Budget Beauty: How to get glass skin with products under P500

If you've ever watched a K-drama or seen photos of K-idols, you probably noticed how incredibly smooth and flawless their skin looks. No pores, blemishes, or uneven coloring - they're almost too perfect to be real! The glass skin trend is pretty common among Korean stars though, and this ‘’dewy skin made dewier" look has become the ultimate #skingoals for many. 

I first learned about the trend from a famous lifestyle online magazine and I was so sure, this is not going to happen overnight. A skincare routine with regular double cleansing, toning, exfoliating, and moisturizing with brightening and pore minimizing products might help but if you want to hop in on the trend ASAP, have I got a makeup trick for you!

Step 1: Exfoliate your skin

The night before, or if you’re not in a rush, an hour before starting your makeup routine, give your skin an extra cleanse and polish by exfoliating the topmost layer. Exfoliation will reveal a healthier layer of skin and help decrease the appearance of your pores! I love using the Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash-off (P380, Althea) for this as it’s an easy and fuss-free way of exfoliating (almost) naturally! In case physical exfoliation is not your cup of tea, the PV girls have various pore minimizing secrets to share.

Step 2: Moisturize with your favorite moisturizer or facial oil

You can't get dewy without the dew! In Her Element's Pure Squalane Oil (P475, inherelement.ph) nourishes and moisturizes while leaving your face feeling silky and not at all greasy. You only need a drop or two to gently massage all over your face, and it even helps your face base makeup products apply more smoothly!

Step 3: Use a color corrector

After putting on your sunscreen (and making sure it’s absorbed just right), it’s makeup time! A pink undertone is preferred for the glass skin look, since a pinkish glow makes the complexion appear more luminous and translucent. For us mostly warm, yellow-toned Pinays, applying a purple color corrector all over the face and neck makes our skin look brighter and more youthful. I’ve been re-loving The Face Shop’s Air Cotton Makeup Base (~P200, The Face Shop) as a basic all-over corrector as it really cancels out the yellowness of my skin! It also lightly conceals my pores, and it’s easy to spread and absorb. 

Step 4: Conceal all imperfections

Because the lightest coverage face base is best for recreating this look, concealing comes in first. Conceal all imperfections for a better skin expression! The Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (P199, drugstores) brightens under eye area well but be careful about selecting your shade as it has a tendency to oxidize. It works fine for blemishes although I would suggest a more cement-like concealer such as the Pink Sugar Our Lil Secret Concealer (P299, SM Beauty) if your marks are still quite dark.

Step 5: Work with a light coverage dewy base

You can pretty much use any CC cream that evens out your skintone and gives it dewy glow, something like The Face Shop Photo Blur BB Cream (P395)! You can also the Collagen by Watsons White Regeneration Colour Change Nude Cream (P267, Watsons and SM Beauty) for a brightening finish with a skin-like appearance.

Step 6:  Use cream or liquid blush

Liquid and cream blush formulas offer a more natural-looking finish than powder and, if applied carefully, will not disrupt the glow we’ve carefully curated for our faces. A slightly blue-based pink shade further enhances the brightening effect, and looks flattering when lightly patted on your cheeks. You can also opt to apply it until almost the top of your cheekbone for a more youthful look! Majolica Majorca’s Cream de Cheek in Kiichigo Cream (RD411) fits my skin color well but since it may be difficult to find locally, consider the Colourette Colourtints (P249, colourettecosmetics.com) instead.

Step 7: Use highlighter as setting powder

The last step before you take a million selcas is to use a light highlighter as setting powder! It depends on the shimmer grade of your highlighter though: some have a soft, diffused glow that can be dusted all over the face, while a formula with higher wattage is still best applied strategically. Fortunately, the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter (P379, SM Beauty) can be applied both ways! Use a fluffy brush to apply it all over your face, or pat some product on high areas with your finger to create a more intense shine.

What do you think about the glass skin look? Would you try this FOTD? I'd love to hear about how it worked for you!