Fantastically flawless, hyper-healthy looking skin is possible for everyone with some skincare sorcery and clever cosmetics
Amazing skin is never far from the beauty agenda but the exquisite complexions on display at the S/S21 fashion shows were something else to behold. While ‘no makeup makeup’ tends to be a catwalk cliche at this time of year, this was definitely ‘your skin but better’ taken to the extreme and it came in four subtle (but distinct) guises.
‘Super-fresh, super-radiant and super-natural skin is well and truly in,’ says Dominic Skinner, global senior artist for MAC. ‘There’s nothing like blowing away the cobwebs of winter with lit-from-within dewy skin that looks warm and glowy.’
Key to the trend is makeup products with skincare benefits. They can infuse the skin with complexion-loving actives such as hyaluronic acid while also employing sheer, fluid textures to perfect a skin-like finish. Here are four routes to the skin of your dreams…
Hyper-real Highlights
Forget everything you think you know – highlighters are no longer the sole preserve of the under 25s. Yes, their reputation for settling into fine lines once meant that they were deemed a no-no for anyone old enough to have experienced the heartbreak of a tamagotchi. However, modern iterations that offer a touch of luminosity in butter-soft textures mean that anyone can benefit from their glow-giving wizardry.
Use fingers to apply to the high plains of the face – to ramp things up a notch while eschewing any unicorn connotations, Dominic suggests adopting a more 3D approach. ‘Layer shades to create a multidimensional glow,’ he suggests. ‘I love MAC’s Hyper Real Glow Palette which I use by applying the deeper shade widely across the cheek before sweeping the middle shade on the high points of the cheekbones and eyelids. Lastly, I’ll pop the brightest shade on the very peak of the cheek and centre of the eye to finish.’
Fresh Freckles
Charlotte Tilbury calls her Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Foxy Brown her ‘youth stick’ since using it to create a smattering of freckles can impart a youthful flush without resorting to all-over colour. No wonder it’s a perennial favourite backstage. ‘A trend we see gracing the catwalks of London and Paris season after season is the faux freckle, and it’s not as hard to recreate as you think,’ assures Dominic.
Sported at shows such as Jason Wu which were inspired by holidays in Mexico, skin should be kept fresh and natural to avoid veering into pantomime territory. ‘Simply use a brow pencil to stipple in little clusters of freckles across the nose and cheeks then tap over them with a fingertip to “ghost” the finish in order to ensure they look real,’ says Dominic.
Celestial Shine
There was a time when ‘shine’ was seen as something to be extinguished under layers of powder, but luckily times have changed. Now a luminous complexion is up there as the pinnacle of skin goals thanks to trends such as ‘glass skin’ and a ‘dewy dumpling’ glow.
This season, a deliciously dewy, ethereal sheen was spotted at shows such as Eudon Choi and Sportmax where wet-look highlights were placed high on the cheekbones to create light-reflecting skin that interplayed beautifully with lightly-glossed lips.
‘Shine is the perfect way to update your look and give some life back to dull winter skin,’ says Dominic. ‘My secret mix that wins on every skintone is a dot of MAC’s Strobe Cream mixed with a dab of lip balm which I tap onto cheeks, eyelids and lips. Finish off with a spritz of MAC Fix+ Magic Radiance for an other-worldy glow.’
Better-than-the-real-thing Bronzer
Give your skin a glow up with next-level bronzers to achieve the most believable, outdoorsy tan this side of the Channel.
‘Bronzer can be the greatest tool in your makeup bag if you know how to use it properly,’ says Dominic. ‘Using a large bronzing brush – the bigger the better – swoosh a matte bronzing powder over the cheeks, nose and a little into the hair line. Then, using a smaller face brush, work an extra layer of bronzer under the cheekbones and sweep it over the eyes. You’ll end up sculpted, honed and tanned, but naturally so; as if you’ve lived on the beach all summer.’
As naturally tanned skin isn’t one dimensional, dab a touch of peach blush onto the apples of the cheeks and add a pop of shine (see the Celestial Shine section above for directions) for a summer night’s sheen.
