Beauty trends may change, and everyone has their personal preferences, but there’s no replacing the classic freshness of dewy, glowy makeup. While following the right skincare routine is crucial if you want natural radiance, luminous makeup is a great tool, too.
Fortunately, creating a glowy, dewy makeup look is simple, as long as you have the right products and a few expert tips at your disposal. That’s where we come in.
Here, we’ll teach you how to get glowy skin with our favourite products. Plus, we’re sharing insider tips for making sure your look is fresh rather than greasy for a dewy, lit-from-within glow that lasts.
Read on for our seven-step glowy makeup tutorial and prepare to get your glow on.
- Cleanse and moisturise
- Prime the skin
- Apply foundation
- Conceal dark circles
- Add warmth with blush and bronzer
- Highlight
- Set your look
What is glowy makeup?
The term glowy makeup can refer to any makeup look that boasts a luminous (rather than matte) finish. Typically, it features dewy, radiant-looking skin and glossy lips. However, there are a range of ways to try the trend.
For example, you could lean into your glam side by pairing luminous-looking skin with winged eyeliner, contoured cheeks, and a glossy crimson lip.
For a natural glowy makeup look, you could use a skin tint instead of foundation and swap the contour for a radiant-finish blush or sun-kissed bronzer.
What is the difference between glowy and glassy skin?
Glowy skin has a radiant, natural-looking luminosity, similar to the way your complexion might look after a day spent at the beach. It looks hydrated and healthy, but isn’t overly shiny. Glass skin, however, is shiny. It’s smooth, plump, and uniform in tone, with a distinctly dewy, almost glossy-looking finish.
Step 1: Skin prep for dewy makeup
Skin prep is essential for any makeup look – for any day in fact, regardless of whether you’re going to wear makeup.
But if you’re going for a glowing makeup result, skincare becomes especially important. After all, hydrated, healthy-looking skin is the goal.
So before you start, wash and cleanse your face to remove dirt or excess oil. Then, apply your skincare products (like toners, serums, or essences), layering them on from thinnest to thickest. Complete your routine with plenty of moisturiser to lock in hydration – ideally one with SPF. If not, remember to apply separate SPF, too!
And don’t forget to leave some time for your moisturiser to absorb before getting started on your makeup routine.
Step 2: Prime your skin for your glowy makeup Look
A well-hydrated, primed base is the foundation of any glowy makeup look. Without it, even the best highlighters and radiant foundations can fall flat. Right now, we’re loving The Face Glue Primer, a gripping primer that gives glue-level stay with none of the sticky feel for makeup that lasts up to 24 hours.
Using hydrating primers and illuminating moisturisers is vital when creating a smooth, luminous canvas for your look.
Step 3: Best glowy foundation and tint
For a fresh-faced, dewy makeup look, you’ll want to use a radiant-finish foundation rather than a matte or semi-matte option. For a natural look, opt for a formula that offers buildable coverage, such as the Buttermelt Glaze Soft Glow Skin Tint with SPF 30.
It’s formulated with 93% skincare ingredients (including niacinamide, shea butter, and mango butter) and leaves the skin looking fresh and glowy – never greasy. Plus, it contains broad-spectrum SPF 30 protection.
Step 4: Light up the eyes and conceal undereye circles
Next, brighten up your under-eye area (and camouflage any lingering discolourations) by dabbing on a lightweight concealer just where it’s needed. This will help create an even, uniform complexion without making you appear overly “done.”
For a natural-looking finish, we suggest reaching for Pro Fix Stick Correcting Concealer. The buildable concealer comes in 18 complexion shades for brightening and concealing, plus six colour-correcting shades for neutralising dark spots, redness, and other discolourations.
Step 5: Warm up your skin with blush and bronzer for glowing makeup
When glowy, sun-kissed skin is what you’re after, blush is a can’t-miss step. Create a healthy-looking flush with the Buttermelt Blush, a creamy powder formula infused with mango, shea, and almond butters. The buttery formula glides evenly onto the skin and provides up to 12 hours of fade and transfer-resistant wear.
Bronzer is essential for adding dimension, warmth, and that sun-kissed glow to your look.
Create a healthy-looking flush with our Buttermelt Bronzer, known for its soft texture and seamless blendability. Its soft-focus finish melts into the skin, creating a natural warmth without looking powdery or patchy.
Pairing your blush with bronzer will add to the sun-kissed effect to create the ultimate glowy bronze makeup look. Simply sweep the bronzer onto the bridge of your nose, the tops of your cheeks, and anywhere else the sun naturally hits for a healthy-looking, bronzed glow.
Step 6: Add highlighter for a luminous look
Of course, we could never put together a glowy makeup tutorial that doesn’t cover highlighter! One of the essential types of makeup that makes skin glow, this radiant staple is designed to reflect light and illuminate your features.
There are a few different types of highlighter, but for this look, we recommend using a buttery powder formula, like the Buttermelt Highlighter. The ultra-smooth highlighter comes in nine shimmery, pearlescent shades that melt into the skin for a luminous and long-lasting glow.
Swipe your shade of choice onto the high points of your face (namely, your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, brow bones, and cupid’s bow), then use your fingers to blend the shimmery formula out for an instant, all-over glow.
Pro tip: Choosing the right highlighter shade for your skin tone is key for achieving a naturally luminous look. Cool-toned shades like U Butta Werk complement fair and cool-toned complexions well, while warmer shades like Glaze It Butta and Butta in Bronze are ideal for illuminating warmer or deeper skin tones.
Step 7: Finish and set your glowing makeup look
If you ask us, glossy lips are the perfect final touch to makeup for glowy skin. Coat your lips in glossy shine and hydration with your favourite Fat Oil Lip Drip shade, or give your glowy look a little sparkle with one of the pearl-pigment-infused Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss shades (we love Bring the Bling for a subtly sparkly nude lip moment).
And if there’s anything else you want to add to your dewy makeup look – like eyeshadow or liner – now’s your chance. We love the Jumbo Eye Pencils since they’re easy to apply and blend. Plus, the lineup includes a range of shades (both matte and shimmery) so you can easily tailor your look to your liking.
We recommend using the Ultimate Glow Shots shimmer eyeshadow. This liquid sparkle eyeshadow is formulated with vitamin C for the ultimate glow that lasts up to 12 hours.
Once you’re done, set your finished look in place with The Face Glue Setting Spray, a waterproof formula that helps makeup stay put for up to 24 hours.
How do you make glowy makeup last all day?
When you spend time crafting the perfect makeup look, naturally, you want it to stay in place all day. Here are some tips for ensuring your glowy makeup stays put.
Tip 1: Prime your skin
Makeup primer creates a base to grip your makeup in place, helping to prevent products from sliding or melting off during the day.
Tip 2: Set with setting spray
Setting spray is one of your most powerful tools for getting the most wear out of your makeup. For best results, mist your setting spray on in an “X” motion, ensuring you cover your entire face.
Tip 3: Add powder as needed
If your skin type is on the oilier side, you might try patting a setting powder onto your T-zone with a makeup sponge before your setting spray. This helps mattify shine without compromising the glow of your look.
Tip 4: Use blotting papers
Blotting papers are a great little tool to stash in your bag. They’ll be on-hand to mattify oily areas, without you having to remove and reapply your makeup. Just be sure to pat (rather than rub) the blotting paper onto your skin to avoid disrupting your makeup.
