6 beauty must-haves to give your skin an instant glow

Healthy, radiant and well-rested are all words most of us would be more than happy for a friend to use when commenting on our skin. But, after the relative indulgences of the holiday season, you won’t be alone if your skin is looking slightly more gray and lackluster. Fear not – we have six speedy glow-getting formulas that require minimal effort and leave you looking fresh-faced in minutes…

This is one of those products you will find yourself reaching for at least once (if not two or three times) a day without even thinking about it. Unlike most highlighters, this formula is neither pearlescent nor sparkly, and the dewy balm works on every skin tone. An effortless swipe of this across your brow and cheekbones, as well as just above your Cupid’s bow, leaves you with that plumped up, healthy glow usually only achieved by a facialist.

As the A-listers’ go-to self-tanner, a glow-getting cheat sheet wouldn’t be complete without at least one Amanda Harrington product. For a natural-looking, sun-kissed glow at any time of the year, this mist is a bathroom-cabinet must-have. But what sets this self-tan apart is the is beautiful tone it gives dull skin – plus, it fades without going patchy. We’ve been known to forgo makeup (aside from a quick sweep of mascara) after using this…

Whether you’re a beauty minimalist or maximalist, this is a formula that slots into almost every makeup bag seamlessly. Worn alone or mixed into your favorite foundation, this complexion-correcting, line-smoothing, skin-plumping liquid is the next best thing to a real-life Instagram filter. If you want to really amp up your glow, press an extra layer over the tops of cheekbones once you’ve finished the rest of your makeup.

While hydrating creams, serums and masks will help impart that fresh, bouncy glow, it’s easy to overlook the importance of exfoliation. With turmeric, papaya enzymes and peppermint, this mask sloughs away dry, dead skin, refines pores and leaves you with a smoother, brighter-looking complexion in just 10 minutes. Our top tip? Apply it just before you jump into the shower – the steam helps to open your pores.

Concealers can help camouflage dark circles, but a tiny dot of highlighter pressed gently into the inner corners of your eyes will dramatically brighten not just the eye area, but your face as a whole. It’s a strategic trick used by almost every makeup artist we know – and once you’ve tried it, you’ll never not do it. This particular highlighter is perfect because the triangular shape makes application effortless. The Champagne shade also works on all skin tones, without looking too chintzy on paler skin or ashy on darker tones.

From early-morning Skype meetings to Sunday-evening Zoom calls with the in-laws, for most of us, video calls are still very much part of the agenda for 2021. Since discovering this hydrating mist late last year, the lavender- and dandelion-infused concoction has become our screen-side essential. A couple of healthy sprays of this helps to revive your makeup without having to go through the rigmarole of reapplying – whether it’s 12pm or 8pm.