Glow girl, glow: The glass-skin guide for spring

The season is upon us. Glow season, that is. Spring-summer skin is best showcased with lighter foundations, warmer tones, more visible skin (including that lovely peppering of freckles), and light reflection in all the right places.

Glass skin has been de rigueur for some time now, but it’s more challenging to achieve in winter. Internal heating and external freeze is stressful and dehydrating, resulting in a slightly pallid, tired complexion. Glass skin is glossy (but never oily), and characterised by that sort of plump, radiant glow that is so difficult to achieve in the weariness of winter.

For light-reflective skin there must be light, so it is worn to best effect from this time of year until October, when the buttery quality of daylight renders everything just a bit more appealing to look at.

Glass skin is achieved first through skincare – an attentively curated, hydrating routine incorporating exfoliating acids to prevent dullness. The traditional exfoliating acid is glycolic, but not everyone gets on well with it as it can be too much for sensitive skin. For something effective but gentler, try Shani Darden Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum (€80 at cultbeauty.com) at bedtime for softened skin by morning. The cult US brand is new to Ireland through Cult Beauty, and this resurfacing serum is both gentle and highly effective.

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We should all be wearing SPF at this time of year, but particularly if you're using exfoliating acids. I have received more compliments on my skin while wearing Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen (€40 at cultbeauty.com) recently than any make-up product. It protects skin from UVA and UVB light but also has a gloriously glowing finish and silken texture. It wears like a primer under make-up, enhancing rather than interfering with it. If you abhor heavy SPF textures or matte finishes, you will not find a better solution than this.

When it comes to glow-imparting make-up, these products are best avoided around the centre of the face – particularly either side of the nose and at the centre of the forehead, as this will likely look more greasy than glassy. However, for skin as glazed as a Krispy Kreme doughnut (the dream), a product like Vieve Skin Dew (€22 At Brown Thomas Dundrum) is an instant glow-giver. You can apply it under foundation, or over (or both, if you’re in a mood to throw subtlety out the window). It has a gold hue but not an opaque one, it gives a summery glaze to every skin tone from deep to fair without making you look like your granny’s door fixtures after she’s taken the Brasso to them.

If you enjoy your light reflectors with a hint of sun-mimicking bronze, Sculpted by Aimee Liquid Lights in Gilded Glow (€14 at sculptedbyaimee.com) is excellent. Wear it with tan or use it as a bronzer to add structure and light reflection to the face by focusing it where the sun naturally hits.

Product of the Week

Sunday Riley Fairy Godmother Shimmering Body Oil Gel (€48 at Brown Thomas)