Golden hour skin is the beauty secret that the pros are all in on. Photographers of all people know how important lighting is. You want soft-focus, beautifully illuminated, sun-warmed skin? You've got to hold fire for 'golden hour'.
Technically speaking, that means striking a pose just after sunrise, or just before sunset, when the light is low on the horizon and covers everything it touches in a magical golden glow. Sounds dreamy right?
If we could walk around with a permanent golden hour filter on our skin, we would. There's nothing more gorgeous or flattering to warm up complexions or shine a light (literally speaking) on pretty highlighted cheekbones, sparkly eyeshadow or glossy lips.
So, I guess we just wait for the light to hit different, right? Er, wrong. Makeup artists know all about golden hour, too. Undeniably it's the best time to showcase their makeup, but because they can't always guarantee they'll be working in a sun-drenched location (looking at you, studio shoots, daytime events and evening red carpets), they've worked out a way to recreate that signature glow outside of the usual hours.
You might have guessed it involves some tactical highlighting, and you'd be correct. Specifically, it involves carefully layering silky, glowy pigments and a delicate blend of textures: powders, creams and liquids, to resemble that golden hour light.
Get it right and your complexion can look sun-soaked and beautifully lit no matter the time of day or the conditions. Two makeup artists who have golden-hour skin under their makeup belt are Tanielle Jai and Harel Margalit. Both are pros at building an exquisite soft-focus molten makeup look.
This article was originally published on Glamour UK.
