Beauty trends come and go, but one thing we’d argue will always be in style is dewy, glowy makeup. While following the right skincare routine is the key to achieving natural-looking radiance, luminous makeup can help, too. Fortunately, creating a glowy makeup look is pretty simple, so long as you have the right products at your disposal. That’s where we come in.
Here, we’ll introduce you to our favorite glowy makeup products and teach you how to use them for a radiant, sunkissed look that lasts. Plus, we’ll clue you in on some simple tips for keeping your look fresh rather than greasy. Read on for our seven-step glowy makeup tutorial and prepare to get your glow on.
What Is Glowy Makeup?
The term glowy makeup can refer to any makeup look that boasts a luminous (rather than matte) finish. Typically, it features smooth, radiant-looking skin and glossy lips. However, because it's such a broad term, there are several ways to try the trend. For example, you could lean into your glam side by pairing luminous-looking skin with winged eyeliner, contoured cheeks, and a glossy crimson lip. For a glowy natural makeup look, you could use a skin tint instead of foundation and swap the contour for a radiant-finish blush or sun-kissed bronzer.
What is the difference between glowy and glassy skin?
Glowy skin has a radiant, natural-looking luminosity, similar to the way your complexion might look after a day spent at the beach. It looks hydrated and healthy but isn’t overly shiny. Glass skin, however, is shiny. It’s smooth, plump, and uniform in tone, with a distinctly dewy, almost glossy-looking finish.
Glowy Makeup Steps
If you want to know how to create a glowy makeup look, you’re in luck—doing so is neither difficult nor time-consuming. A few products are all you need to create a glowy, lit-from-within look. Follow our glowy makeup tutorial below and see for yourself.
Step 1: Glowy skin prep
Skin prep is important for any makeup look, but especially so with glowy makeup, which is all about hydrated, healthy-looking skin. Begin your routine by washing your face to remove any dirt or excess oil. Then, apply your skincare products (like toners, serums, or essences), layering them on from thinnest to thickest. Complete your skincare routine with plenty of moisturizer to lock in hydration. Allow your moisturizer time to absorb before getting started on your makeup routine.
Step 2: Start your glowy makeup look with makeup primer
For a glowy makeup look that lasts, you’ll want to use a face primer—they provide grip to help your makeup stay in place. Right now, we’re loving Blurscreen SPF 30 Primer. The 3-in-1 formula blurs imperfections, helps grip makeup in place for up to 18 hours of wear, and offers SPF 30 protection against the sun’s rays (without the white cast that some sunscreens can leave behind). If you prefer to apply your sunscreen and makeup separately, try priming your skin with The Face Glue Gripping Primer. It provides up to 24 hours of hydration and leaves your skin feeling nourished and prepped for your makeup application.
Step 3: Apply luminous foundation makeup
If you’re aiming for a fresh-faced, glowy makeup look, you’ll want to use a radiant-finish foundation rather than a matte or semi-matte option. For a natural look, opt for a formula that offers buildable coverage, such as the Buttermelt Glaze Soft Glow Skin Tint with SPF 30. It’s formulated with 93% skincare ingredients (including niacinamide, shea butter, and mango butter) and leaves the skin looking fresh and glowy—never greasy. Plus, it contains broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen to help shield your skin from damaging UV rays that can dull your glow.
Step 4: Conceal under-eye circles
Next, brighten up your under-eye area (and camouflage any lingering discolorations) by dabbing on a lightweight concealer just where it’s needed. This will help create an even, uniform complexion without making you appear overly “done.”
For a natural-looking finish, we suggest reaching for Pro Fix Stick Correcting Concealer. The buildable concealer comes in 18 complexion shades for brightening and concealing, plus six color-correcting shades for neutralizing dark spots, redness, and other discolorations. If you need a refresher on how color correction works, check out our article The Ultimate Color Corrector Guide: How To Use Color Correction Makeup.
Step 5: Warm up your skin with blush and bronzer
When glowy, sun-kissed skin is what you’re after, blush is a can’t-miss step. Create a healthy-looking flush with the Buttermelt Blush, a creamy powder formula infused with mango, shea, and almond butters. The buttery formula glides evenly onto the skin and provides up to 12 hours of fade and transfer-resistant wear. For a glowy finish, we’re fans of the shades U Know Butta and Sooner The Butta (but as always, feel free to choose whichever shade you like best). For an ultra-flattering finish, apply your blush according to your face shape—if you’re not sure how, we break it all down in How To Apply Blush and Flatter Your Face Shape.
