Makeup Expert Tells Us How To Get The Perfect Blend Of Dewy And Matte Skin

If you've spent any time on social media looking at the latest beauty trends, you've probably noticed that there's been a big turn towards embracing natural looking makeup. Instead of the fully powdered, all-over matte face we're used to seeing, the most coveted look now is based on achieving a 'your-skin-but-better' effect with a touch of goddess-like radiance. In a nutshell, it's all about having a lit-from-within glow, but without layering on too many products that dramatically change the finish of the skin. You've likely seen this finish on stars like Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, or the gorgeous Lauren Speed.

But, let's be honest. As much as this look relies on simplicity, achieving that perfect balance of dewy and matte is lot easier said than done. More often than not, our makeup ends up looking greasy, dry, or patchy. If you have skin issues such as acne, pigmentation, or discoloration, getting your skin to look smooth usually requires some amount of coverage, so the foundation-free look is off the table. On the other hand, using too many glowing products, like highlighter and brighteners, on top of glowy foundations can result in skin that looks oily and sweaty. 

To figure out how to strike the right balance between the two, Women.com went directly to celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert Jenna Garagiola for answers — and she gave us some exclusive tips on how to nail radiant skin.

We know, finding the right skincare products for you can take some trial and error, but it's totally worth it. "Gorgeous glowing makeup always starts with gorgeous glowing skin, so let's make sure our skincare is on point," Jenna Garagiola exclusively tells Women.com. You may have come across this concept on social media before described as skinimalism, which refers to a combination of skin and minimalism. The term promotes the idea that having an effective and simple skincare routine will allow your skin to look its best, meaning you won't need to put as much makeup to cover things like blemishes.

Of course, while there are countless products that promise to give you a better complexion, it's important to remember none of it will provide results if you don't stick to a healthy routine. "It is so important to remove your makeup and cleanse your face every night before bed — and, no, those wipes do not count," Garagiola shares. "A good moisturizer and brightening eye cream is vital. And be sure to do a gentle exfoliation at least once per week, especially during these winter months." And remember, you may need to change up your skincare routine depending on the season to get the best results. Keeping SPF on hand all year can also be an easy way to keep your skin naturally radiant.

One thing that often gets overlooked when it comes to the finish of your makeup is your primer. We tend to determine our skin finish based on our foundation or tinted moisturizer, opting for a dewy finish on the days we want some glow and a matte finish on days we don't. But the finish you're going to get actually starts before you put your foundation on. 

"To prep the face for makeup, I love applying a primer designed to infuse some glow into the skin," Jenna Garagiola exclusively tells Women.com, noting that face primers that have light reflective properties are great for getting the radiant skin look we're going for. "Apply to skin using your fingers to really melt it into the skin."

But, as helpful as primers can be, be careful to not go overboard with them. After all, the idea behind radiant skin is to not put too many thick products on your face that create a buildup. As makeup artist Allan Avendaño told Allure, "The trick with any primer is to make sure it's applied in a small dime-to-nickel-size amount and it's fully blended in first [before going in with foundation]." He added, "Apply lightly and sparingly."

In many cases, full-coverage foundation looks great on camera, but in real life, is super cakey and draws attention to unwanted texture on the skin. On top of that, because matte foundations also typically cover and cancel out the natural color of your skin, they're not ideal for achieving natural-looking, radiant skin.

Instead of going in with heavy products, it's best to show some restraint, Jenna Garagiola tells Women.com. "I love to use a sheer formulation and build where needed," she explains. "I apply the foundation to the areas where the most coverage is needed and use a fluffy brush to buff it out. I try to avoid a full face application if possible ... the more of your real skin we can see the better."

But (we get it) sometimes you just really want a little more coverage from your foundation. In those cases, Garagiola recommends staying away from anything that will dry matte and building up your foundation a little more. "If you crave a full coverage foundation you can still achieve a more radiant, glowy look, just be sure to avoid those with a matte finish," she said.

We know that applying foundation so that it looks like actual skin is an exercise in restraint; and that same concept can be applied to powder. Setting powder is often the secret to making a look last and keeping grease at bay. But it can also be the thing that stands in the way of our skin looking radiant. "Powder can absorb the skin's moisture, making dry skin even drier," Dominic Skinner, global senior artist for MAC Cosmetics explained to Boots.

So, how do we use powder to set the face without looking too shiny or too matte? By being selective about where we use it. "Setting with powder is important to keep that balance between glowy and greasy [but] only apply it to wear you tend to create the most oil like the t-zone," Jenna Garagiola shares exclusively with Women.com. That means you don't want to apply powder to the whole face, as places like the forehead or lower cheeks may not actually be shiny. "Instead, focus only on the areas where you need it most," Garagiola said. Makeup artist Marie Poulos agrees with that concept, explaining to Adore Beauty, "Use a small brush to apply powder precisely only to oily areas. Touching up during the day isn't a bad thing — a little touch up keeps foundation looking fresh, whereas packing on powder adds extra texture to the skin."

Cream products have been on the rise for a reason — Along with being super pigmented (a little goes a long way!), their smooth formulations blend easily on the skin and bring a natural-looking glow to the face. This makes them just right for achieving a dewy look. There are a wide range of cream products on the market right now, including blush, highlighter, and bronzer.Opting for these instead of layers of setting powder and blush will keep your skin from looking overly matte and dry. Jenna Garagiola recommends applying cream products like blush with a large fluffy brush, as this will help buff the edges out so you don't have harsh lines on the face.

Be mindful that where you put the products matters, too. "Higher placement will provide more lift," Garagiola advised exclusively to Women.com. "Place your bronzer just above the hollow of the cheek on the lower part of the cheekbone. Blush would be placed along the upper part of the cheek bone, and highlighter would be placed just above the cheekbone."

But just because you're going for the radiant look, there's a fine line when it comes to not going too dewy and looking too greasy or like a disco ball (unless that's the look you're going for, of course!) To get the balance between dewy and matte right, Garagiola suggested avoiding cream products that are too artificially reflective, as the formulation itself will give you just enough of a glow. "Be sure to choose a blush and bronzer without shimmer to avoiding looking overly shiny," she shared.