Summer or winter, day or night, everyone loves to hear their skin is glowing. During the colder months, radiance can be achieved with a careful curation of products, starting with a base of nutrient-rich skincare to combat irritation and dryness and rounding out with vibrant color cosmetics for a complete dewy winter makeup look.
Vogue’s Favorite Dewy Winter Makeup:
“Winter can be a challenging season for the skin—the alternation of outdoor cold with indoor heat tends to make it look dry and dull. A youthful, dewy makeup look is the best antidote,” makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen tells Vogue. There’s no need to wait until summer for a gorgeous sun-kissed glow—ahead, we spoke with 11 pro makeup artists to get the scoop on how to achieve the look, plus their favorite bronzers, blushes, and highlighters for a lit-from-within luminosity.
Exfoliate First
“One of the first steps in achieving a dewy makeup look in the winter is to start by exfoliating and hydrating the skin properly, prior to any makeup application. Skin needs to be prepped to achieve any degree of dewiness, whether it’s an ultra glass look or just a hint of natural sheen,” explains celebrity makeup artist Robert Sesnek. “Exfoliating before any hydration allows removal of any dead skin cells, lets the serums and moisturizers really penetrate the skin’s surface, and allows products to do their thing.”
Kate Somerville
ExfoliKate Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment
A top pick of Reiss-Andersen, ExfoliKate is powered by lactic acid, salicylic acid, and fruit enzymes to smooth enlarged pores in two-minute treatment.
Youth To The People
Yerba Mate Resurfacing + Exfoliating Energy Facial
Pro makeup artist Shannon Pezzetta reaches for Youth To The People’s energy facial “because it does what it says. I use this product myself twice a week. You feel like you had a facial after using it. My skin is smooth, and it has a healthy glow.”
Glow Recipe
Watermelon Glow BHA + PHA Pore-Tight Toner
When looking for an effective yet non-abrasive exfoliant, professional makeup artist Rachel Singer Clark reaches for Glow Recipe’s toner. “This product helps to eradicate noticeable pores and is the perfect canvas to apply makeup onto,” she says.
For fans of Medicube’s viral device (Hailey Bieber’s go-to for boosting her glow), the K beauty brand’s toner pads are equally as lauded. Formulated with a powerful blend of AHAs and BHAs for the turnover of dead skin cells, soothing ingredients like allantoin and panthenol calm irritation, making these safe for sensitive skin.
Hydrating Skincare
Sesnek adds that “dry and oily skin both need hydration especially in the winter months, just figure out which works best for your particular skin type and regimen. I find that most people can go a little heavier and up their moisturizer game in the colder winter months.” According to celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles, “You’ll want to layer rich face creams or oils with cream or liquid foundations and cream blushes for skin that looks plump, supple, and hydrated during the dry winter months.” As a general rule of thumb, start applying lighter products first, then move to thicker formulas.
Amorepacific
Vintage Single Extract Essence
Perhaps the Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence is a solid starting point, coming at the recommendation of makeup artist Melissa Hurkman, who says it’s “packed with incredible ingredients to not only hydrate your skin but fight [signs of] aging.”
Augustinus Bader
Reiss-Andersen likes Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream to plump and soothe thanks to its sought-after TFC8 blend of amino acids, peptides, and vitamins, plus rich moisturizers like evening primrose oil, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E.
Osea
Celebrity makeup artist Lilly Keys loves how Osea’s Seabiotic Water Cream blends under makeup, and we couldn’t agree more. It boasts a weightless, sink-into-skin texture that leaves skin supple.
Clinique
Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator Moisturizer
Keys is also a fan of Clinique’s Moisture Surge moisturizer because it leaves skin glowing for hours. The oil-free cream is enriched with aloe bioferment, hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E for well-rounded hydration.
Lock in Moisture With an Oil
Those with very dry skin might appreciate an oil to lock in moisture atop face moisturizer or even mixed into your foundation—a practice Pezzetta and Reiss-Andersen considers essential.
