My face and body have not seen direct sun in years…and I plan to keep it that way. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to give up that healthy, luminous, just-back-from-vacation glow. I’ve simply become very good at faking it. And I don’t care that it’s fall. I want to glow all year long. I deserve it.
Over the years, I’ve tried countless products that promise to make skin look brighter, dewier and more radiant and these are the ones I actually use and love. Some are skincare products that hydrate and plump, some go under or into my makeup, others highlight exactly where I want a little extra light and a few give my body that gorgeous sun-kissed sheen without actually baking in the sun.
And before you ask: No, I do not use all of these at once! That would be less “lit from within” and more human disco ball. I pick and choose depending on how my skin looks, what makeup I’m wearing and where I’m going.
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The Glow Without The Sun
I spent way too many years believing a tan automatically made me look healthier. These days, I know better. Protecting my skin from unnecessary sun exposure is non-negotiable. In fact, I barely go near a window without sunscreen. Thankfully, beauty products have gotten so good that I can fake that healthy, sun-kissed glow without actually letting the sun anywhere near my skin.
The trick, especially over 50, is not to cover your entire face in shimmer. I want my skin to look hydrated, healthy and alive, not sparkly. Sometimes that means a glow serum mixed into my foundation. Other days, it’s a tiny bit of liquid luminizer high on my cheekbones, a cream highlighter or some shimmering oil on my arms and legs.
Here are 9 of my favorite ways to fake the glow.
1. Erica Taylor X Doll 10 Let’s Glow Fixer Elixir with Exosomes, $46
This is one of those multitasking products I love because it makes my skin look better immediately while also delivering skincare benefits. The serum-meets-moisturizer formula contains exosomes, hyaluronic acid, vegan collagen and niacinamide to help hydrate, plump, brighten and smooth the appearance of skin.
I’ll wear it alone when I want my skin to look fresh and dewy, but I also love mixing a little into my foundation because it can make practically any foundation look better. It gives me that glassy, lit-from-within look without feeling heavy.
SHOP ERICA TAYLOR X DOLL 10 LET’S GLOW FIXER ELIXIR
2. Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer in Reflect, $28
I have reached for this practically every day since I discovered it. Rare Beauty’s Liquid Luminizer has superfine light-reflecting pearls that give skin a beautiful sheen without emphasizing every line and bit of texture, which becomes increasingly important as we get older.
I dab one little dot high on each cheekbone and blend it upwards and out. And I instantly look better. The shade Reflect gives me just the right amount of luminosity with a hint of sun-kissed color, so I look glowy and healthy without actually looking tan. Plus, I love that I can keep it subtle or build it up. It also layers beautifully over makeup without disturbing everything underneath.
And I have been known to dab a little on my collarbones, too. Instant “I just got back from the beach” without actually going near the sun.
SHOP RARE BEAUTY POSITIVE LIGHT LIQUID LUMINIZER
3. Jones Road Bright Skin Illuminating Drops, $38
These drops are for the days when I want my skin to look naturally radiant rather than obviously highlighted. The finely milled pearls create a soft illumination that’s sheer and incredibly easy to control.
I love how versatile they are. Mix a little into moisturizer, apply them directly to clean skin, tap them on after makeup or even use them on your body. I sometimes mix a few drops into my body lotion for an all-over subtle glow. There really isn’t a wrong way to use them.
SHOP JONES ROAD BRIGHT SKIN ILLUMINATING DROPS
4. MERIT Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, $42
This has become one of my favorite skin-prep products, period. It’s a lightweight, oil-free serum with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid that absorbs quickly and leaves my skin looking plumper, brighter and ridiculously glowy.
MERIT says it was clinically measured to nearly double skin’s moisture in five minutes, with hydration lasting for 24 hours. And my skin definitely feels it. I love this before makeup, but one of my favorite tricks is adding a little to foundation. It instantly makes the finish look fresher and more luminous, which is exactly what my drier midlife skin needs.
SHOP MERIT GREAT SKIN INSTANT GLOW SERUM
5. Iconic London Underglow Blurring Subtle Glow Primer, $34
Sometimes you want glow, but you also want your pores and imperfections to look a little less obvious. Enter this primer.
It combines skincare and makeup benefits to hydrate and prep the skin while helping blur the appearance of pores. Ultra-fine champagne pearls add a subtle candlelit luminosity rather than full-on shine. I especially like this under makeup because it gives my foundation a smoother, fresher-looking base while still allowing that radiance to peek through.
SHOP ICONIC LONDON UNDERGLOW BLURRING SUBTLE GLOW PRIMER
6. YiSE Beauty Xtreme Glow Dewy Peptide Plumping Serum, $68
If my skin is looking particularly tired or blah, this is the kind of product I reach for. Xtreme Glow is designed to deliver that deeply hydrated, bouncy look you get after a really good sheet mask, except it’s a serum.
The formula combines peptides, brightening ingredients, gentle exfoliation and hydration to help skin look smoother, plumper and more radiant. It leaves behind a silky, non-sticky finish. This is another one I like to mix into foundation when I want to dial up the luminosity.
SHOP YiSE BEAUTY XTREME GLOW DEWY PEPTIDE PLUMPING SERUM
7. Iconic London Prep-Set-Glow Hydrating Glowy Setting Spray, $34
This is basically glow in a bottle, and while you can use it at practically every stage of your makeup routine, I prefer it as a finishing spray.
It contains light-reflecting particles along with ingredients like vitamin E and caffeine, so you get hydration plus this beautiful soft-focus radiance. It legit looks like you sprayed a filter onto your face.
Just remember: glow, not drench. A few spritzes will do.
SHOP ICONIC LONDON PREP-SET-GLOW
8. NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Shimmering Dry Oil, $34
Now we’re taking the glow below the neck. This shimmering dry oil is gorgeous on arms, shoulders, décolletage and legs when you want your skin to catch the light. I even use a little in my hair!
It’s made with seven botanical oils, including argan, macadamia, camellia and sweet almond oils, to nourish and hydrate, while golden pearly particles leave behind a subtle iridescent sheen.
This is especially beautiful when you’re showing some skin and want it to look hydrated, healthy and luminous. It gives you that gorgeous sun-kissed effect without the sun damage. Exactly how I like it.
SHOP NUXE HUILE PRODIGIEUSE SHIMMERING DRY OIL
9. Ogee Sculpted Cream Highlighter Stick, $42
This one is always a favorite. I love a cream highlighter on mature skin because it gives you that dewy finish without looking dry or powdery.
Ogee’s highlighter is sheer and buildable, so I can swipe or tap it onto my cheekbones and other high points of my face and simply blend it with my fingers. The formula contains jojoba oil, green coffee oil and elderberry extract, and it’s 100% natural and 83% organic.
It’s quick, easy and practically foolproof, which is probably why I keep one stashed in my bag.
SHOP OGEE SCULPTED CREAM HIGHLIGHTER STICK
How I Fake A Healthy Glow Over 50
What I love about all of these products is that none of them require me to actually tan to look healthy and radiant. And they prove you don’t have to pile on shimmer to get glowing skin, either.
At this stage, I want glow in strategic places. I want my skin to look juicy, hydrated and alive. I want people to think, “Her skin looks amazing,” not, “Wow, that’s a lot of highlighter.”
And whether it’s July or January, I’m not giving up my glow.
The sun can sit this one out. I’ve got it covered.
Read some of my other beauty posts like 11 of The Best Creams To Try for Skin Barrier Repair and 11 Of The Best Concealers For Mature Skin That Blur Fine Lines.
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