I haven’t touched setting powder in months and it’s been years since I even considered applying a matte foundation. I don’t think it’s just me—it’s a sign of the times. Whether you have dry skin or oily skin (or something in-between), a glowing finish has been every beauty enthusiast’s goal for a while now. From K-beauty-inspired “glass skin” to its latest iteration “butter skin”, our fascination with the pursuit for a radiant complexion shows no sign of disappearing any time soon.
As someone with a typically oily skin type and acne-prone complexion, true ‘glass skin’ can sometimes feel a bit jarring. After all, I spent most of my teens attempting to remove any hint of shine from my face—which is why the slightly dialled-down ‘butter skin’ trend appeals to me. “Unlike the ultra-dewy glass skin trend, butter skin has a more natural, satin-like finish – hydrated and glowing but never overly shiny,” says Anna Payne, Chanel makeup artist. “The butter skin makeup trend is all about achieving a smooth, creamy, and radiant complexion that looks as soft and even as butter.”
For me, ‘butter skin’ starts with the hard work of my skincare routine, my toner, serum, and moisturiser. But sometimes I need that extra help to amp up the glow and ensure it lasts all day long, which is where hydrating makeup products come into play—products that deliver pigment but with a healthy dose of dew and sheen. Glow is no longer an optional add-on, delivered via the quick swipe of a highlighter stick, it’s the expectation—and everything from your foundation and blusher to your bronzer and lipstick will provide it.
What’s more, hydrating makeup products will actually deliver benefits to your skin. “Hydrating makeup products boost moisture, leaving skin smooth, plump, and naturally radiant. They provide a dewy finish and prevent dryness,” explains Payne. “They’re excellent for dry, dehydrated, and mature skin as they provide moisture, prevent flakiness, and create a smooth, plump dewy appearance, but they also work well for normal and combination skin, especially in colder months or when a dewy finish is desired.”
To make hydrating makeup last all day while keeping skin glowing, Payne recommends starting with a lightweight moisturiser. “Apply makeup in thin layers using a makeup sponge for a seamless finish,” she adds. As for powder, she advises using a light translucent one only where needed in order to prevent excess shine while still maintaining radiance.
What ingredients should you look out for in hydrating makeup products?
You’re probably already aware of the names of ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, which you’ll have spotted on the packaging of your favourite hydrating serums and moisturisers. Alongside other key hydrating ingredients like ceramides, polyglutamic acid, and vitamin E, you’ll find the same ones included with the formula of hydrating makeup products. This means your makeup is working overtime to hydrate and nourish your skin throughout the day.
The Best Hydrating Makeup Products
Base Makeup:
If you’ve ever noticed your makeup looking flaky or peeling throughout the day, this is a sign that your skin is on the dry side or may be dehydrated. Essentially, your skin is attempting to absorb the moisture from your makeup. A hydrating skincare routine is key, but prepping your skin with a hydrating primer and using a hydrating foundation formula can also help to prevent this from happening.
Prep is essential to any makeup look, and when glow is on the agenda, this Vieve primer is my go-to. In fact, it’s more than just a primer—it’s a skincare-make up hybrid that offers 12-hour hydration thanks to ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, and squalane.
CHANEL
Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint
Another makeup product that basically acts like a skincare product, Chanel’s Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint is one of my favourite bases for a natural but glowy finish. “It’s infused with 75% water so it provides an instant burst of hydration to the skin which enhances the skins natural luminosity giving a sheer and health glow,” says Payne, who describes Fresh Water Tint as one of her desert island hydrating makeup products.
Milk Makeup
Hydro Grip Gel Tint
Formulated with a radiant, dewy skin finish in mind, this lightweight skin tint is packed with hydrating ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and aloe.
Blusher:
The key to achieving glowing skin via every step in your makeup routine is to avoid powder formula and opt instead for creams and liquids. Not only will these formulas leave a dewy, natural finish that doesn’t cling to or emphasise dry patches or textured skin, but they’re usually packed with hydrating ingredients as well.
The first time I used this blusher, I couldn’t believe the finish it left on my skin. Think smooth, satiny, and dewy (without a hint of glitter).
Drunk Elephant
O-Bloos Rosi Drops
Basically a skincare serum that just so happens to be boosted with a rosy-pink pigment, this hydrating formula draws upon naturally-derived plant and seed oils to nourish skin.
Westman Atelier
Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
Apply this blusher to your cheeks and you won’t even need a highlighter—it leaves a soft, natural-looking sheen thanks to (hydrating) jojoba seed oil.
Bronzer:
Likewise, a hydrating bronzer will add warmth and depth to your complexion without a powdery or cakey finish. What’s more, cream and liquid formulas are usually much easier to apply and look more natural than their powder counterparts.
CHANEL
Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
Thanks to its gel-cream texture, this cult bronzer is perfect for nailing the ‘butter skin’ finish. Payne advises using it to warm up the face, blending it into the high points where the sun naturally hits and softening the edges with your foundation brush for a seamless look.
Saie
Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Effortless Liquid Bronzer
Described as ‘sunkissed skin in a bottle’, this liquid bronzer does exactly as its name implies, delivering a subtle bronzing with a dewy finish.
Rare Beauty
Soft Pinch Liquid Contour
For those who prefer a cool-toned contour product over a warm-toned bronzer, this easy-to-blend formula is ideal for softly sculpting the skin. Plus, the formula is packed with hydrating ingredients like sunflower oil and vitamin E.
Eye Makeup:
You might not even have considered the need for hydrating eye makeup, but the eyelids are one of the most common areas for facial dryness. Why? Because the skin is thin, delicate, and there are fewer oil glands in this area. A soft, creamy eyeshadow will apply smoothly and won’t settle into fine lines or appear flaky on your eyelids.
If you’re worried about cream eyeshadow fading or sliding from your lids, I’d recommend opting for this particular one. The cream turns to a powder on application, so locks pigment in place while the hydrating formula continues to nourish skin.
Ilia
Eye Stylus Shadow Stick
The key ingredient in these creamy eyeshadow sticks is grape extract, which not only ensures a smooth application, but softens and hydrates skin in the process.
Violette_FR
Yeux Paint Matte Liquid Eyeshadow
These liquid eyeshadow do dry down to a matte finish, but they glide on smoothly and feel lightweight and hydrating.
Lips:
Our lips are also prone to dryness, but while in the past you nay have needed to tag team a lip balm and a lipstick, these days there are plenty of multitasking lip products that combine pigment with a nourishing, moisture-packed formula.
CHANEL
Rouge Coco Baume Shine
Formulated with a dual colour and care function, this hydrating lipstick is the ultimate multitasking lip product. I love the shade Honey Bliss for a ‘my lips but better’ finish.
These tinted lip oils are infused with omega-rich rosehip oil to support a healthy skin barrier function, shea butter and grapeseed oils to replenish, condition and soften, and jojoba oil, which creates a protective barrier to lock in moisture.
Thanks to cherry oil, sunflower wax, and shea butter, this tinted lip balm protects dry lips while delivering a subtle hint of colour and a punch of shine.
