Ray of LIGHT

These radiance-enhancing makeup and insider tricks on using them will intensify your glow game.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

These radiance-enhancing makeup and insider tricks on using them will intensify your glow game.

My Reading Room
If you have natural, glowing skin, you’re lucky. If you’ve got blemishes, you’re also lucky there’s a host of beauty products designed to disguise them, and create that radiant complexion. It all starts with the right base and concealer which hide imperfections. But, like icing on the cake, there are two things you need to complete that glow. With improvements in makeup technology, highlighters now come in the finest of textures to impart a subtle sheen. Then there’s the dusting of the lightest powders to set everything. Here’s all you need to get glowing…
 
My Reading Room
Set The Base

A lightweight foundation with light to medium coverage is perfect for masking redness and light blemishes, all while letting your skin shine through.

INSIDER TIPS:
● Always pat on cushion foundation with a sponge instead of swiping: The watery texture of cushion foundation means it’s prone to streaking, so dabbing it on will give you even coverage.
● If you have a foundation that’s too light or dark for your skin, use it as contour or highlighter instead. The results will be subtle and natural, compared to regular highlighters which tend to be too shimmery.

● For a next-to-nothing look, apply foundation only on areas that are prone to redness and uneven skin tone, leaving the rest of your skin bare.

TRY:
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, $76; Clarins Everlasting Cushion, $65; shu uemura Petal Skin Cushion, $78; Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion EX, $80.
 
My Reading Room
My Reading Room
Cover Up

You can hide dark under-eye circles, dark spots, scars or blemishes with just one swipe, but with so many different formulas to choose from, which one do you pick?

INSIDER TIPS:

● Liquid formulas are generally good for blemishes as they are able to nourish dry flakes that often form around a pimple, while the pigments are able to cover uneven bumps and nooks easily.

● If yor skin is prone to dryness, look for a creamier texture. Makeup artist Larry Yeo suggests using the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage on discolourations that are dry in nature, as it has better adherence and lasting power when set. He adds, “The Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer is an amazing stick concealer that’s great for touching up without looking patchy.”

TRY:
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer in Light, $46; Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer, $37; Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer, $40; Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, $60; Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer, $105.
 
My Reading Room
All That Glitters

Highlighting your face can range from subtle strobing to a full-on unicorn glow, but the principles remain the same: You want to draw attention to the high points of the face to give it more dimension.

INSIDER TIPS:

● The best places to apply highlighter are the cheekbones, nose bridge and Cupid’s bow (the centre part of your upper lip).

● Wear liquid highlighters under foundation or mix them into it for a subtle, lit-from-within glow.

● Powder highlighters are best applied with a highlighter brush, which resembles a small powder brush, or a fan-shaped brush.

TRY:
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Vanilla Quartz, $58; Natasha Denona All Over Glow Face + Body Shimmer In Powder 01 Light, $56; Too Faced Diamond Light Highlighter, $49; Cover FX Glitter Drops in Mirage $68; Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick in Champagne Flash, $66; NUDESTIX Nudies All Over Face Color Glow in Illumi-Naughty, $45; Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter, $69.
 
My Reading Room
Sun Goddess
Dab a little gold highlighter on the inner corner of your eyes to look refreshed.
 
My Reading Room
Done And Dusted

Powder should be the last thing to go on as it sets the makeup, so any mistakes you want to clean up or correct should be done prior to this. One trick Larry suggests is to use a powder puff and rub the loose powder into the puff before dabbing it on. “Applying it this way means the right amount will be dispensed on the skin, instead of loading on too much product on the first dab,” he advises.

TRY:

Too Faced Born This Way Setting Powder, $49; Make Up Store Wonder Powder in Sinai, $69; and Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Skincare Powder N, $65.

PHOTOS: KRISTINA SOLJO/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU 
My Reading Room