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A Realistic Approach To Glass Skin
Drop the snail mucin and skip the 12-step routine: this is your one-and-done route to skin that shines
You’ve likely heard the term 'glass skin' being bandied around beauty circles before (even before Pat McGrath's beauty look for Maison Margiela made it the talk of Paris Couture Week). With roots in South Korea, the trend is a byword for skin so smooth and dewy, it reflects the light just like glass.
In fact, glass skin is the trend that birthed all the increasingly ridiculous offshoots continually served up on Tiktok. From dolphin skin to – god help us – ‘glazed doughnut’ skin, they’re all new twists on the original idea of having cheekbones as sheeny as a just-polished window pane.
Sounds lovely, but unless you hit the genetic jackpot, glass skin isn’t easy to achieve in real life. Born in the K-Beauty community, where double-digit product line-ups were once commonplace, glass skin quickly evolved to encapsulate everything I like to side-eye about beauty: laborious techniques, over-the-top regimes and ultimately, very silly beauty standards.
Can your real, unfiltered skin be so light-reflecting, onlookers will stop you in the street? Perhaps not – and that's ok. Skin, a living organ, isn't supposed to be manipulated into becoming as glossy as glass – or a glazed doughnut, for that matter – and this is where make-up comes in.
Forget the 12-step skincare routines (bad for your skin barrier, wallet and sanity) and turn your hand instead to the new school of super clever skin luminisers, which offer that glassy glow in a swift single swipe. Below are the hero products I guarantee will make every face look amazing in seconds.
The Products That Deliver Glass Skin In Seconds
Roberta Schroeder is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing shopping strategy and content across fashion, beauty, and travel. Roberta has reported on everything from market-leading skincare brands to the world’s most iconic fashion pieces, while also regularly updating a range of shopping guides, including LED masks, heritage cashmere brands and niche new dress brands to know.
Roberta has over fifteen years' experience in the luxury sector, spanning editorial consultancy, trend forecasting and journalism. Over the years, she has worked for global brands including Farfetch, Chanel, and Vogue.
When not testing beauty products, trialling trends and curating content that spotlights the very best in fashion and beauty, Roberta can usually be found trawling resale sites and vintage stores for a long-coveted designer find.
Follow Roberta on Instagram at @roberta__schroeder
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