Four products for a glowing foundation

There are, in my opinion, two kinds of people when it comes to makeup – people who love a dewey complexion, and people who love a matte foundation. I am, without question, a lover of all things glowing and dewey. Perhaps it is because we always want what we don’t have – I have really dry skin, so a matte complexion is easy for me to achieve, but often drying and uncomfortable. I love to feel hydrated from skincare to makeup steps, creating that real glow from within look when you’re finished applying, rather than having to use highlighter to get you there for that final step.

For me, a perfect complexion is one that is radiant and gives you a look like you’re fresh out of the shower after a long day on the beach (that’s honestly my perfect state of life, too). I want radiance, I want a healthy amount of color (without the sun damage, of course), and I want to glow. But we are going on month 13 of being trapped inside our homes after a few long months of winter, and I have to say? It’s not the vibe, or so my vitamin D deficiency says…

But I have finally figured out a way to build that foundation with some staple products that work to hydrate, protect, and correct. This formula is just four products at its base – you can add in any skincare or makeup steps you want – to build a glowing foundation that is great on its own, or ready for more. Some of these products are long-time favorites, and others are fresh finds, but they have really just come together to give me the most ideal makeup base of all time. It’s too good not to share.

The Skincare

In my world (and really, as it should be in anyone’s) is to start to with skincare. The key to getting that glow in your makeup look is not packing on the powder highlight, but is to ensure that you have prepped your skin with hydrating products that are going to leave you naturally glowing. While this is not the only step in my skincare routine, it absolutely can be for you! I combine the Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Moisturizer with SPF (key- with SPF) and my long-time favorite Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi anti-pollutant sunshine drops together to create a gorgeous, protected base. Your skin really goes through it during the day, but these products are meant to protect. But the bonus is the most insane base-glow that really gives you that post-vacation fun-in-the-sun kind of look without the sun damage, and without leaving you orange.

I have to say, if you’re looking for a great light-weight moisturizer with a built-in SPF, this Fenty Skin pick will not disappoint. After seeing it used by one of my favorite beauty bloggers, I had to try it out, and wow WOW wow. First of all, its sustainable packaging is a dream – you simply buy a replacement cartridge when you run out. Second, the scent is divine – clean but a little bit floral. And third, the sheen! It gives you the most gorgeous radiant tint when you apply. Personally, I find that a double layer of SPF is so necessary – the recommended amount of sunscreen we are supposed to be wearing daily will leave you looking pasty, but this base layer just gives you that extra layer of protection, even before you move in with my next steps.

I don’t love the look of a fake tanner on my face, and truthfully, haven’t really found one that I love to use that doesn’t break me out or leave that tanner scent. So I get my daily glow with some added protection with these Sunshine Drops from Drunk Elephant. A little goes a long way – I use a half-pump to a pump in my moisturizer and it just gives you the most subtle faux-tan. It is truly a miracle product for me, and one that is well-worth the price tag. I’ve gone through only two bottles in almost two years. Don’t hesitate to grab these- they are truly incredible with this look or in your morning skincare routine.

The final formula here? 2 pumps of moisturizer + 1 pump of bronzing drops = perfect base.

The Makeup

Give your skincare a few minutes to settle into your skin before you jump into your makeup routine, or you’ll be left with a textural mess. When you’re ready, jump in with the power-duo of my complexion dreams. I recently decided to try this Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, which is not quite a foundation and not quite a highlighter, because I love to play with makeup. But holy shit, I did not know that I had purchased liquid gold. I went with one of the fairer shades (I truthfully think it is a very forgiving shade range) and I take a few swipes of this on the high points of my face – cheekbones, bridge of my nose, forehead and chin. You can either apply this with a brush or your hands, with or before your foundation – like I said, it’s pretty error-proof. And bam! Just like that, you are given an instantaneous GLOW. It is, in a word, dreamy.

But it only gets better. If you haven’t heard me rave about this Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint then, boy, you must not talk to me often This foundation is it – it is hands-down the one I reach for most often. And when I tried these two products together, I was totally blown away. I love this Ilia foundation because it is a full-coverage, buildable foundation, without feeling like much of anything on your skin. It’s a dream under a mask, has added SPF protection (like I said, you can never have enough), and just sinks into the skin throughout its wear, serving as an extra layer of hydration that leave me dewey for longer than most other products. This is definitely the product you are missing in your routine, and I love it on its own, but paired with the Flawless Filter, it is gorgeous.

Now, maybe you’re not into the Ilia line, or you’re hesitant to try something like this product? Okay. You can mix this with any foundation, truly, but I think a perfect light-weight, barely there comparison would be the Slip Tint Tinted Moisturizer from Saie Beauty, which also has an added SPF element. It’s another product that will really feel effortless under masks, or while working in sweats at your screen, and just gives you a nice glow. It’s going to be a lighter coverage than the Ilia, but it all depends on what you are looking for in your routine.

These four products are the perfect combination for complexion, and give you the most radiant base for any makeup look, or even just to make you look the tiniest bit more alive for that Zoom meeting. While we can’t all be coming back from a beach vacation right now (but really, WHEN?!), we can give ourselves a little TLC to get that glow-from-within that will give you that post-sunshine skin, all while protecting it throughout the day.

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