Fake it till you make it.
Blame it on our recent sartorial obsession with athleticism, which has moved well past wearing spandex in the FROW but, luminescent skin has all but made its presence necessary at fashion houses from here to Kyoto.
Taking notes from K-Beauty meccas of yore, makeup prescriptions of late have ranged from well-moisturised sheens to post-gym flushes to downright sweaty.
The real-life translation? Humidity-embracing foundations, blushes that ensure radiance, and highlighters that fake a post-facial glow.
To de-mattify your base á la Tom Ford's recent NYFW beat, the two most important steps are exfoliation and hydration.
To buff your base and de-flake the skin, I will always reach for reasonably priced and hugely effective Lactic Acid 10% + HA. The 10% formulation offers mild exfoliation, in comparison to some of the more abrasive exfoliants that promote sensitivity and inflammation.
For those of you with super sensitive skin, I would recommend trying the 5% formula here.
Next up is hydration.
Everyone's skin is different – we know this – but for dewiness by way of pure hydration, there are two products I can wholly vouch for as a result of my Celtic wind-beaten skin.
First up is purse-friendly albeit erring slightly on the greasy side for those of us who boast overzealous application methods. Dry skin gang, rise up.
I've harped on about Weleda Skin Food before, but I feel it is deserving of desert island status as a result of its total versatility – albeit it for flaky, irritated skin queens only.
I use it as a highlighter, lip balm on wintery days and a dry skin balm on flakier days. It can also be found in health shops, which makes me feel like it's good for me.
Next up is its pricer – but exceptional – counterpart, The Dewy Skin Cream by TATCHA.
I wanted to not believe the hype with this product because TATCHA can be hard to find on Irish shores and I've been burned by hard-to-get products before – but, I adored it.
I have never gotten so many compliments on my skin before (I had cystic acne as a teen, any good comment about my skin will go down in eternal memory) and I truly believe it's because of my use of Dewy Skin Cream as a base product.
It is soft and smooth and hydrating and so luxurious. I would even offer it as a base-loving solution for our oilier skinned queens.
It leaves a beautiful sheen on the skin without being heavy and gives you a Disney princess glow. Five stars.
Next up is makeup. Now that your skin is prepped, whichever coloured base you wear is merely secondary.
For those of us who are keen to look more like a glazed doughnut than simply fresh-off-a-treadmill, there is nothing quite like the glass skin appeal of Kevyn Aucoin's Glass Glow Face – which is a gel-based product that gives you the glowiness of a freshly born Krispy Kreme.
For glass-skin, there is truly nothing like it.
The product is a bit pricey, but a little bit really goes a long way, and the bottle is large at a 30ml.
For those of us keen for more of a post-gym permaglow, read on.
READ: The Eye Cream That Turned Me Into A Believer
From my extensive research (I have no life) I have found that the best daily glow-getters are, in no particular order:
Glossier's Perfecting Skin Tint, €24
This is gorgeous for those of you who aren't keen on heavy coverage. Skin Tint offers a light amount of colour to wash the skin with while encouraging natural glow; an everyday base fi there ever was one.
Like the Kevyn Aucoin product before it, a little Futuredew goes along way.
Using the tips of your fingers, highlight the high points of your face (including your Cupid's Bow) in the morning and watch the light catch you all day. Pearly dewy goodness.
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist by Tatcha, €87
For those of us keen to splurge, this product will save your face from eternal matte-ness. (Not a word.)
A quick spray across your forehead, nose and cheeks just before you head out the door will give you the fastest glow of any product available on the market right now.
It is also NOTHING like just spraying glitter across your face (a big worry of mine when I first tried it), so we can leave the body glitter back to our youth, thankfully.
Charlotte Tilbury's Light Wonder Youth-Boosting Perfect Skin Foundation, €40
Say what you want about Charlotte, but she gives good glow.
Slightly more coverage than Perfecting Skin Tint, but twice the glow. Little (microscopic) glints of light-reflecting particles in this product's formula will have people asking you 'what foundation are you wearing?' all day long.
Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter, €40
Your evening glow-getter. A solid formula, this provides both coverage and dew while acting as both a foundation and a highlighter in one. Team Irish Tatler is hooked on this product, and with one swipe of the applicator, it's not hard to see why.
Delicious dewy goodness that withstands humid restaurants and flushed walks.
Main image by @jilla.tequila
READ: The Only Tried And Tested Way To Find Your Perfect Nude
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