When a fellow editor friend of mine messaged me a few weeks ago in a panic over her upcoming wedding makeup trial, I felt like I was at a bit of a loss over what to say to her. "I just want something natural-looking, fresh and glowy—what products do I need for that?" she asked. While I know exactly the sorts of products I would turn to for such a look, I'm no makeup artist and have no idea how certain formulas work with her skin. Typically, I'm full of makeup recommendations for those who want to emulate a soft, glowing makeup look, but when it comes to someone's wedding day, I don't want to be held responsible for any wrong decisions. To dodge the issue entirely, I told her to scroll the Instagram pages of some celebrity makeup artists, save down anything that resonates and show it to the wedding makeup artist when she turns up—after all, she'll know better than me.
But after we had this conversation, I couldn't help feeling as though I'd been a lazy friend. Isn't this the sort of thing we all want out of our makeup? To look glowing and as though our skin oozes health and wealth? I figured I could do more. I spent hours scrolling the Instagram pages of all of the celebrities and makeup artists I turn to the most for glowy makeup inspiration, and after settling on the top 12, I dissected each look and worked out what product would be best to add to your arsenal should you be interested in re-creating the look. Keep scrolling for the 12 best glowy makeup looks out there, along with the products you might want to consider adding to your basket.
1. Natural-Looking Gloss
It's safe to say Hailey Bieber knows a thing or two about glowy makeup. With bare lids, lashes and brows, she keeps the glow focused on the high points of her face and adds a clear gloss to her lips. Sure, it helps that her complexion is smooth as butter, but we can all dream, right? My top tip for executing this look is to keep the skin bare (or perhaps use a glow-boosting skin tint for some subtle coverage), and tap a high-shine gloss onto the high points of the cheekbones, onto the Cupid's bow and underneath the brows.
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Upon first squeezing this stuff out of the tube, you might think that the illuminating pigment appears a bit full-on. However, trust me when I say that as soon as you start working it into the skin, the pigment dissipates into one of the most natural-looking, dewy glows you've ever seen. I use it most days not just because it looks great but also because it smells like birthday cake, and who doesn't like that?
2. Apricot Touch
The thing I really love about Jodie Comer's look here is the way that a matte lip-and-eye combination is paired with a plump, juicy glow on the skin. Use a glowing foundation, making sure to powder only around the outer edges of the face. Then, using a small blusher brush, lightly tap a peach-toned blusher into the top hollows of the cheeks. What you'll be left with is peachy, glowing perfection.
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You don't need to spend £63 on a blusher. In fact, there are loads of good alternatives for this shade in Superdrug and Boots. However, if you want your makeup to look expensive, this Hermès blusher is going to help you along the way. It's not too pigmented, which makes it wonderfully buildable and easy to work with.
3. Matte Bronze
I know that the words matte and glowy are oxymoronic, but Laura Harrier's whole look embodies just that: a matte glow. By using warm shades of bronzer on the cheeks, skin is left looking sun-kissed and full of vitamin D. The trick? Apply a warm bronzer all the way along the cheekbones, and tap a tiny bit of liquid highlight down the bridge of the nose and into the corners of the eyes—it keeps the look matte but tricks the eye into thinking you've gone for all-over glow.
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Few matte bronzers compare to those from Nars. The compacts are huge (seriously, you'll struggle to ever get through one), and there's a warm shade suited to every skin tone. If you want to fake a sun-kissed glow, this product is the way to do it.
4. Draped Blush
Another matte look that oozes health, Lucy Hale's heavily blushed complexion makes skin look full of life and radiance without using a hint of shimmer. Be sure to illuminate the under-eyes and centre part of the face with a skin-blurring concealer first. Then, taking a small amount of blusher on a brush to begin with, drape the pigment down the cheeks, starting at the top of the ear and finishing at the bottom of the cheekbone. For more of a flushing punch, build the powder up slowly. This technique helps to lift cheekbones and add dimension without resorting to dulling contour.
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Dior's Rosy Glow Blush hit the big time on TikTok earlier this year thanks to its ability to leave skin looking plump and glowing without the help of chunky glitter. It might look bright and scary in the pan, but I can assure you it's beautifully natural-looking on the skin.
5. Shimmer Contour
Speaking of contour, this look from Nina Park on Lily Aldridge proves there is in fact a way to execute contour in a way that doesn't leave your complexion looking void of life. Instead of turning to traditional matte bronzers to create your contour, reach for cream formulas that contain a hint of luminosity and/or shimmer. Using a cream buffing brush, work the product into the hollows of the cheeks, being careful not to drag product too far down towards the mouth. In fact, simply dotting it into the hollow closest to the ear and tapping it out with your fingers should do the trick in ensuring you don't go overboard.
