The Primer Trick Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s MUA Uses for Dewy Skin

We’ve never met a glistening cheekbone we didn’t fall head over heels for. Whether it’s naturally flawless skin or gals who have mastered the art of highlighter, there’s something about an Insta-glow that keeps us scrolling through pictures of girls we don’t even know IRL. And thanks to makeup gurus and celebrity makeup artists, us normal folk can stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks for doing the same thing…or at least attempting to. That includes celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes aka the dewy skin maestro, who has highlighted and perfected the faces of stars like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Ashley Graham.

On look at her Instagram accounts and you’ll agree that she might as well have a PhD in glossy skin, which she never uses a ton of makeup to achieve. In fact, Hughes’ approach to glossy skin goes far beyond the typical highlighter methods, because “lit from within” is more than a catchphrase; it’s basically a lifestyle.

Source: Instagram

If you’ve watched any of her tutorials on makeup or skin care, you’ll see that proper skin is always priority. “As a makeup artist, skin texture is very important,” Hughes has said on in videos posted to her account. And for good reason. When we forego a proper skin care routine, we lose the texture and natural luminosity of our face, which ultimately changes the way makeup sits on your skin.

Hughes, who has accrued over 200K Instagram followers for her no-filter glow, has a unique technique to applying her radiance products. Her focus starts with the perimeter of the face, or “killing the edges” as she calls it. In a recent interview with Byrdie,  she revealed her go-to for this particular technique is K-beauty’s VDL’s Lumilayer Primer. Its pearlescent finish gives luminosity to the skin when applied in the right places. Instead of applying it like a typical lotion, Hughes suggests using your fingers to apply the product lightly on the skin, starting with the edges. The goal here is to leave a lightweight layer of the luminizer atop the skin instead of aggressively blending.

VDL Cosmetics.

According to Hughes, using the right products, without the ‘killing the edges’ technique will leave half of the product on your finger and the other half on the skin, so you won’t get the same glowy-effect. If you’re still not confident you’ve got the technique down, here’s a quick breakdown on how to apply. Add a small dot of the primer into your hands and lightly (this is key) rub it in the places you want your glow. Next, smooth out any streaks of glops of your product. Then you can follow with your foundation or leave it as-is, depending on what type of look you’re going for that day.

Source: Instagram

Still want more glow? Hughes suggests mixing your favorite pearlescent primer with your foundation, about 60 percent primer to 40 percent foundation. Simply combine the two and apply as you would normally. With these two easy-to-follow pro tips, we’ll be rocking a winter glimmer in no time.