Sep 1

Get a Dewy Makeup Look In 5 Easy Steps

Beauty | 10 min

Woman with a gorgeous naturally glowing makeup look

How to create a dewy makeup look

Creating a dewy makeup look is about enhancing your natural glow and adding a subtle but enhancing shine to your face that we all seek. It's the perfect way to achieve a youthful appearance that looks effortless and natural. At Rosainne, we believe the key is to focus on hydration, use the right products, and apply them in a proper order. We're gonna break it down step by step.

Step 1: Skincare is key

The foundation of any great makeup look is having good skincare, which is especially true when trying to go for a dewy makeup look. Your skin needs to be well-hydrated and ready in order to achieve that glow we see on social media nowadays. Here's what you need to do:

  1. Cleanse: Start with a gentle but hydrating cleanser to remove any dirt or oil without stripping your skin dry.
  2. Exfoliate (this is optional): If your skin is looking dull, a gentle exfoliant can help remove the dead skin cells and reveal a brighter skin from underneath. Just don't overdo it! You can do this once or twice a week and it is usually enough.
  3. Toner: Use a hydrating toner to balance your skin and add an extra layer of moisture, this is key to prepping your skin for dewy finish.
  4. Serum: Apply a hydrating serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin can attract water to your skin. This plumps it up and creates a dewy base.
  5. Moisturizer: It's important to lock in all that hydration with a moisturizer. Choose one that's appropriate for your skin type (very important), if you're oily, a gel cream might work best, on the other hand dry skin types might prefer a richer cream.
  6. SPF: Don't skip this part. Sun protection is crucial for healthy, glowing skin. Any sort of damage on your skin will do nothing but make it more of a hassle to achieve that dewy skin. Choose a lightweight, clean sunscreen that won't mess with your makeup.

    Product recommendations:
Step 2: Apply a luminous base

From experience, it's extremely important to enhance your natural glow from the bottom up. Trust me. We've tried too many things. The key here is to choose products that add luminosity without looking greasy. Here's what we recommend doing:

  1. Primer: Start with a illuminating primer. This will help your makeup last longer and add an extra boost of glow. Apply it all over your face, focusing on the high points where light naturally hits (cheekbones, bridge of the nose, center of the forehead).
  2. Foundation: Choose a foundation with a dewy or satin finish. Avoid matte formulas as they can make your skin look flat. If you have oily skin, you might prefer a natural or satin finish instead of a very dewy one. Application tip: Use a damp beauty sponge to apply your foundation. This helps blend the product seamlessly and adds extra hydration to your skin.
  3. Concealer: Use a hydrating concealer to brighten your under-eye area and cover any blemishes. Again, avoid matte formulas.

Remember, the goal is to enhance your skin, not mask it. Use a light hand and build coverage only where you need it. This will help maintain that natural, dewy look.

Step 3: Blush and highlight with creamy formulas

Goregous woman in direct sunlight with glowing skin

To maintain that dewy glow, opt for cream or liquid formulas for your blush and highlighter. These blend seamlessly into the skin and add to the overall luminous effect. Here's how to apply them:

  1. Cream Blush: Choose a shade that complements your skin tone. Peach and pink tones work well for most skin tones and add a natural-looking flush. Application tip: Smile and apply the blush to the apples of your cheeks, blending upwards towards your temples. Use your fingers or a stippling brush for a natural finish.
  2. Liquid Highlighter: This is where you can really amp up the dewiness. Choose a highlighter with a pearlescent (not so glittery) finish. Application tip: Apply highlighter to the high points of your face – cheekbones, bridge of the nose, cupid's bow, and a tiny bit on the center of your forehead and chin. Blend well so there are no harsh lines.
  3. Bronzer (also optional): If you want to add some warmth to your face, use a cream bronzer. Apply it lightly where the sun naturally hits your face and forehead, cheekbones, and jawline.

Product recommendations:

Remember that less is more with these cream products. Start with a small amount and build up if needed. The goal is to look naturally glowing, not overly made up.

Step 4: Add shine to your lips

To complete your dewy look your lips should look just as hydrated and glowing as the rest of your face. Here's how you can achieve that:

  1. Lip Balm: Start with a hydrating lip balm to ensure your lips are moisturized. This will help your lip color apply more smoothly.
  2. Lip Color: Choose a lip color that complements your blush. Glossy formulas work best for a dewy look, but if you prefer more color, go for a creamy lipstick or tinted lip oil.
  3. Lip Gloss: For extra shine, add a touch of clear or lightly tinted lip gloss to the center of your lips. This will make them look plumper and more hydrated.

Pro tip: If you're going for a natural look, try using nice old tinted lip balm. It will give you a subtle hint of color while keeping your lips hydrated and glossy.

Product recommendations:

Step 5: Seal it with setting powder

You might be thinking, "Powder? How is that gonna make me look glossy?" Well the key is to use powder strategically not to make it glossier but to ensure your makeup lasts without losing that glow. Here's how to do it while maintaining the glow:

  1. Choose the right powder: Opt for a finely-milled, translucent setting powder. Avoid anything too heavy or matte-ifying.
  2. Apply sparingly: Use a small fluffy brush to lightly dust powder only on areas that tend to get oily – typically the T zone (forehead, nose, and chin). Keep the high points of your face away from powder to maintain the dewy effect.
  3. Setting spray: Finish off with a hydrating setting spray. This will help meld all the products together and add an extra boost of dewiness.

Pro tip: If you find you've put to much powder and lost some of your glow, spritz your face with some setting spray, and then gently press a damp beauty sponge over the areas you want to look dewier. This will help reactivate the products underneath and bring back some of that moisture.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day. It's all about enhancing your natural glow and strategically adding some shine. Remember, the key steps are:

  1. Prioritize skincare to create a hydrated base
  2. Use luminous, hydrating face products
  3. Try to use a cream blush and liquid highlighter
  4. Keep your lips nice, glossy and hydrated
  5. Strategically use a light dusting of powder

Hopefully, these steps can make you a master at acheiving that dewy makeup look. Also, don't take our advice too literally, everyone's skin and catalog is different so experiement as you wish. After all, makeup should be fun, but inevitably hard and sometimes very time consuming.

So stay hydrated, protect your skin from the sun, and maintain a consistent skincare routine.

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