Highlight those cheekbones till you blind another bish, they say! I say wear a glass-skin makeup look till that bish sees her reflection in your face! The Korean glass-skin makeup look has been going around for a little while now, and although I was torn over whether or not to write this – as so many beauty influencers out there are already doing a good job of showing you guys what it’s about, I can’t help but see some of you just doin it all wrong!
It’s glass-skin makeup girls and guys, not a “I’m going to look like a sticky, sweaty glazed doughnut” – and some of you are really looking like that. So, why not educate yourself a little bit about what glass-skin makeup is and how it’s done.
Shall we begin?
What Is A Glass-Skin Makeup Look?
The glass-skin makeup look trend originated from the motherland of skincare itself, South Korea. Ever looked at K-pop idols and wonder, how is their skin so shiny, glowy and dewy? Well, it’s all in the art of mastering the glass-skin makeup look, which Korea has been doing for generations. The purpose of this makeup look is to create a clear, clean, poreless and illuminated look that reflects – like ‘glass’.
The glass-skin makeup look is often associated with the “no-makeup” makeup look, which is supposed to look as natural as possible. Ironically, there are glass-skin makeup looks that have seven to eight and even up to 10 steps. But, let’s be real here, ain’t nobody got time for that-ish! So, here is a minimal step-by-step makeup guide that you can do on the go, but it does take patience, because the key to having clean, glass-like skin starts with skincare itself!
Skin Prep
Like mentioned above, it all starts with taking good care of your skin so it creates a smooth canvas to apply your makeup, and that results in a glass-skin makeup look. You don’t need to layer many products, keep in mind that your skin needs to breathe.
- Start by cleansing the face with your daily facial cleanser, it is important that before applying skincare and makeup, the pores on your skin are clean, without excess oil or dirt.
- The first step to prepping the skin is to start with an essence or serum of your choice. One important thing to note here is to use products that promote hydration and if possible, brightening effects as well. Hydration is a crucial element in achieving the glass-skin makeup look, especially if you have dry skin. (Skip the toner if you like, or you can even start with the toner but it is an unnecessary step.
- Next, go in with your favourite moisturiser, preferably one with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture into your skin.
- Apply a lip balm or regular Vaseline – taking care of the lips is equally important.
- The final step to the skin prep is sunscreen. Never leave the house without sunscreen, you can forget your child at home, but NOT THE SUNSCREEN!
Now your skin is fully prepared for the makeup. The moisturiser is going to add a natural glow to your skin and the sunscreen acts as a protective layer, as well as a base, for your makeup to lay on.
Makeup
On to the actual makeup itself, start by:
1. Primer
Applying a primer is the first step and to smooth out the pores as well as the skin so the makeup lasts all day long. A primer with illuminating effects is going to further add to the glass-like effect on the skin. Gently rub in the primer and towards the end, pat it into the skin.
2. Foundation
Now, there are ultimately two steps to doing this: if you are comfortable with a liquid foundation then go ahead and apply a light layer of the foundation onto your skin. Use a foundation that is dewy and NOT a matte finish. Rather than a makeup brush, go in with a beauty blender and gently dab the product into your skin, making sure the makeup still looks like skin. In other words, the foundation should not look like it is sitting on top of the skin but rather, it looks natural, like your skin itself. Oh! And please apply a foundation that is your shade and do not forget to blend it down your neck.
If you do not like the feeling of foundation, you are very well welcome to use compact cushions/foundations. Gently press the puff into the product and pat the puff (filled with foundation) onto the back of your hands – this is to remove excess products in order to achieve a more natural finish. Then, start by applying from the cheeks, tap the product in and swipe gently when necessary. Whenever you fill the puff from the cushion, always wipe off the excess on the back of your hand and repeat the tap like motion when applying on your face. After finishing the whole face, whatever that is left on the puff, wipe it on your nose. You may refer to the YouTube video above.
3. Bronzer And Blush
When going for a glossy and dewy makeup look, so creamy bronzer and blushes are the best choice, as they will not result in a matte look, as that is not what we’re going for here. Again, using the same method, pick up the bronzer and blush with your beauty blender and tap them onto the skin. The bronzer needs to be minimum, just to add a warm tone to the skin, and apply the blush as lightly as possible to give a more natural flush to the face.
4. Highlight
This is completely optional, if you do want to leave it as it is you may do so, but you can also add highlights to your cheekbones, the tip of your nose, along the bridge of your nose and on the brow bone. Again, please remember to use a cream textured highlighter as that will be perfect for a glass-skin makeup look.
5. Eyeshadow
This is also optional – if you do want to leave your eyelids natural, you can maybe add a pop of brown or a deep purple tone, or you can go crazy and do a full glam eyeshadow – but it does take away from the natural glass-skin makeup look. The final steps are to add eyeliner and mascara if you’d like.
6. Lips
For the lips, apply a dewy lipstick in the shade that is close to your lip tones. And if you’d like, you can also top it off with a lip-gloss.
7. Mist
The final step is to spritz your face with a hydrating face mist to add to the glow, as well as lock in the makeup.
And you are done! A perfect glass-skin makeup look that will give you your K-pop idol look within minutes.
More on makeup? Read these:
Intercourse-metics: SEX-Proof Makeup That Will Stay On All Night Long!