Youth To The People
Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil
Pezzetta likes the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil for before and after makeup. “I use a small amount before [applying it] all over the face, and then after I do my makeup, I use it on the apples of my cheeks for extra glow.”
Chanel
Huile De Jasmine Revitalizing Facial Oil With Jasmine Extract
Reiss-Andersen uses a similar methodology with Chanel’s Huile De Jasmine. “For extra radiance and glow, I love to add a drop of oil to the foundation and then apply it with a damp soft sponge.”
Elemis
For a quick pre-glam facial massage, Singer Clark applies Elemis’s oil on her clients to lock in moisture. “Work it around the jawline and brow bone, and massage it to sculpt the face. I steer away from applying too much around the T-zone for oily-prone skin,” she says.
Goop
Goopgenes All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil
Vogue’s beauty writer Conçetta Ciarlo isn’t typically a fan of face oils, because of her congestion-prone, already-oily complexion. “I’m not the biggest fan of how some oils feel heavy and don’t absorb efficiently. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Goop’s face oil—it’s fast absorbing and never causes break outs,” she says. It’s her go-to now when she has no energy to for a multi-step skin-care routine.
Perfect The Base
Which foundation or tinted formula should you reach for this winter? Reiss-Andersen says to “Choose a sheer liquid foundation to show off the natural quality of the skin.” Sesnek explains it like this: “Most foundations that have luminous or luminizing qualities tend to be more sheer to medium coverage. Fuller coverage foundation tends to have pigment and contain less glowing ingredients.” One could also go the tinted moisturizer route, and simply spot conceal with concealer to let your skin breathe and soak in the formula’s conditioning agents.
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Foundation
Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation is a stellar, mature skin-friendly formula recommended by Reiss-Andersen—perfect for medium coverage and a silky, airbrushed finish.
Clé de Peau
Radiant Fluid Natural SPF 25
Stiles covets the Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Fluid Natural Foundation. This has quickly become a favorite of mine. A beautiful formula full of skin-loving ingredients with a radiant finish that looks like a second skin.”
Westman Atelier
Vital Skincare Complexion Drops
“Westman Atelier’s complexion drops are perfect for the most undetectable glow. I apply this with my index fingertip, and for extra glow to the inner corner of the eye, Cupid’s bow, high on the brow bone and arch of the brow to lift the face. I’d even run along the ear lobe so the glow appears real as all the skin,” says pro makeup artist Rachel Singer Clark.
Saie
When looking for the perfect dewy tinted moisturizer, you’d be remiss to overlook Saie. The brand’s sheer formula provides the slightest glimmer for a glow-from-within look. Consider this product a triple threat, hydrating, brightening, and protecting the skin with a powerful blend of hyaluronic acid, licorice root extract, and pansy flower. Speaking of glowing complexions—for singer Gracie Abrams, the more glow, the better the base: “I am grateful I was on [TikTok] the day that I found this because it has changed my life,” she raved in her Beauty Secrets video.
Blend With Care
But don’t be afraid to mix products together for better results. That could be a soothing facial spray or your favorite hydrating serum serum. At the end of the day, your blending method is a personal choice. Some pros think a sponge provides a seamless finish, like celebrity makeup artist Grace Pae, while others take their pick of the best makeup brushes.
Tower 28
SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
“I love [the Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray] to help blend makeup by spraying my blending sponge as I do someone’s base. It softens foundation and powder while keeping redness at bay and inflammation down,” says makeup artist Andre Sarmiento, even for those with sensitive skin.
Rhode
Take a technique from Hailey Bieber’s playbook and mix your foundation with a drop or two of her Peptide Glazing Fluid. The gel-serum features ingredients that will keep skin dewy for that your-skin-but-better look.
Beautyblender Makeup Sponge
“I personally think applying any liquid or cream products with a Beautyblender or sponge results in a dewier look than using a brush or your fingers,” says Pae. “It helps melt it into your skin for a seamless application.”
Saie
Saie’s cruelty-free foundation brush is crafted with dense, soft, synthetic bristles to ensure a streak-free finish.
