What was the world like before everyone was on a quest for glowing skin? The new beauty standard seems to suggest that our cheekbones should glimmer at all times. But how to achieve that glow without a face full of makeup? That’s a question that celebrated makeup artist Romy Soleimani gets all the time. “It’s the No. 1 thing people ask me,” she says — possibly because her client Tracee Ellis Ross seems to have mastered looking permanently as dewy as a sweatdrop Emoji.
Luckily, Soleimani has the answer. Radiant skin starts with a good skin-care base. Here are the no-makeup prep steps she does for every single one of her clients. The whole process takes about 20 minutes and would be easy to replicate at home on days when you’re going to a big event or just feel like your face needs a little extra love.
Step One: WashYour Face
Dead skin is dull skin. That’s why the first step to a glowing complexion is to cleanse yourself of it all. Every client in Soleimani’s chair gets a thorough face massage that hits all the lymphatic drainage points (here’s how to do it yourself). Then she gently sloughs off dead skin, so your skin is literally polished.
Soleimani recommends Eve Lom’s Cleanser, a gentle oil-based balm cleanser which comes with a multi-page instructions booklet on how to massage your face. Once you’re done, you use a wet muslin cloth to gently wipe away and scrub off dead skin residue. She likes it because it allows you to deep-clean your face, but adds that you can really use any exfoliator.
Step Two: Apply a Sheet Mask
I know, I know. I heard that the Cosmetics Cop, Paula Begoun, said that sheet masks are a scam. But Solemani (like Michelle Yeoh) still believes in them. Solemani likes Colbert’s Illumino Sheet Mask.
Step Three: Roll Your Face
With the sheet mask still on, use a jade roller (or for extra credit, a Refa) and roll up the face. Don’t do it like you’re cutting a pizza — you’re not meant to roll back and forth! Gravity is already trying to pull your face downward, so you need upward motions only. “Like you’re ironing it out,” says Soleimani. She likes rolling on top of a sheet mask because “it feels like the product is sinking in more.”
Step Four: Moisturize
Soleimani skips toner, as it’s not necessary if you do a sheet mask. She also forgoes an eye cream as the “ones that do something powerful are too rich and move around concealer too much.” So the final step is simply a moisturizer — she likes the infamous green Weleda Skin Food. Rub it into the skin, going from the base of the neck all the way up to the edge of the hairline. “I’ve using it for years,” she says. “I love the highlighting sheen that it gives, to bodies and cheekbones.”
