5 Easy Steps to Make Your Skin Glow

August 03, 2021
Karie Frost
By: Karie Frost | Makeup.com by L'Oréal
Here’s How to Get Glowing Skin, According to the Pros

There’s no denying that glowing skin can turn heads no matter where you are. While the first thing many of us grab is highlighter, there are other products and tricks you can use to get a naturally radiant glow. Below, makeup artist Scott Barnes shares a simple five-step tutorial to get lustrous-looking skin in minutes.


  • STEP 1:

    Create Dimension

    To create a lit-from-within complexion, Barnes stresses perfecting the art of contouring. “You want to bring light to the center of your face to make you glow,” he says. Start to create dimension by applying a cream concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone to highlight the high points of your face. The Maybelline New York Super Stay Under Eye Concealer is a great lightweight option that glides seamlessly onto the skin and lasts for up to 24 hours. Then, take a concealer brush, like the IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Dual Airbrush Concealer Brush, and place the concealer in the middle of your forehead, down the center of your nose, along your brow bones, under your eyes and in the center of your face. 


    Continue creating dimension by using contouring makeup and a contouring brush to create an arc under your cheekbones to add more depth to the face. Barnes also routinely contours the sides of the nose and along the jawline and hairline. When choosing contouring makeup, go for a bronzer, powder or liquid foundation that is "one shade darker than your natural skin tone," he says. "If you go any deeper than one or two shades, you'll begin to look muddy." We like the L'Oréal Paris True Match Face Powder, which offers a range of 30 colors.

    Maybelline New York Super Stay Under Eye Concealer

  • STEP 2:

    Apply Foundation

    After enhancing the dimension on your face, it’s time to layer on foundation. “I like using lighter foundations (think liquids or creams without a thick consistency) with a lot of luminosity to add a glow to the skin,” Barnes says. One of our favorites for this is the Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation. To apply, move your foundation brush in small circles. “You want to make sure your makeup isn’t sitting on top of your skin," he says. "It should blend in with the natural oils in your skin."

  • STEP 3:

    Add Color to Your Cheeks

    Don’t make the mistake of trying to create a contour with blush. “Leave that business to your contouring makeup,” Barnes says. Instead, select a blush that is close to your natural flush, and apply it on the apples of your cheeks instead of below your cheekbones. When blending, make sure you start at the apples and blend upward toward your temples. This bit of flush will help make your skin glow. We recommend the NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Luminous Cheek Serum because it provides natural pigmentation and a glowy finish.

  • STEP 4:

    Add a Hint of Shimmer

    “Shimmer highlighter creates light and bone structure,” Barnes says. But knowing when enough is enough is important. “Whether you’re using a cream or powder highlighter, in either case less is more,” he explains. Apply a highlighter, like the Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face Highlighter, to the high points of your face — the middle of your forehead, down the center of your nose and along the tops of your cheekbones.

    Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face Highlighter

  • STEP 5:

    Set Your Glow

    According to Barnes the final touch — translucent powder — is the most important one. Using a large fluffy powder brush, swirl translucent powder, like the Urban Decay All Nighter Softening Loose Setting Powder, all over your face for a look that stays in place all day long.

Photo: Chaunte Vaughn

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