When in doubt, I swear by a classic, glowy makeup look that plays up my favorite natural features and completely camouflages the rest. Yes, many products on the market promise to deliver dewy results, but a select few can be trusted to produce a photo-ready finish every time. With the help of two beauty content creators who've dedicated countless hours to testing, reviewing, and creating high-impact looks with their favorite ones, I've pieced together a quick guide to achieving a glowy complexion without having to rely on an Instagram filter.
Tips & Tricks
"Healthy, glowing makeup is my favorite type of makeup to do," shares makeup artist Christen Dominique, founder of Dominique Cosmetics. Clean skin is important for makeup to apply smoothly. Before starting a glowy makeup look, Dominique recommends thoroughly cleansing the face and using a toner to ensure your skin's cleanliness. "When you're ready to apply makeup, take a hydrating yet tacky primer that works well for your skin type," she says. This ensures that any cream-based makeup products will apply evenly and smoothly and last all day.
Makeup artist and TikTok content creator Danielle Estrada also shared her secrets to pulling off the look. "I always start out with hydrated, prepped skin before applying makeup. I love using a super-hydrating moisturizer under makeup," Estrada explains. "I then stick with mostly cream products vs. powder to keep the skin glowing and still keeping the skin looking like skin." To lock in the look, she opts for a minimal powder that will keep the glow followed by a cream- or liquid-based highlighter.
Estrada finishes off any glowy makeup look with a few spritzes of hydrating setting spray to bring moisture to the face. "My number one tip is less is more! I like to apply minimal product and add layers! This makes it easier to apply the product and is more forgiving," she says. Additionally, when applying highlighter, Estrada opts for a Beautyblender for that desirable skinlike finish.
If you're wondering which products these two beauty queens use to create their signature glowy makeup looks, you're in luck! Keep scrolling to see which products they're using nonstop, plus the ones beauty editors swear by.
Hydrating Primer
"I first start off with clean skin, and then I go into a primer that is hydrating yet tacky. My favorite one to use for myself is the Dominique Blur & Moisture Serum Primer. It's great for all skin types, especially dry skin. It gives you a gripping finish to ensure makeup lasts all day long." — Dominique
More Must-Have Products
Using a formula crafted from thin layers of silk and a blend of botanical extracts, Tatcha's weightless liquid primer protects the skin from pollutants and makeup while extending wear time.
This lightweight, clean, silicone-free dewy makeup primer by Milk Makeup grips makeup for up to 12 hours while hydrating the skin, preventing meltdown, caking, and product transfer.
I swear by this skin-perfecting primer that, with the help of innovative micro-spherical powders, visibly blurs imperfections and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while also absorbing excess oil.
Eye-Catching Liquid Highlighter
To create a healthy-looking base, Dominique likes to use the TikTok-viral E.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter—a skincare-makeup hybrid that can be worn alone, mixed with foundation, or used as a highlighter.
"For highlight, I love the Iconic London liquid illuminator drops. They look like your skin and give the prettiest glow. They have been a staple for years in my kit!" — Estrada
More Must-Have Products
Available in two universal shades (Sunglow and Starglow), this product can be worn alone, mixed with skin care, used as a dewy primer under makeup, applied as a spot highlight or body shimmer for a sun-kissed, glowy finish.
Ilia's serum highlighter uses a gel-based anti-pollution formula containing hydrolyzed algae, marine actives, and mastic to help protect the skin against free radicals and UV lights for a smooth, dewy glow.
Chantecaille's Liquid Highlighter offers a velvety-smooth, buildable formula that leaves your skin feeling hydrated and supple using light-reflecting pigments to brighten and even the skin tone while blurring imperfections.
Dewy Foundation
"Once I'm ready to even my skin tone, I like to use the Tower 28 SPF skin tint. Anything with SPF will give you a glowy finish and will protect your skin, so it's great." — Dominique
"A glowy foundation is key for this, and I love the L'Oréal Pro-Glow Foundation. It is glowy and applies beautifully on the skin." — Estrada
More Must-Have Products
Boosting skin moisture levels by up to 52% for an eye-catching dewy glow, Hourglass's skin tint provides a long-lasting, sheer veil of coverage and a smooth, plump complexion.
Rose Inc's weightless, noncomedogenic tinted serum delivers a plump, smooth complexion with a skinlike finish using a formula with sodium hyaluronate, squalane, and acetyl tetrapeptide for nonstop hydration and environmental protection.
Ilia's award-winning tinted serum is formulated using mineral SPF 40 and potent levels of skincare ingredients to hydrate, protect, and improve the appearance of fine lines, pores, blemishes, and more.
Natural-Looking Blush
"Cream products overall will give you a nice, dewy finish. I like using a cream blush that is lightweight and buildable. One of my favorites is from Dominique." — Dominique
More Must-Have Products
This buildable gel-cream blush contains blurring pigments for a natural, streak-free finish that offers a sheer wash of color that's easy to use and blends easily with other products.
Offered in eight gorgeous shades, Merit's vitamin E–infused Flush Balm creates a creamy and transparent burst of color with a long-lasting glow that won't clog the pores and is not cakey.
This cream blush is infused with squalane, sodium hyaluronate, and ceramides to brighten and blur the skin for up to 24 hours of moisture, and it provides richly pigmented color.
Lightweight Bronzer
"Then I go over [the cream blush] with a cream bronzer. My go-to is Saie's Sun Melt Bronzer. It's lightweight and gives you a fresh, dewy finish." — Dominique
More Must-Have Products
In Patrick Ta's Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo, the lighter shade can be used to shape and define, while the product's talc-free powder adds natural-looking warmth to the skin.
A sun-kissed glow is achievable with the help of this Rare Beauty bronzer stick. Its easy-to-use, weightless formula glides and melts onto the skin effortlessly to softly sculpt the face without caking, clogging pores, or creasing.
Setting Spray & Powder
"My secret weapon is the Charlotte Tilbury setting powder to make sure the skin is set, but it doesn't take away the glow you have on. This powder is magic!" — Estrada
"To set my makeup in place, I use a hydrating loose setting powder to ensure it doesn't cake or crease. To lock it all in place, the d’Alba First Spray Serum is great because it gives your skin a healthy glow that lasts throughout the day." — Dominique
"Lastly, for setting, I love the Morphe Continuous Setting Mist. It brings hydration to the skin and also is so refreshing." — Estrada
More Must-Have Products
This loose setting powder creates a soft glow without the shine while smoothing the appearance of imperfections for a soft-focused, airbrushed finish with a talc-free formula.
A favorite among Who What Wear's beauty editors, Milk Makeup's weightless and alcohol-free setting spray extends makeup wear for up to 16 hours, blurs pores, and controls shine.
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