If there’s one holy grail that I pursue relentlessly when it comes to skincare, it’s the GLOW. Call it radiance, luminosity, a glow from within. I want it all. And I want it all now.
Unfortunately, Glow escapes me. But that does not stop me. In my never-ending pursuit of Glow, I proffer myself as Guinea Pig Number 1. I will try them all until I achieve Glow. Here are some of my latest finds.
Hard Candy Moon Glow
Now, with a name like “Moon Glow,” you can’t go wrong, right? I mean, who doesn’t look good in moonlight, candlelight, or any other light that is one step away from no light.
I’ve finally come to terms with my pale face, so no more bronzers for me. Instead, I turn to Hard Candy’s Moon Glow to diffuse the splotches years of sun baking in the ’80s have left me with. It’s subtle but effective. I sweep it all over like a Photoshop’er gone beserk.
Hard Candy Moon Glow shimmery translucent powder.
Hard Candy Moon Glow, $8.
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Blendable Blush in Winter Glow
Another sort of Glow I covet is the youthful, pink-peachy, sculpted cheeks of so many a model. But as someone with an Asian skintone, it’s hard finding the right pink-peach that gives me a healthy flush, but doesn’t look too clownish.
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Blendable Blush & Highlighter.
The genius of Rimmel London’s blush in Winter Glow is the three tones. Sweep your brush over all three layers for a balanced flush, or focus on one side for a deeper or lighter finish.
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Blendable Blush & Highlighter, $5.
Primed and Ready for the Glow
M*A*C Prep + Prime.
One thing age has taught me — a good primer really is vital.
Yeah, sure, when you’re 19, a primer is waste of time. By virtue of your age, you’re naturally primed and probably have Glow pouring out of your ears. But if you’re not 19, the key to any Glow starts with a good primer. It not only reflects light and gives you a nice airbrushed base, it helps everything else (powder, blush) go on more smoothly, and keeps it there all day long.
Colorescience Let Me Be Clear primer.
For treatment primers, I like M*A*C Prep + Prime, $25.
For oily or acne-prone skin, nothing beats Colorescience Let Me Be Clear primer with salicylic acid, $50.
Sun-kissed Glow
I suddenly found myself on a last minute press trip to Hawaii last month. Which meant that my pasty, sickly legs needed a color boost ASAP. Now, while I may have accepted my official status as a pale face, I refuse to blind the world with my whiter than white gams. I’m just not a sadist that way.
Needless to say, no gradual tanning lotion was going to cut it. So I turned to the sample closet and found Mystic Tan’s sunless tanning lotion.
Mystic Tan sunless tanning lotion and shimmer powder.
I admit, I had some trepidation. After all, I remember Mystic Tan from the 2000s, and Paris Hilton-orange I did not want. I made sure to bring all sorts of tinted lotions and leg highlighters, just in case the Mystic Tan failed me.
I’m glad to report I didn’t use those lotions or highlighters once. My gams were golden and even, just enough to be believable on my otherwise pasty skin. And a week later, the color was still going strong. The best part? No sickly smell. Now that is hot.
Mystic Tan Perfect Tan Holiday Kit (includes the lotion and a bronzing shimmer powder), $29.
