an uneven bumpy surface. You see where I am going with this right?
Bronze
So it’s summer and the hottest chicks around are sporting a tan. Why aren’t you? Let me break down the benefits of a little tan.
1) Bronzing instantly slims down your face. Especially if you concentrate it towards the outer areas of your face when you bronze. So Ideally you do a quick sweep all over and then go back again just around the outer parameter deepening the tan.
2) You are instantly able to wear brighter lipsticks and blushes than what you are usually confortable with, which in turn draw attention to your features. AND you can easily pull off more dramatic makeup looks! As much as the ‘pale and interesting’ look can be appealing, try a bit of bronzing if only for summer.
3) You look like you came back from an exotic vacation. To me, this is reason enough!
Highlight
So bronzing and highlighting go hand in hand. When a bronzer darkens and ‘recedes’, you need to ‘bring out’ certain areas of your face with a little highlighter. This instantly lifts your features and make them look more sharp and defined. A little highlighter dusted on the high points of your cheekbones, bridge of your nose and chin goes a long way.
If you are naturally oily around the t zone, you can skip the nose as you are most likely averse to highlighting that area.
However I find that if you use a good mattifier under makeup, then this is an extra step that makes your skin look beautiful. As much as I hate oil, I love a lit from within glow. And a highlighter is the quickest way to give you bucket loads of this.
*Of course less is more. Always keep that in mind when using a highlighter. In general use a very sparse, tapered brush or a fan brush for best results.
Finishing powder
This is the final step. A good finishing powder is like the invisible butler. You never see it but you know that the job is being done. So what exactly does a finishing powder do?
It essentially smooth’s out the complexion, like photo shopping an image.
Pores and fine lines are blurred and look less visible. Also the fine shimmer in these helps light reflect off your face better giving you ‘the glow’. It basically makes your skin look healthy and even. I personally never skip this step. Hence why I have my trusty Guerlain Meteorites with me no matter where I travel!
So there you have it. The secret to healthy and beautiful skin. Although it was a lot to read, this only takes a very little time when you actually get down to doing it. After which you are left with gorgeous youthful fresh skin that is luminous!
I hope you enjoyed this post and stay tuned for some body basics that will be coming up later this week to help you get the ultimate summer/beach ready body.
Wishing all of you a happy week ahead!
xx
Michelle.
