I apply luminizing cream any morning I feel tired (so...every morning). It makes a huge difference if you want to fool people into thinking you're actually awake and listening to them! It's also easy to use, hydrating, and good, clean, all-American fun. There's a terrifying multitude of illuminating products, though, so I understand if you're hesitant. The whole proposition seems WAY more challenging than it truly is, like Sudoku or adjusting an iPhone's push notification settings. But at the end of the day? No reason not to join Team Faux Glow. It's easier to be hungover on our side anyway.
Typically, I just do the laziest thing and stir some illuminating stuff into my concealer. Everybody's skin has different needs, but because I'm dry-textured and prefer organic products, my go-to is RMS Living Luminizer. It comes in a tiny pot for sleepovers, I can rub it on with my fingertips, it's sheer (so I don't look I put glue on myself and rolled in craft glitter), it has a neutral sheen that works on everyone, and it blends with liquid or cream, so it gives moisturizer, skin tint, blush, lipstick, etc. a little shimmer. It takes 10 seconds and I can swish mouthwash while I put it on, which is one of my primary concerns when applying makeup.
If going natural isn't so much an issue for you, I have to say that Topshop Glow is almost the same product, but in a mineral oil base that gives it a marginally less translucent, more matte finish. It also comes in two shades— White is the Living Luminizer dupe, and Gleam is verrrrrry similar to RMS's Buriti Bronzer.
Huge caveat—neither RMS nor Topshop are really ok to use with powder. Avoid mixing them with Bare Minerals unless you want to look like a character in the 1998 Lifetime Movie classic Baby Monitor: The Sound Of Fear. Other than that, the world is your crushed-up and reconstituted pearl powder oyster!
If you're not willing to give up your whole mineral foundation way of life in order to join me in smearing mica flakes and coconut oil on your personage, the other best option is Dior Glow Maximizer Primer, which separates itself from the competition by 1) being a sorta creamy pink liquid that you can pour onto your face without fear of overexerting anything except your pursestrings, and 2) priming and drying rapidly to a thin, smooth layer that's easy to dust powder foundation over.
Primer usually makes me feel like I'm stuffing a wet wool sweater into my pores, but I don't hate this one, which says a lot. If you are one of the many good, probably more-sane-than-I-am people who enjoy priming themselves, you will probably just love this stuff. Anyway, option: given.
—Lacey Gattis