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Although I usually use this product as a highlight, the colour pay-off is subtle enough that I think it would prove to be the perfect product for this technique.
6. Liquid Glow
There are few complexions in the world that emulate healthy-looking glow quite like Yara Shahidi's. This particular look is one of pure beauty. The velvet-finish complexion is brought to life with a simple addition of liquid highlight over the tops of the cheekbones. Layer over a blush or opt for a formula with a pigment to get that glossy, flushed finish.
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This product can do so much. Either wear it alone as a brightening base, under foundation for a glow boost or in this case, buff it into cheekbones for a natural-looking glow. Infused with hydrating skincare ingredients, it will keep skin looking glowy all day long.
7. Apple Highlight
The thing with highlight is that it is quite tricky to get right. It's not only important to make sure it's blended well and fuses with the rest of your makeup, but it's also very important to ensure you place it in the correct place. Traditionally, highlight is applied to the tops of the cheekbones. However, with Suki Waterhouse's look, you can see highlight has been blended into the apples of the cheeks—and I'm here for it. To ensure you get this right, first apply a moisturising primer before you buff in your foundation—this will create a hydrating base for makeup to melt into.
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Haloscape is a great highlight product that doesn't leave the skin looking dry and flaky after application. The key, in my opinion, is in not rubbing the formula straight onto the face from the stick. Instead, warm it up in your fingers and then tap it into the skin.
8. Glass Skin
This picture of Hoyeon Jung has lived rent-free in my mind ever since I saw makeup artist Nina Park post it to her Instagram on the day of the Critics Choice Awards earlier this year—it's the stuff glowy dreams are made of. As someone who has been trying to discover the secret to a glassy complexion for years, I have found the most important product in the process to be a dewy primer. After putting on your skincare but before you apply your makeup, use a dewy, hydrating primer. Not only will this make all of your makeup blend better, but it will also allow for glow to shine through in the areas you want it to, creating a lit-from-within finish.
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This product is, if you're asking me, wildly underrated and deserves heaps more praise. Formulated with 75% water, radiance-boosting fruit extracts, and vitamin C, it provides a cooling hit of calm to the skin, giving it a mirror-like shine before you even go in with foundation.
9. Shimmering Lids
Rachel Zegler's makeup look here might strike you as immediately glowy (it did me), but actually when you look closer, you'll spot a distinctive lack of highlight and radiance on the skin. Instead, it's the light, soft shimmer of the eye shadow across her lids that makes it emulate glow. If you want a quick way to make your makeup look more expensive and glowy, simply dab some pink shimmer onto your lids and you're good to go.
Get the Look
This cream shadow from Charlotte Tilbury couldn't be easier to use. Apply the smallest amount to lids with your ring finger and you've got a glowy eye look in a matter of seconds.
10. Creamy Blush
You didn't think I'd do a glowy makeup roundup without featuring Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, did you? The queen of natural-looking glow, Rosie HW relies on a dewy blush to get her radiance kick. When using sheer, cream blush formulas, you can afford to go in with a slightly heavier hand than you might with a powder formula. Finish off by patting any excess onto lips to tie the look together.
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I believe this to be the best dewy cream blusher on the market. Just warm it up in your fingers and dab the pigment onto the apples of your cheeks, blending up towards the temples. You might not see a huge amount of pigment at first, but it builds up nicely.
11. Light Illusion
I'll admit this makeup technique isn't an easy one and is probably best left to aficionados and those who have more than five minutes to spend on their makeup in the morning. To get a natural-looking glow à la Zoë Kravitz, start by moisturising your face well. Then, after applying your foundation, take a cream, blurring concealer or foundation in a light colour, and apply it under the eyes, down the nose, on the centre of the forehead and onto the chin. Reach for a damp beauty sponge and blend until it merges with your original foundation. This technique helps to create natural-looking dimension that radiates healthy luminosity without relying on tricky highlighters.
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I have seen makeup artists use countless shades of this foundation on the same face. In a handy stick format, the super-creamy formula can be scribbled onto skin like an oil pastel. Once blended, skin is left looking porcelain-like and blurred.
12. Balmy Finishes
If gloss isn't your thing, take note from Sofia Richie and look for something halfway between a cream and a sticky gloss. Universal balms are a makeup-artist favourite thanks to their multipurpose use and sheeny finish. Working a clear balm into cheekbones, lids and lips is a sure-fire way to ensure your makeup looks glowy and natural without appearing too try-hard.
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Expensive, yes, but it's chic and it's Gucci. Some makeup artists are happy to use Vaseline to create a balmy sheen. However, I can't deny this clever product from Gucci Beauty lacks the unappealing, tacky oiliness of Vaseline, instead delivering a sheen that won't cause hair to stick to your face.
Next up, the chicest French woman I know just schooled me on makeup, and I'm enlightened.
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