Best Beauty Products for Glowy Skin.

Jen Shoop

2 years ago

*Above: my Calpak beauty case and Amazon sunglasses (Loewe-inspired). All beauty products detailed below.

I’ve recently revamped my daily skincare regimen, almost from top to bottom. I had been feeling like my skin was dull at the end of winter and I was also (conveniently) at the end of most tubes/ bottles in my lineup, so I decided to try a whole new regimen, which I am loving. My goal was to curate products specifically oriented around radiant skin, and I think they are collectively delivering.

I apply in the following order:

YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE CLEANSER — Bright and foamy, leaves skin looking glassy-clear and feeling squeaky clean. I love the vegetal scent.
BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE LOTION P50 — I apply using a cotton pad immediately after cleansing. This is a liquid exfoliant. I’ve heard people go wild over this product for years and years, including my mother. I don’t think it’s been a total game-changer for me but I do feel like my skin is really “prepped” after I apply — it just has this smooth, evened out feel to it. Speaking candidly, I probably will not repurchase / will omit this step when the bottle is done and see how I feel about it. It could be that after I pause use I notice changes, but for now, I’m so-so on it. Beyond that, I’ve found a TOP FAVORITE new product in Goop’s exfoliant so this might be redundant. (Read on for my rave review.)
DR. LARA DEVGAN VITAMIN C+B+E FERULIC SERUM — I received this as a gift and it’s wonderful. I’ve written about this many times, but I find Vitamin C serums to be the single most important steps in achieving radiance in my skin. My face absolutely GLOWS after I apply. I’ve described it elsewhere as “turning on the lights in my skin.” I like several different Vitamin C products, and my favorite remains Biossance’s rose oil, but Dr. Lara Devgan’s is really good, too. It has a nice light and runny consistency that makes it easy to pat onto skin. I don’t love the scent — like a few other Vitamin C formulas, it has an almost copper-like scent? Metallic? But it does evaporate quickly after application. Overall, was just thrilled to have a high quality Vitamin C product in the repertoire as a gift. When I finish this bottle, I want to try Goop Beauty’s formula after many of you raved about it.
CLARINS DOUBLE SERUM — This remains a staple in my skincare regimen. I absolutely adore it. Vitamin C is all about radiance but this serum really adds a suppleness, softness, elasticity, even fullness to my skin. Using a Vitamin C product and following with this makes you look like you just woke up after the best night of sleep in your life.
DR. BARBARA STURM GLOW DROPS — Shopbop gifted me a tube of these glow drops I’ve been eyeing forever, and I do like them, but I think they’re almost superfluous given the previous four steps. Still, I’m really aiming for ultra-dewy, ultra-glow-y skin after I noticed dullness and dryness during the winter. Still, applying all these layers of radiance/hydration/luminizers really does incredible things.

I’m currently omitting moisturizer from my regimen because I find my skin so hydrated and happy after the previous five (!) steps, but if I’m running a bit dry, I use Origins GinZing, which is a great price for a great product. It has a nice, gel-like, lightweight consistency, and it really does deliver on the brightness front.

Now for the really groundbreaking item I’ve been waiting to share: Goop Beauty’s GoopGlow. OMG. I’m obsessed! So many of you raved about this product, and — I think I mentioned this a few days ago — my sister’s friend specifically said that she always orders “a back up for her back up” because she cannot live without it. I get the hype. This product — which I now use 2x a week — gives new birth to your skin. Like, you apply it, leave it for 2-3 minutes, and then scrub off to the softest, happiest, smoothest, most beautiful skin you’ve ever seen. I am wild about this product! I especially love to use it after I’ve come back from a long, sweaty run. I feel like I’m scrubbing off all the sweat, the random debris/dirt/grit, etc, and I am born again. I also have to say that I took a break from Tata Harper’s daily exfoliating cleanser because my skin was running really dry during the winter and I thought maybe it was too much abrasiveness, but I miss that scrubbed-clean feeling. GoopGlow is both a physical and chemical exfoliant, so you get that polished feeling while also the tingliness of a chemical exfoliant. Truly a wonderful product.

For body skincare, I am also absolutely mindblown by Olio E Osso’s Glow Body Oil. It literally beautifies your skin and imbues it with this gorgeous luminosity. I mean, it’s like you’re sitting at a candlelit dinner! I am in love. Will be using this all summer long on shoulders, legs, decolletage. Love.

In terms of cosmetics, a few favorite glow-centric products:

SuperGoop Glowscreen — A great everyday SPF that delivers a tiny bit of coverage and glow. I love wearing this on mornings I’m going running. I don’t want to run with makeup on, but I do need SPF, and this gives me just that tad bit of something extra in case I run into neighbors.
L’Oreal Lumi Glotion — A great drugstore buy. I use this as a primer if I’m going out at night and really want to dial up the glow, or dab on my cheeks and even on my collarbone/shoulders for just a little kiss.
Saie Glowy Super Gel — This product is very similar to L’Oreal’s but with a tiny bit more concentration of glow (L’Oreal’s is a bit more liquid) and a slightly more natural finish. I own both and use both regularly, almost whichever my hand grabs first.
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer — This is SUCH a good product when you want no color — just a tiny dab of sheen/dewiness. I love love this product and have used it for years.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm — A really great product that adds just a tiny bit of shine and hydration with minimal color.

01. YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE CLEANSER // 02. DR. LARA DEVGAN VITAMIN C+B+E FERULIC SERUM // 03. CLARINS DOUBLE SERUM // 04. ORIGINS GINZING MOISTURIZER // 05. GOOPGLOW // 06. BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE LOTION P50 // 07. DR. BARBARA STURM GLOW DROPS // 08. SUMMER FRIDAY’S LIP BUTTER BALM // 09. OLIO E OSSO GLOW BODY OIL // 10. L’OREAL LUMI GLOTION // 11. RMS BEAUTY LIVING LUMINIZER // 12. SUPERGOOP GLOWSCREEN // 13. SAIE GLOWY SUPERGEL

I also am always and forever buying new cosmetics bags (a weird fixation of mine) and a few pretty and functional ones I’ve come across below. I am really loving my new Calpak case (I have it in the large, but there are smaller sizes) — it can fit A TON. You can see it in the photo at top but you can actually keep all your beauty and cosmetics in one place.