5 hours ago
3
Glazed skin – very hydrated skin that looks smooth, shiny, glowy and glassy – has been hugely popular since 2022, and all manner of products like facial oils, clear lip glosses and even Vaseline have been used to achieve the look temporarily. But now we’re seeing products come through that have been developed and marketed specifically to give a glazed appearance.
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode brand is really very good across the board, but her most viral product, Glazing Milk (£32) – a beautiful, ceramide-rich skincare essence designed to be sandwiched between cleansed skin and serum – went stratospheric after she appeared in a TikTok video mixing it with her Dior foundation to give the latter a lighter, glassy finish.
I’ve tried this myself with the exact same products and it works well – coverage is lighter and skin looks almost laminated. Though a similar effect can be achieved for less money by using a dewy finish tinted moisturiser such as NYX Buttermilk Glaze Soft Glow Skin Tint SPF30 (£13.99, very little coverage) or MAC Strobe Dewy Skin Tint (more coverage, no sunscreen, £32). As someone who mostly applies makeup on the move, I tend to confine Glazing Milk to my skincare routine, but if you like to keep your product count low, its versatility will be welcome.
For £35, Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick (try saying that after downing three shots) is the glassiest finish base on the market, but while I love it (as do most of the fortysomethings I know), it is divisive.
The clue really is in the name: skin looks so dewy, glowy and glazed as to be slightly implausible. You’d be forgiven for assuming the very light coverage would appear natural, but the glowy, pearlescent particles compensate for that and the overall effect on skin is of having benefitted from makeup. Which I don’t mind, but if you’d like something more real-looking, Urban Decay’s excellent new Face Bond Luminizer (£38) underneath your usual base will not only extend the wear of your makeup, but also provide a glazy, pearlescent glow that peeks through anything worn on top.
It’s particularly good for oily skins that may struggle to keep hold of anything glowy and have a tendency to make shiny products look greasy. This strikes just the right balance.
If in doubt, check the ingredient list of any complexion product you’re considering. Generally, the higher up it features glycerin or diglycerol, the more glazy the finish.