Add a Glowing Bronze
Now that skin is prepped properly, using radiant, luminous formulas will add some depth and hints of sparkle to your makeup look. Not to worry, the best formulas by Giorgio Armani and Saie sink into skin and do not create any cakiness. After finalizing foundation, “give yourself a nice post-spa look with a rubbed-in blush like Trinny London’s Sheer Shimmer or a creamy glow bronzer like the RMS Beauty Buriti Cream Bronzer,” says Reiss-Andersen.
Giorgio Armani
Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer Highlighter
“Another product that you can add either into your foundation or as a highlighter is Armani Fluid Sheer Enhancer,” explains Sesnek, adding that “mixing this can be used as a glowing enhancement to foundation or as a blush or bronzer.”
You also can’t go wrong with Saie’s Glowy Super Gel. An editor-favorite, this combines vitamin C, papaya seed oil, rosa canina fruit oil, and squalane oil into a hydrating gel for a weightless gold or champagne-hued radiance.
Need a vacation but no trip in sight? Merit’s bronzing balm will help you fake the sun-kissed glow. “This dewy hue gives you an ‘I’ve just walked straight off the beach’ look. Apply with a large dome brush and work into the skin in a circular motion. Don’t be scared to run along the jawline and lift the cheeks and into the hairline. Blend, blend, blend for a seamless tan with the added glow factor,” says Singer Clark.
RMS Beauty
This Reiss-Andersen-approved cream bronzer will never go out of style—and not just because it warms up the skin like no other. It’s also packed with good-for-skin ingredients like coconut, jojoba, and castor seed oil.
Highlight the Cheekbones
“Next is the go-to classic trick for a dewy skin look is to use an iridescent product along the cheekbone,” Reiss-Andersen continues. “It can be subtley applied with fingertips or high bling and swept on with a brush.” Sesnek agrees: “Highlighter creams and balms are a must for the dewy skin look. I love adding these to the high points of the face, bridge of the nose, the cupid’s bow, and sometimes even on the eyelids and lips to add sheen and dewiness to these areas.”
Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
“This product gives skin a soft, stunning glow with zero sparkle, just the smallest hint of sheen, which lets the skin look healthy and radiant without looking like makeup,” says Stiles. “(It comes in several tints, plus a version with no reflective particles). It’s a favorite of mine to instantly bring life to the skin.”
Pat McGrath Labs
Skin Fetish Highlighter and Balm Duo
“Adding glow strategically to those areas really makes everything pop and glow even more. I find it especially makes all the difference in photographs,” Sesnek details. “One of my all-time go-to highlighters is Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo.”
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Reflect Highlighter Stick
“Victoria Beckham’s Reflect Highlighter Stick is easily one of the most slept-on highlighter sticks on the market. This stick gives that hydrated and subtle glassy finish to the skin,” says editorial makeup artist El DeBratto. “One of my personal favorite things to do with this highlighter stick during a shoot is to apply it with my finger onto the center of the model’s eyelids, which gives a stunning faux ‘wet’ sheen.”
Ami Colé
Light-Catching Highlighter
Jaleesa Jaikaran, a pro makeup artist and beauty educator in New York City, recommends Ami Colé’s highlighter for its skin-loving ingredients, such as baobab seed oil. This highlighter has a clear hue powered by light-reflecting minerals, making it actually universally flattering on pale to dark complexions.
Pick a Vibrant Blush
While a pigmented blush may not be necessary for dewy winter makeup, it can add a nice flush of color—especially if you prefer a sun-kissed, warm face. “Cream blush is another way to add extra luminosity and sheen to the skin,” explains Sesnek. “I always use a cream blush, even if I add a powder blush over the cream and layer the product. It really gives the skin a lit-from-within look and is another way to add dimension,” explains Sesnek.
Hourglass
Hourglass’s liquid blush features a hydrating formulation powered by white lupin seed extract and hyaluronic acid. The result? The lightweight, buildable coverage allows you to experiment with pigments ranging from a natural flush to a full-on cold-girl makeup glow (hello, Sabrina Carpenter!).
