TheRootedMomEdit

I remember back in the day, the goal for my skin was to look as matte as possible. Zero glow, zero dew, & absolutely zero shine. Was this you too?! How things have changed in the beauty world. Now everyone is seeking a healthy, lit-from-within dewy finish. Raise your hand if this is you (because it’s definitely me now!!!).

I have spent the last couple of years trying to perfect how to achieve the “natural radiance” look using both my skincare & a few essential makeup products.

Let’s get into the skin prep

First off, if your skin is going to naturally glow, it needs to be properly hydrated. Skin prep is KEY when it comes to achieving dewy skin. If you haven’t jumped on the facial mists yet, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! I was wary about them for the longest time, but once I decided to swallow my pride (I thought they were useless), I haven’t stopped using them.

How I personally incorporate them into my routine is misting my face after cleansing (& drying) to re-wet my skin for the serums I apply immediately afterwards. If you want your serums to penetrate deeper & lock in moisture, you want to apply them on damp skin. I was missing out on this key step for so many years, but it truly does make a difference!

So in your AM routine, you will want to cleanse your skin (or just rinse with water), pat it dry as you normally would, apply your vitamin C serum on dry skin if this is part of your regimen, spritz your face with a facial mist, & apply your hydrating serum immediately afterwards.

To break this down even further, my personal AM skincare routine goes as follows:

• Wash face & pat dry
• Apply vitamin C serum (you want to do this on dry skin*) & let it fully absorb
• Spritz facial mist
• Apply hyaluronic acid serum on damp skin
• Apply peptide serum (that also includes hyaluronic acid to hydrate) on damp skin from the previous serum
• Seal everything in with a daily moisturizer

Later in the morning, I will apply my daily facial SPF and then apply a new to me product to help me achieve a dewy look. I picked up the Supergoop Glowscreen SPF 40 in Sunrise & have been trying it out and LOVING it (you can get the small size for $19 at Target). I apply it sparingly on my forehead where the sun would naturally hit, across my nose and a little bit underneath my eyes & tops of cheekbones. I basically apply this product like a highlighter. Bonus: it offers extra sun protection!

The first day of wearing this product, both my husband and my Mom said “you are glowing!”. For my husband to say such a thing & notice is a big deal!!!

A few takeaways…

1.) You want to always apply your serums to DAMP skin. If you don’t already have a hydrating serum in your routine, you may want to look into adding one. Hydration is KEY for giving you natural, healthy, dewy skin.

My favorite hydrating serum right now is the Timeless Skin Care 100% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum for $12.95 (!!!) You can’t beat the price for the effectiveness of this serum. I love Timeless Skin Care’s “pure line”; no added fluff in the bottle, just hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate the skin.

2.) Facial mists and/or hydrating toners can work in similar ways. If you already have a hydrating toner, use that to dampen your skin before applying the rest of your products. I am a fan of both, but prefer facial mists to achieve dewy skin. Facial mists are superior in the sense that you can reapply them throughout your day to refresh your skin & rehydrate.

My two favorite hydrating facial mists are the Byoma Balancing Face Mist for $13.99 & the Timeless Skin Care HA Matrixyl 3000 w/ Cucumber Spray for $20.95. I have been gravitating toward the Timeless facial spray more because it contains an anti-aging peptide and aloe to rehydrate the skin.

3.) Look for moisturizers or facial sunscreens that offer extra hydration, luminosity, & glow.

Let’s get into the glowy makeup

Now that your skin is fully prepped & hydrated, it’s time to apply the makeup. The key to achieving dewy skin with your makeup is to stick with cream products. I have learned to love cream everything these days & cringe at the thought of how I used to use ALL powder products back in the day. They totally take away any natural “shine” or glow from the skin.

So, grab yourself a cream bronzer, cream blush, & a cream highlighter. Liquid makeup can also help you achieve a dewy look if that is more your style.

Step 1:) Apply your concealer like you normally would, wherever you need it. I personally don’t wear foundation- but if you do, do your thing as far as getting your skin ready for the following steps.

My fave concealer that just melts into the skin and looks like SKIN is the Merit Perfecting Complexion Stick $38. This will never not be in my makeup bag! She’s worth every penny.

Step 2.) Apply your cream or liquid bronzer where the sun would naturally hit. Perimeter of forehead, cheekbones, bridge of your nose, & lightly along the jawline.

My three favorite bronzers are the Merit Bronze Balm $32, Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick $26 (for the petite size), and the budget-friendly option e.l.f Camo Liquid Bronzer $8.

Step 3.) Apply your cream or liquid blush on your cheekbones, cheeks, and across the bridge of your nose. I also like to apply a little on my eyelids & a touch on my forehead. Doing this makes it look like you are naturally sun-kissed.

My faves are the Merit Flush Balm $30, Haus Labs Color Fuse Blush Balm Stick $34, and for the budget-friendly option the Versed Blush Stick $14.99.

Step 4.) The key step… highlighter! You want to apply a touch of highlighter on the bridge of your nose, the highpoint of your cheekbones, a touch on the brow bones, and a little on the cupid’s bow.

My one tried & true highlighter I’m obsessed with is the Merit Highlighting Balm $32 (specifically in shade Cava)

[I use a lot of Merit products. If you are interested in a full review of all the products I have tried and tested from the brand, see my blog post The Best and Worst of Merit Beauty: What to Buy vs. What to Skip ]

Lastly (but optional)- spritz your face one last time with your facial mist! And/or add a tiny bit more of the Supergoop Glowscreen around the perimeter of the face. If you need to add a bit of powder underneath the eyes or in the t-zone, go for it. Make sure you go very light handed with the application, though. You don’t want to cover up the glow from the highlighter or take away the natural dewiness from the skincare prep!

And there you have it, Mama’s. Let your natural, dewy skin shine!