![](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/768x768/public/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/f2f92bb0-f5c7-47a3-91a0-007868628c39_1859246d.jpg?itok=TsHMbC6-&v=1625800996)
Five easy skincare and make-up tricks to perfect that radiant, ‘your-skin-but-better’ look
- For any look, you need a good base to start with – and that means happy, hydrated skin, which requires a serum and a moisturiser
- For all-over luminosity, mix a tiny amount of liquid highlighter with some foundation to achieve that radiant look
Two years ago, we were already moving away from the matte, full-coverage and contoured look of the mid-2010s, but it was in 2020 when the your-skin-but-better trend really took off.
With all the mask-wearing, it became more important to get overall beautiful-looking skin than it was to nail that beaming highlight or perfect liquid lip.
Here are five tips for creating that gorgeous look that screams: “I may have been in lockdown, but don’t I look like I just came back from a beach holiday?”.
Start with hydrated, moisturised skin
![Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, available at Sephora.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/be027bbe-7496-40ba-aa1e-07a5b27809cd_266418ee.jpg)
Regardless of skin type, a serum is essential. A standard hyaluronic acid serum – the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum from The Ordinary or the Minéral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster from Vichy are great options – works great under any moisturiser.
![Laura Mercier’s Pure Canvas Primer.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/3d1a401f-9a1e-4bb1-8d04-5b2d2f815df9_f1e47ee4.jpg)
Use a luminising primer
By using a primer designed to appear radiant, you can prep your skin and add a glow at the same time. If you lean oily, here’s an old make-up artist trick: use a big powder brush and apply a very light layer of the finest setting powder you have to moisturised skin before you prime.
![La Mer’s Hydrating Illuminator.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/2eb4a362-8f4c-4565-aa06-7d9c3b777bbe_266418ee.jpg)
Mix liquid highlighter with foundation
Remember that a little goes a long way. For oily skin types, setting your foundation with a translucent powder and using a light hand will help without dimming the glow.
![Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/9c1d769d-6afb-4119-bf8c-6d73afaae0bf_1807845b.jpg)
Apply a glowy foundation
The best option for those with dry to normal skin is to just use a foundation formulated to appear glowy on the skin. If you have oilier skin, you may need to prep first with primer – but by no means are glowy foundations off limits to you.
If you can afford it, Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow foundation, a skincare and make-up hybrid that offers lightweight, luminous coverage, is a great option. If not, the Maybelline Fit Me Dewy & Smooth Foundation is a cult favourite among influencers.
![Hourglass’s Veil Soft Focus Setting Spray, available at Lane Crawford.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/01986f13-9d84-41d4-bf0d-1216f391ec6f_7390c88c.jpg)
Use finishing products
Here’s the thing about what are widely known as setting sprays: there is a difference between setting and finishing sprays. A setting spray helps to keep your make-up in place, and a finishing spray leaves a desired finish over your make-up.
If you have normal to dry skin, mist a dewy finishing spray on your face as your last step and call it a day. If you have oily skin that breaks down make-up, a finishing spray won’t be your last step; you’ll likely still need to layer a setting spray on top of it. Or you can set your foundation with a luminising powder and seal it with a setting spray.
![A natural glowy look achieved with Dior’s Backstage Face & Body No-Powder Powder.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2021/07/09/b9ec979f-b84c-4d0c-a9c5-f54211681a27_91a5a11b.jpg)
Another way to add glow and longevity to your make-up is to sandwich your foundation between a luminising finishing spray and a setting spray – a technique that looks stunning on oily skin types. I have very oily skin and love using the Hourglass Veil Soft Focus Setting Spray this way.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)