Three new products – and one old favourite – achieve a glazed sheen in one easy application, mimicking the look of glass skin without the meticulous, umpteen-step Korean skincare routine.
New glass skin moisturisers
Erborian’s Glow Moisturiser (from £9, all skin types) is a Goldilocks’s porridge sort of face cream. Not too heavy, not too light, just dewy enough without looking oily, and with lasting hydration that never becomes wet. It does have a smidge of pearlescence, but that is flattering.
Mac’s Faceglass Hydrating Skin Gloss (£30) is, as you might expect from an artistry brand, a more definite “look”. On first application, the cloudy gel was sticky and stiff, but seconds later it behaved very differently – smooth, spreadable and silky, with a lasting, glitter-free reflection. It gives true – not just cosmetic – skin hydration, thanks to a heavy load of glycerin and squalane, and while it has a strong fruity scent, it doesn’t have that jammy teenage lipgloss finish. Makeup goes over it nicely, and the more I experimented, the more versatile I found it. This is more than an all-over moisturiser – it can be applied locally to cheekbones, brow bones and lips, and its thickness prevents unwanted migration to other areas.
More impressive launches
One of this summer’s most impressive launches is Rhode’s “luminizing” Highlight Milk (£28), a liquid moisturiser often used as a last layer before sunscreen. Unlike the bestselling colourless original, Glazing Milk, this version is tinted (there are four shades that between them cover everyone). The two are otherwise identical – soothing, milky moisture with a glazed-doughnut sort of finish.
L’Oreal Paris’s Revitalift Filler Glass Skin Face Moisturiser (£17.99, but frequently on offer) gives a subtle glassy sheen for those who don’t want to overcommit. It’s a milky serum that hydrates, plumps and leaves just enough dewiness so you look vital and healthy without ever seeming sweaty or sticky. A matte-ish makeup over the top looks more natural and effortless for it, and even dry skin stays lubricated. It’s a terrific – but oddly overlooked – buy.
