My glowy makeup routine is basically my entire personality these days, and I’m not even sorry. I’m typing this in my tiny Chicago apartment, surrounded by empty LaCroix cans and a laundry pile I keep swearing I’ll tackle tomorrow. Yesterday, I spilled my facial mist on my laptop—yep, still sticky—and I’m pretty sure my cat licked my highlighter palette when I turned my back. I’m no beauty guru, just a regular gal who moved to the US last year and learned the hard way that Midwest air is out to wreck my skin. But this glowy makeup routine? It’s my messy, kinda glorious way of looking like I’ve got my life together.
My first try at this dewy skin thing was a straight-up disaster. I watched some YouTube tutorial by an influencer who looked like she was born glowing, and I was like, “Psh, I can do that.” Big nope. I slapped on so much highlighter I looked like a human disco ball. My roommate was like, “You auditioning for a sci-fi flick or what?” So embarrassing. But I kept at it, and now I’m spilling my chaotic glowy skin hacks, straight from my cluttered life.
My Morning Glowy Makeup Routine, No Lies
Here’s how I do my glowy makeup routine, usually while blasting some random Spotify playlist and dodging my cat, who’s obsessed with knocking over my serums. This is my current setup, tweaked after way too many mornings of screwing it up in my drafty apartment.
- Face Mist to Wake My Skin Up
I start with a facial mist to make my skin feel less like a desert. I’m obsessed with Herbivore’s Rose Hibiscus Mist ‘cause it smells like a fancy garden and makes my face feel alive. I spritz it while standing by my window, pretending I’m not avoiding my to-do list and staring at the Chicago skyline. Don’t go nuts with it, though, or your face’ll be too slick for makeup. I learned that when my foundation slid off during a Zoom call—yep, mortifying. - Serum for That Juicy Vibe
Next, I slap on The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid. It’s cheap, it works, and it gives my skin that plump, dewy look I’m chasing. I rub it in while muttering about how my apartment’s a mess—cat hair everywhere, ugh. It sinks in fast, which is good ‘cause I’m always running late. - Moisturizer Is My Ride-or-Die
For that lit-from-within skin, I go hard with CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. I scoop out way too much, smear it on, and then panic ‘cause my face feels like an oil slick for a sec. But once it settles, my skin’s so glowy I can’t stop staring at myself in my smudged bathroom mirror.
Highlighter’s Where the Glowy Makeup Routine Magic Happens
Highlighter is the star of my glowy makeup routine, but I learned the hard way that more ain’t always better. Like, super embarrassing story: last summer, I hit up a rooftop bar in Wicker Park looking like I’d rolled in glitter. A cute bartender asked if I was “trying to signal planes or something.” I wanted to melt into the floor. Now, I’m all about Fenty Beauty’s Killawatt Highlighter in a shade that’s like melted gold. I dab it on my cheekbones, nose tip, and—my sneaky trick—a tiny bit on my eyelids for that “I woke up glowy” lie. I use my fingers ‘cause brushes are a pain, and I’m always losing them under my couch. Blend it like crazy, and you’ll look radiant, not like a shiny robot.
Setting Spray Saves My Dewy Makeup Look
I used to think setting spray was just fancy water. Wrong. Without it, my glowy makeup routine would fade by noon, leaving me looking like I’d been through a Chicago windstorm. Now, I swear by Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray. I spritz it while dodging my cat, who thinks it’s a toy, and it keeps my dewy skin vibe going strong even after a sweaty L train ride. It’s like glue for your glowy makeup routine, and I’m never skipping it again.
My Biggest Glowy Makeup Routine Fail
Real talk: my worst mistake was thinking I could skip sunscreen and still rock that lit-from-within skin. Last month, I wandered around Millennium Park all day, no SPF, just vibing with my glowy makeup. By night, my face was redder than a lobster, and I was slathering on aloe vera for days. Now, I always use Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen under my makeup. It’s invisible, doesn’t mess with my dewy look, and keeps me from looking like I lost a fight with the sun.
Wrapping Up My Glowy Makeup Routine Rant
So, that’s my glowy makeup routine—messy, imperfect, but so freaking me. I’m still figuring it out, and yeah, I’ll probably spill more serum or overdo the highlighter again. But when I catch my reflection in a shop window downtown and see that dewy, lit-from-within skin, I feel like I’m kinda winning. If you’re chasing that radiant makeup vibe, just start small, mess around, and laugh at your screw-ups. Got any glowy skin hacks? Drop ‘em in the comments—I’m all ears!
