Marilyn Monroe reportedly used Vaseline on her face to create that ethereal glow she's famous for. We've come a long way since then but we still want beautiful "glowy" skin; nothing too shimmery, and nothing too glittery. We want our skin to look fresh and healthy with some extra oomph. These are my favorite products (Left to right) for getting the glow.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder in Light Flush
This is a baked highlighter with pink and bronze all swirled together creating a beautiful rose gold. MAC comes out with a few different shades every season so this specific one may be discontinued, but I love it and a little goes a long way when applied lightly with a big brush to the upper cheekbones and lightly in the t-zone.

NARS Illuminators in Copacabana (small tube) and Laguna (larger tube)
That little tube of Copacabana, believe it or not has had many uses. A pin size amount of that silvery iridescent pink does wonders right above the cheeks and temple area. A tiny bit in the inner corner of the eyes also helps to brighten your eyes. NARS does cream illuminators well because it blends so easily and leaves the slightest shimmer and stays in place all day. The Laguna is a gorgeous bronze that can be mixed into your foundation for a great "just returned from the Islands" healthy glow.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors in Opal (smaller tube) and Topaz
I'm not one to play favorites, but honestly Becca does this best. This formula is so fine and smooth it is like magic in a bottle. The consistency is fluid and goes on like a dream, plus the shades are phenomenal. Opal is a lightened gold and super flattering on tan skin. Topaz adds a bronze sheen to the skin and can probably be used as contouring liquid for lighter complexions. I'm so happy Sephora now carries Becca products because it's been hard to find and the line is great.

NARS Albatross Highlighter
Quite deceiving in that sleek black compact, it is quite the powerful powder highlighter. Although it looks vanilla in the compact, it's actually a gorgeous platinum blonde shade. This is a finely milled pressed powder as well and it's great for a finished evening look under the brow bone and on the high points of your cheeks.

Two tips: You want a lit from within look so be light handed, and remember that placement is key.  Now go get your glow!

This winter has been like days of old for some New Yorkers. We had some relatively warm winters recently but this one has been brutal at times. We're all looking ahead to warmer spring days. If you've flipped through the March pages of Vogue, Bazaar and Elle you'll see we have a bright spring ahead of us in terms of makeup; with bright turquoise lids, and a very bright fuchsia pout, which I'll highlight in separate post as it deserves it own. While there were pops of color everywhere, one trend seen during most of fashion week for Spring 2013; fresh, clean, lit from within, unbronzed, natural skin. This might have something to do with the many new releases of beauty balms and high tech foundation formulas hitting the market now. Seeing as I don't have supermodel skin, and I'm slow to ride the silicon packed beauty balm train these are my staples for that barely there look. Good old Olay Complete because it's still a great reasonably priced moisturizer with an SPF and makes for a smooth canvas. MAC Face and Body Foundation because it's still one of the best foundations out there with just enough coverage without looking caked on and it's long wearing to boot. MAC also re-promoted this foundation because it's finally available in a travel size bottle. You need so little of it that it made more sense than the jumbo size it was originally sold in. This foundation is praised time and time again by leading makeup artists because of it's super thin fluid finish. Another great MAC product is the Pro Longwear Concealer. It's creamy, lightweight and wonderful for under the eyes. For the lit from within look I like to use just a pea sized amount of highlighter. NARS Illuminator in Copacabana is still one of the best for a subtle glow, and my new favorite is Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector. If you haven't tried Becca this is a great product to start with. These Skin Perfectors are so blendable, so easy to use and comes in three amazing pearlized shades. No large glitter particles here! A little goes a long way with both these highlighters.