Skin Nerd: How to light your skin up brightly
Skin Nerd: How to light your skin up brightly
Bright, illuminated skin never goes out of style and is always top of the wish list in the party season.
Whilst complexion boosters and highlighters are great for casting a flattering glow, the skincare that you use can make all the difference to a look that shines in all the right ways...
Fatigue is the antithesis of a glowing complexion, so try to ensure you get plenty of sleep.
Breathe life into your skin by following a consistent cleansing regime and ensure that you are exfoliating regularly but respectfully.
A buildup of dead skin cells can leave the skin looking ashen, so make time to exfoliate up to 3 times per week with a chemical exfoliator, which I recommend over a manual one (such as a gritty scrub) as it is less abrasive to the delicate skin barrier.
Try ASAP Skincare Daily Facial Cleanser (€39, theskinnerd.com) which contains AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) to loosen dead skin cells, leaving skin refreshingly clean and smooth.
Dry skin can highlight fine lines and uneven texture, so defend against moisture depletion with a nourishing daily layer of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream (€51, kiehls.ie).
Suitable for all skin types, this cult status hydrator contains olive derived Squalane, a botanical lipid that absorbs easily and helps to replenish the skin’s barrier to keep it soft and supple.
SPF is essential all year round and a glow-enhancing formula like that of Skingredients Skin Shield Moisturising + Priming SPF50 PA+++ (€57, skingredients.com) works wonders on enlivening lacklustre skin.
The multi-award winning, broad-spectrum mineral SPF is packed with skin-loving ingredients such as allantoin to smooth the complexion whilst protecting it from UV and UVB rays, HEV (blue light) from our screens and environmental aggressors such as pollution.
Another winner for a dewy glow is Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter . You can use this all over the face and it can be worn alone or under foundation for beautiful ‘lit-from-within' radiance. It comes in 12 shades and helps to soften lines, boost the complexion and minimise the appearance of pores.
Tip: Avoid applying layers too quickly. Giving it time to dry between makeup application helps to avoid piling.
If you like to wear foundation, even out any discolouration with a light-medium coverage formula. Select a dewy or radiance-boosting finish over matte.
Sculpted Second Skin Mineral Foundation (€27, theskinnerd.com) is available in a dewy version and is packed with skin-reviving collagen and chamomile extract for a plumper, more youthful looking complexion.
Trickery of the light can be a friend or foe when it comes to facial makeup, so proceed carefully when concealing under eye bags and dark circles.
One of the most important things to remember is that as well as being uncomfortable, any dryness under the eyes will highlight fine lines and is likely to make any makeup applied in that area flaky.
Ensure your eyes are hydrated by applying a serum or eye product twice a day. I recommend selecting a formula with hyaluronic acid (a moisture-retaining humectant) to keep this delicate area plump and smooth and / or caffeine to fight fatigue and energise.
If discoloration is an issue, after tackling any thirstiness, look for a colour-correcting concealer to disguise any darkness. How does this help? Well, under-eye bags are often accompanied by dark circles, which are caused by blood pooling under the skin. This can appear blue or purple in colour and be challenging to correct with a regular concealer.
Lighten any darkness with a peachy or salmon shade if you have a light to medium skin tone as peach sits opposite of blue and purple on the colour wheel, meaning it works to counteract the darkness.
If you have a deep skin tone, a deep orange shade will work best for you as it sits across from deep blue on the colour wheel.
If desired, you can then follow up with a brightening shade. I love Doll 10 Brightening Treatment Concealer (€29.50, theskinnerd.com) which saves time and money by both correcting and brightening the undereye area with the inclusion of vibrancy-enhancing vitamin C. It also contains cucumber extract to depuff. Store in the fridge for an extra cooling (and eye-awakening) pre-party treat!
Leave shine to your locks and stick to low-key sheen for a subtle but glam look that suits all ages and skin types.
Highlighting the skin can be tricky as there’s a fine line between glowy and greasy and it all comes down to placement. Common highlighter hot spots are the apples of the cheeks, bridge of the nose, brow bone and cupids bow, although what looks best on you depends largely on your skin.
Enlarged pores and fine lines should be left out of the highlight zone, so customise your placement for the most flattering results for you. To bestow a glow that dazzles them all try Iconic London Illuminator in Original (€38, boots.ie). The champagne-toned liquid illuminator can be applied with fingers to the high points of your face for a soft-focus effect with a golden shimmer.
Cream blush can be intimidating, so look for buildable formulas that give you time to buff out before drying. Glossier Cloud Paint (€20, glossier.com) melts into cheeks like a dream and is super easy to blend with a brush or sponge such as Kash Beauty Sculpt Sponge (€7.95, brownthomas.com) which works with cream and fluid-based formulas. Dampen before use to ramp up the dewiness even further.
Setting mists and spritzes are a great alternative to powder when it comes to prolonging the wear of your makeup AND promoting a healthy glow. Infused with antioxidant-rich coconut water, rooibos tea and vegan kefir ferment, Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist (€33, millies.ie) is a refreshing 4-in-1 mist that hydrates, tones, primes, and sets make up. Feeding skin with hydration and locking down your look, this mist is a double threat against tired, party-pooping skin.
You have probably noticed both names on the labels of cosmetics products but despite their very similar spellings, you do need to know your squalene from your squalane.
Squalene is a polyunsaturated lipid that is naturally present in sebum. It’s used as an emollient in the cosmetics world and assists in the repair of the skin barrier. However, it’s use is limited by the fact that it is also highly unstable and prone to oxidation.
Squalane on the other hand, is the hydrogenated version of squalene. It is more stable than squalene and is therefore more widely used in natural cosmetic formulations.
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