Surrealist portraits: Get the season’s “heightened freshness” with these glow-boosting products

There was much to covet from Chanel’s 72-look autumn/winter 2020 collection: a patent leather burgundy jacket, lustrous silk dresses and a plethora of equestrian-inspired cravats, coats and chunky-heeled boots. But there was one other element that captured our attention—the models’ flushed, glowing faces, evoking a particular “heightened freshness” in the words of Chanel’s global creative make-up artist and colour designer, Lucia Pica. From Gigi Hadid to Hyunji Shun, looks of fresh femininity were encapsulated by dewy canvases prepped with youth-boosting skincare, before flashes of balmy and liquid highlights were applied to the high points of the face, followed by high-shine Rouge Coco Gloss on lips for a translucent vinyl finish.

What sets this season’s luminous look apart is that it isn’t an extension of the bare skin trend nor is it the ‘no foundation’ face—rather, it spotlights skincare and make-up working hand in hand.

Think patent-like miens that reflect light from every angle, as seen at the runway shows of Proenza Schouler and Stella McCartney, for which skincare guru Tata Harper was engaged to give full facials backstage. Models were pampered with the works: Regenerating Cleanser and Resurfacing Mask to deeply exfoliate and polish skin; Rejuvenating Serum to replenish hydration and brighten; and Creme Riche moisturiser to seal all the goodness in—making way for just a touch of concealer, powder and black liner. Glassy, three-dimensional complexions were also spotted at Balmain, Maison Margiela and Oscar de la Renta, while the models at Givenchy wore metallic brown eyeshadow to add a touch of depth and mystery. Swipe on your own with Hourglass’s Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadows that come in an array of scintillating bronzey golds.

Over on the digital runways, no one spotlights blooming skin quite like make-up artist, Nam Vo, also known as the queen of the ‘dewy dumplings’— for she likens gleaming faces to freshly steamed dim sum. And just like the luminescent looks from the runways, Vo’s famous ‘glow jobs’ are the product of deftly applied make-up for a perennial golden-hour glow complete with scintillating lids and glossy lips, supported by a stellar skincare regime.

Achieve your own luminescent glow at home by starting in the shower—with Sulwhasoo’s White Ginseng Radiance Refining Mask. This golden gel comes packed with luscious honey and rarefied white ginseng, serving as a radiance-boosting exfoliating scrub and nourishing mask, which can be left on as a sensorial treat while you wash the rest of your body.

Elsewhere, equally precious crystals have emerged key ingredients in two supercharged elixirs. Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir boasts a bejewelled ingredient list featuring a five-crystal complex including quartz, ruby, amethyst and gold, innovated with brightening Golden Vitamin C (micro-particles of gold bound to vitamin C), wrinkle-targeting Replexium and hydration powerhouse, polyglutamic acid, for overall tauter, lifted and revitalised skin. Then there’s Chantecaille’s Radiance Elixir, a rosy glow booster in a bottle, with brightening botanicals and smoothing crystal peptide that reinforce skin’s natural barrier lipid function, which protects against excessive transepidermal water loss. This, while tomato-derived colourless carotenoids reduce redness and wrinkles, leaving complexions extra supple with a pearlescent sheen. Once your base is illuminated, up the glow ante with a light layer of Chanel’s Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid, a complexion enhancer that veils skin with a soft iridescence.