Rachael Brook’s Guide To Glowing Skin

Thus it made sense to go straight to the glow source – and ask the ravishing Rachael exactly how she gets her skin so damn glow-y.

“Anyone who knows me or my work will know that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with glowing, luminous, dewy skin. It’s definitely the type of make up style that I’m booked for the most with my clients,” says Rachael.

Here, Rachael shares her glow-tine (that’s glow routine for the uneducated), from oily beginnings to luminous ends, it’s time to add this to your makeup repertoire. Warning: radiant skin ahead.

Oiled Up

• Glowing skin starts off with skin prep.
• I like to apply an oil to my skin multiple times a day (just a Rosehip Oil by any brand) but particularly before applying my make up.
• I massage the oil into my skin and let it absorb and work it’s magic for as long as I can before doing my make up. This gives me a soft, supple base to work with. It’s one of the most important steps to achieving glowy skin.
• If you’re rushing to get ready you could apply a moisturiser that you leave on or even a primer oil, such as the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil.
• I then use a baby wipe or a make up wipe to remove the excess oil from my skin.  Anything that hasn’t been soaked up will affect how long make up lasts.

Primed To Go

• Applying a primer is optional but recommended. Which primer I choose to use depends on how long I want the make up to last, and if it’s not my own skin I have this as an option depending on what my clients skin does throughout the day.
• If you get oily and your make up tends to run –  a long wear primer like Hourglass Mineral Veil is amazing.
• If you get dry – L’Oreal Lumi Magique Primer works wonders.
• If you have normal skin – Laura Mercier Foundation Primer is a goodie. I’ve actually found that it works well with most skin types.

Giving Good Base

• Now onto foundation! A few of my faves for glowing skin are Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (it’s worth the $90+ price tag, trust me), Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation (it’s light, dewy and has buildable coverage) and in more recent times I’ve fallen in love with The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation. It’s actually amazing and my current go-to.  If you’ve tried it before – try it again because it’s been reformulated.
• I like to use a buffing brush to apply my liquid foundations. Zoeva make a great one, as does Rae Morris.
• Using round motions that feel like a massage, I apply foundation starting in the centre of the face and work outwards. I do this because we often don’t need as much coverage on the outer perimeter of our faces.  Blemishes tend to hang out in the centre.
• I only apply what’s needed. I don’t want heavy coverage where it isn’t necessary.  I like skin to look naturally flawless, not too product-y.

Hide and (No) Seek

• For concealer I’ll use a liquid everywhere except on blemishes which tend to need more of a cream product to cover them.
• I’ll use Maybelline Fit Me Concealer or NARS Creamy Concealer lightly under the eyes and around the nose and sometimes on the chin too.
• For the thicker, creamy concealer I’ll use MAC Studio Finish. I often use my fingers for this, or a Zoeva Concealer Buffer brush.

Light On The Powder

• For me, when it comes to powder less is more. It would be a rare occurrence for me to apply powder over an entire face.
• I like to apply it lightly on the eye lids (in preparation for eye shadow) and just underneath the eyes to prevent my concealer creasing.
• If you need powder, use it, but for me I like to skip it. My go-to powder is Laura Mercier Transluent Loose Setting Powder.

You Glow Girl

• Now to add the finishing, glowy touches. If you want a more ‘lit from within’ type of glow, a cream illuminator is best. I LOVE Josie Maran’s Argan Illuminator.
• If you prefer a straight up highlight (hello, yes, me too!) the options are endless.  There’s MAC Mineralise Skinfinish (Soft & Gentle is my colour of choice), The Balm’s Mary Lou Manizer (my other fave) or Becca have a stunning range of Shimmering Skin Perfectors to suit the palest to the darkest skin tones. That’s an excellent option too.
• If you’re using a cream, apply with your fingers to warm the product up and blend it nicely into your skin. If you’re using a powder, a fan brush is an excellent option – I like the Zoeva one.
• Apply your highlight to the tops of the cheekbones, Cupid’s Bow, straight down the centre of your nose (or just on the tip if you happen to have a scar on your nose like I do), and just under the brow bone. As soon as you step into any kind of light you will glow! Follow these steps and your skin will look flawless and radiant.http://www.rachaelbrook.com