We all have those mornings. You wake up, glance in the mirror, and your skin looks like it’s been through a minor crisis. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep, maybe last night’s wine is still making its presence known, or maybe you’ve just hit one of those inexplicable dull-skin phases. Whatever the cause, there are days when your face needs a little extra something – an immediate, cheat’s route to looking fresher, brighter, and infinitely more alive. Enter, what I believe to be, The Best Products for an Instant Glow, my go-to fixes for skin that needs reviving.
The beauty of them? You can wear them however you please. Most are marketed as primers, but that’s merely a suggestion. They work brilliantly under foundation or tinted moisturiser, yes, but can just as easily be worn alone on no-makeup days or mixed into your favourite moisturiser for an extra boost.
Vieve Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer*
A proper all rounder, packed with golden light reflecting pigments that immediately perk up dull skin. The addition of niacinamide and rose water means it hydrates as it glows, leaving skin plump, bright, and looking properly looked after (even when it hasn’t been).
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter*
Looks like foundation, but isn’t. This cult classic is actually a glow enhancing primer that smooths, blurs and brightens without making you look like a human glitter ball. Worn alone, it gives skin a soft-focus radiance. Under foundation, it stops even the matte-est base from looking flat. A popular product for a reason.
Trinny London BFF Cream Skin Perfector SPF30
A skin-enhancing hybrid with clever micro-encapsulated pigments that subtly even out tone the moment you massage it in. But the real magic is in the glow – sheer, healthy, ‘I drink two litres of water a day’ radiance. Coverage is whisper-light, so no one will clock that you’re wearing it. They’ll just assume you have inexplicably great skin.
Supergoop Glow Screen SPF30
A proper multitasker that does double duty as an SPF30 and luminous primer in one. The pearlescent sheen starts off looking wet and dewy, but quickly settles into a soft, believable glow. Protection, hydration, and radiance in one step – what’s more could you want?
