GOOD TO GLOW
N theevreebreeb ne af ORE HAS more aggressive stake made for beauty’s crown than that of the highlight. Across the autumn/winter catwalks, from Temperley to Chanel, faces gleamed with the kind of hyper-real, mega-watt glow usually reserved for those who’ve spent a week detoxing at a far-flung retreat.
With a 904% increase in #glow across social media in the last 12 months*, radiance is make-up’s biggest buzzword, wgrei rt aahdzei8ar9s% ago refeing that looking ‘healthy’ is far more important than looking ‘made up’. And where consumer interest goes, clever marketeers follow: 43% of make-up products and 45% of skincare launched in the last two years
The latest formulas mean glowing skin isn’t exclusive to summer. Get ready for a life more luminous…
have ‘glow’ in the name**. But we’re not talking Insta-glam shine. This is pure J-LO: a smattering of universally flattering, soft golden highlights delicately placed to warm and enhance the skin.
Aside from the obvious aesthetic appeal, glowing skin is ingrained within our psyche to represent health, wellness and a life well-lived. ‘Expensive-looking skin is the new luxury,’ says Future Laboratory trend forecaster Jessica Smith. YSL’S global beauty director, Tom Pecheux, agrees: ‘A plump, glowing, radiant complexion screams, “I take care of myself.”’
The world’s top photographers have been capturing the beauty of the ‘golden hour’ for generations. Mario Testino, Helmut Newton and Peter Lindbergh all knew the power of the hour before sunset – when the light turns golden and bathes skin in a warm glow (nature’s equivalent of the Rise filter) – yet it’s taken decades for beauty companies to replicate this. According to Davis Factor, photographer and founder of Smashbox Cosmetics, ‘Because golden light’s forgiving warm tones soften the face, it’s been hard to replicate that for real.’ Until now.
With your post-summer glow dimming, start with skincare. Michaella Bolder, celebrity facialist and ‘glow queen’, suggests choosing a serum or cleanser laced with lactic or glycolic acid, ‘to do away with dead skin cells dulling the skin’s surface’. Try Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse, £14, followed by Neostrata Illuminating Serum, £67, for a honeymoon-esque glow.
When it comes to makeup, pick wisely. As your wardrobe tends to be heavier in winter, choose lighter, creamier textures that reflect the light. ‘Formulas nowadays act like a second skin that picks up light in all the right places,’ explains Tom. ‘Spend time massaging in your moisturiser, pushing it into the skin.’ (He likes YSL Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow, £36.) Follow with strategic application of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter, £30 – like complexion CPR, it gives glow not shine, bringing a dull complexion back to life. Keep your make-up tonal; RMS Luminiser in Champagne Rose, £36, straddles the line between cool and warm, flattering all skin tones as it warms the cheeks and perfects the lips.
Creams and cosmetics can only do so much; for long-term radiance, treatments are essential. Head to Glow Bar, London’s latest beauty hang out, for an infra-red sauna, which stimulates collagen production and boosts circulation for an instant glow. Before a big event, Dr Dray’s Mesolift (£200) is what thosein-the-know turn to; the 15-minute lunchtime treatment delivers a micro-dose of glow-boosting vitamins, minerals and hyaluronic acid through micro-needles for instant radiance.
If all else fails, Davis has let us in on a photographer’s hack: replace LED lighting with tungsten lights. Failing that, there’s always the Rise filter…