Pairing your blush with bronzer will add to the sun-kissed effect. Simply sweep the bronzer onto the bridge of your nose, the tops of your cheeks, and anywhere else the sun naturally hits for a healthy-looking, bronzed glow.
Step 6: Add highlighter for a luminous look
Unsurprisingly, highlighter is among the best makeup for a glowy look— this complexion staple is designed to reflect light and illuminate your features. There are a few different types of highlighter, but for this look, we recommend using a buttery powder formula, like the Buttermelt Highlighter. The ultra-smooth highlighter comes in eight shimmery, pearlescent shades that melt into the skin for a luminous and long-lasting glow. Swipe your shade of choice onto the high points of your face (namely, your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, brow bones, and cupid’s bow), then use your fingers to blend the shimmery formula out for an instant, all-over glow.
Pro Tip: Choosing the right highlighter shade for your skin tone is key for achieving a naturally luminous look. Cool-toned shades like U Butta Werk complement fair and cool-toned complexions well, while warmer shades like Glaze It Butta and Butta in Bronze are ideal for illuminating warmer or deeper skin tones.
Step 7: Add a glossy lip and eyeshadow and set it
If you ask us, glossy lips are the perfect complement to glowy makeup. Coat your lips in glossy shine and hydration with your favorite Fat Oil Lip Drip shade, or give your glowy look a little sparkle with one of the pearl-pigment-infused Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss shades (we love Bring the Bling for a subtly sparkly nude lip moment). And if there’s anything else you want to add to your glowy makeup look—like eyeshadow or liner—now’s your chance. We love the Jumbo Eye Pencils since they’re easy to apply and blend. Plus, the lineup includes a range of shades (both matte and shimmery) so you can easily tailor your look to your liking.
Once you’re done, set your finished look in place with The Face Glue Setting Spray, a waterproof formula that helps makeup stay put for up to 24 hours.
How Do You Make Glowy Makeup Last All Day?
When you spend time crafting the perfect makeup look, naturally, you want it to stay in place all day. Here are some tips for ensuring your glowy makeup stays put.
Tip 1: Prime your skin
Makeup primer creates a grippy base for your makeup products to hold onto, which helps ensure your products won’t slide or melt off during the day. There are makeup primers for every skin type and need—if you’re not sure which option is best for you, check out our article Prime Time: How To Pick The Right Makeup Primer for guidance.
Tip 2: Set with setting spray
Setting your look with setting spray is one of the best ways to ensure you get the most wear out of your makeup. We recommend misting your setting spray on in an “X” motion to be sure you cover your entire face.
Tip 3: Add powder as needed
If you’re prone to oiliness, consider patting a setting powder onto your T-zone with a makeup sponge before misting on your setting spray. This will help mattify overly shiny areas while allowing the rest of your look to maintain its glow.
Tip 4: Use blotting papers
Stash some blotting papers in your bag. You can use them to help mattify oily areas without having to reapply your makeup. Just be sure to pat (rather than rub) the blotting paper onto your skin to avoid disrupting your makeup.
Next Up: Matte vs. Dewy Makeup Finishes: What’s Better?We’d love to see the glowy makeup looks you create with your NYX Professional Makeup products! Share a pic of your masterpiece on social and tag us @nyxcosmetics.
Shop Our Favorite Glowy Makeup Products
BLURSCREEN SPF 30 PRIMER
A blurring primer sunscreen with no white cast and up to 18h makeup wear.
Fat Oil Lip Drip
Hydrating tinted lip oil scented with Suga Baddie
BUTTERMELT HIGHLIGHTER
Butter smooth glowy highlighter in eight shades.
JUMBO EYE PENCIL
Multi-use eye crayon
Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss
Fan Fave Buttery Gloss
PRO FIX STICK CORRECTING CONCEALER
Color-correcting & buildable medium coverage concealer stick in 24 shades
THE FACE GLUE SETTING SPRAY
Up to 24h makeup lock and shield, waterproof setting spray
BUTTERMELT GLAZE SOFT GLOW SKIN TINT SPF 30
A skin tint with a soft glow glazed finish in ten flexible shades
Buttermelt Blush
High pigment buttery soft powder blush. Fade & transfer resistant with up to 12HR wear.
