By The Glow Recipe Team
Have you ever admired Korean pop stars and wondered how they get that flawless, dewy complexion? You might assume that reaching such radiant, luminous skin requires a huge investment. But here’s a little secret: it doesn’t. In fact, the deeply hydrated, almost damp-looking sheen is one of the most desired and easily achievable looks among Korean women. Mul-gwang, or “water glow,” is so popular because it offers a middle-ground radiance that makes skin feel and appear supple without looking oily. If you want to maintain a freshly misted appearance throughout the day, check out the advice we gathered from professional glow expert and makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes.
Short on time? Take a look at our cheat sheet to get that gwang in no time.
Step 1: Prepare
Starting with a clean base is essential for the Water Glow look. Gently remove impurities like makeup, dirt, and oil that can cause breakouts using a balancing cleansing water. The Whamisa Organic Flowers Cleansing Water eliminates debris with a hydrating and soothing aloe base. “I like to sweep it from the center of the face outward to the edges and gently run it over the eyelids and lips until your cotton pad comes up clean,” Hughes advises.
Step 2: Wash
Following with a second cleanser is crucial in any K-beauty regimen, but it’s especially important for a shine-focused water glow. Clearing out any leftover traces that the first cleanser missed purifies pores and prepares skin for the rest of your routine. The Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser catches these remnants with a bouncy, clarifying foam that also hydrates. For drier skin types, using the cleanser as a 5-minute mask adds extra moisture that enhances this dewy routine. “Plus, the smoother your skin, the better your makeup will look,” Hughes notes as an additional benefit.
Step 3: Spritz
To add another layer of moisture that boosts your water glow, use a light, soothing mist. The Whamisa Organic Flowers Olive Leaf is a potent refresher made from organic ingredients that you can spray on your skin whenever you need hydration. “Mist between every single layer of skincare going forward to seal in the products and help build lightweight moisture,” Hughes instructs. The whole point of the water glow is to look like you’re drenched in healthy dew, so locking in hydration at every opportunity is a must.
Step 4: Balance
Balancing your skin’s pH levels is important in any routine, but refinement is essential for that fresh-out-of-the-shower water glow look. Applying a hydrating toner is the secret to achieving all-day dewiness, and the more layers, the better. For maximum hydration, try the 7 Skin Method, where you apply seven layers of toner. This step is especially necessary for drier skin types aiming for the water glow. The Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Toner is an excellent choice for this intensive method, thanks to its hyaluronic acid, olive oil, Pro Vitamin B5, and other healing botanicals. Hughes is a firm believer in this K-beauty staple and advises, “press the toner in one layer after another to help drive the ingredients into the skin.”
Step 5: Serum
Boost your dewy factor with a hydrating serum containing active ingredients like hyaluronic acid. “Hyaluronic acid—which holds 1000 times its weight in water,” Hughes explains, making it a must for the water glow look, obviously! The Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule revitalizes skin texture with five different types of hyaluronic acid, Resurrection plant extract, and Pro Vitamin B5. Hughes applies the ampoule all over the face, but she also targets key points “to create dimension,” similar to contouring and highlighting.
Step 6: Hydrate
Apply lasting hydration with an emulsifying gel or cream moisturizer that enhances shine without greasiness. The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer provides “luscious, long-lasting moisture, but feels like nothing,” says Hughes. Simply pump out a dime-sized amount between your fingers and gently pat it into your skin. A pro tip: press this antioxidant and hyaluronic acid-rich gel onto the high points of your face to lock in hydration and minimize oiliness.
Step 7: Smooth
Discover a new way to strobe (highlight) without using powdery, pore-clogging formulas that go against the water glow philosophy. Instead, use a skincare product that doubles as a pore-refining primer, like the Blithe Hydro Priming Cream. With a watery cream texture and nourishing bifida ferment extract to strengthen skin, the Hydro Priming Cream creates a smoother canvas. For a perfectly strobed water glow, Hughes recommends warming the product between your fingers and tapping it onto standout features like the cheekbones, nose, and brow bones.
Step 8: Refine
Once your skincare routine is complete and your skin looks deeply hydrated, perfect your glowy complexion with small applications of concealer. Minimize only red spots, dark marks, and blemishes you’d rather not have noticed. “Any makeup applied over a base prepped like this will look so gorgeous and transparent, super invisible, so you really won’t see it,” says Hughes. And of course, don’t forget to set everything with a final spritz of mist.
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