Benefit Cosmetics
Benetint Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint
Benefit Cosmetics’s Benetint is also worth considering. Just dot a bit atop the lips and cheeks for a cherry-hued flush of color.
Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush
When rumors spread online that Kylie Jenner’s makeup artist Ariel Tejada used Dior’s blush on the starlet, unsurprisingly, the powder blush went viral for its unmatched vibrancy. “This formula has the durability of a long-wear blush for a perfect daytime flush but also offers lightness and glow, which makes it feel real and light on the skin,” says Singer Clark.
Rhode
Vogue’s beauty writer Conçetta Ciarlo considers Rhode’s cream blush stick in Sleepy Girl an all-time favorite. “I discovered Rhode’s pocket blushes when traveling for Vogue World: Paris this past summer. My friend and coworker, Maya Layne, had two shades in her beauty bag and let me borrow them. Needless to say, I took her up on that offer every day for the rest of the week,” she says, stating the glide-on texture doesn’t feel sticky while still providing long-wear results.
Set The Look
Ensure your look wears well all day with the right setting products. You’ll want something that will not only keep your products in place, but deliver a lasting veil of dewiness. “I use a mist prior to preparing the skin so the serums and moisturizers really sink in better,” Sesnek details. “These sprays can be used all over or strategically to high points depending on your desired glow.”
Ilia Blue Light Protect + Set Mist
Ilia’s face mist serves a triple purpose: skin hydration, free radical protection, and makeup setting. The powerful results of this gentle mist are the result of a blend of marine actives, glycerin, panthenol, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice—the finishing touch to any makeup routine for locking in makeup with a dewy finish.
Tatcha
Pro tip from Pae: “If the face looks too matte or the makeup looks too heavy at the end, spraying the Tatcha mist will help the makeup blend into the skin and give a fresher look to the skin. If you tend to get oily in the t-zone, just spray the sides of your face and avoid spraying the center of your face.”
Dr. Ceuracle
Hyal Reyouth Oil Drop Mist
Add this underrated K-beauty face mist to your cart before someone inevitably makes it go viral online. This refreshing face mist offers the benefits of an oil serum in an ultra-fine lightweight mist. Panthenol and sugar cane extract (a plant-based alternative to squalane) deeply nourishes dry skin, reducing patchy texture from dehydration. This formula is eczema-safe, making it an excellent choice for even the most sensitive skin types.
Summer Fridays
Jet Lag Skin Soothing Hydration Mist
Summer Friday’s mist is enriched with aloe vera to provide immediate hydration, soothing both irritation and redness. Infused with vitamin C, it helps to brighten the skin and combat free radical damage, while jojoba oil works to keep your skin’s moisture levels balanced.
Meet The Experts
- Melissa Hurkman is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Paris Hilton, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and rapper JT.
- Lilly Keys is a celebrity makeup artist who works with the likes of Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Jenna Ortega, and Jennifer Coolidge.
- Brigitte Reiss-Andersen is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include America Ferrera, Aubrey Plaza, and Jennifer Garner.
- Grace Pae is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Normani, Kiki Layne, and Letitia Wright.
- Andre Sarmiento is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Ali Wong, Malala Yousafzai, and Sarah Desjardins.
- Robert Sesnek is a celebrity makeup artist who often works with Shay Mitchell, Madelyn Cline, and Lucy Hale.
- Fiona Stiles is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lily Collins, Alia Bhatt, and Gabrielle Union.
- Shannon Pezzetta is a celebrity makeup artist behind some of Alexa Demie and Jodie Turner Smith’s most famous looks.
- Rachel Singer Clark is a London-based professional makeup artist
- Jaleesa Jaikaran is a New York City-based makeup artist and beauty educator.
- El DeBratto is a non-binary New York-based editorial makeup artist whose clients include Coco Rocha, Flower Beauty, Kristin Ess, and Glamour Magazine.
