It’s 2024—the role of makeup has evolved to be less about concealing flaws and more about achieving a skin-but-better finish. The key to getting there? Using the right products and perfecting a light-handed application. From eschewing traditional foundations for hybrid versions infused with skincare benefits to strategically applied barely- there blush—minor tweaks can lend your skin the coveted skin-like dewy glow.
Correct formulations aside, achieving an ultra-polished finish comes down to skin prep and strategic layering. And who better than a beauty pro to guide us on how to craft a fresh yet flawless complexion? Gregoris Pyrpylis, creative director at Hermès Beauty, spills the beans on achieving luminous skin in humid climates like ours.
ELLE: How important is skin prep to create the perfect canvas for foundation? And how would you prep skin?
Gregoris Pyrpylis(GP): Skincare is everything. Knowing your skin and its needs is the key to creating a beautiful base for foundation. I would use a moisturiser to hydrate and nourish the skin. Not too rich because the richer it is, the more oils will come to the surface during the day. Some people prefer gel formulas, but it can lead to pilling. Ensure that the moisturiser penetrates the skin and doesn’t create a film to avoid that. Then, I would use a primer. The correct primer for your skin’s needs can transform the foundation. If you use a mattifying primer with a glowy finish foundation, the soft focus powders in the primer will absorb the formula to create a beautiful canvas while retaining a glow.
ELLE: What type of foundation would you advise for a my-skin-but-better finish?
GP: When you want your skin to look natural but have good coverage, I would pick the Hermès Plein Air Complexion Balm. When we started thinking about our first complexion product at Hermès Beauty, I aimed to arrive at something for everyone. It was also crucial for us to make a formula that would be makeup but full of skincare ingredients and benefits. So, we integrated the formula with hyaluronic acid in different molecular weights to offer hydration instantly and throughout the day. There are also antioxidant ingredients that will protect your skin against environmental aggressors or oxidative stress. And, of course, there’s SPF and PA+++, so you’re shielded against UVA and UVB rays using mineral filters, as chemical filters can irritate if you have sensitive skin.
The formula delivers light to medium coverage, giving you a satin finish that looks like skin. I prefer a lighter coverage all over the skin to protect and hydrate, and then I use a product of higher coverage, like a concealer, only where needed for natural-looking, dewy skin without looking overdone.
ELLE: Can you walk us through the application for a dewy glow?
GP: Use your hands to achieve a lighter and more natural finish. The warmth of your fingertips helps break the pigments and disperses them all over the skin, diluting the concentration of the formula into a thin layer. If you want more coverage in some areas, use the Complexion Balm all over the face and take extra product on your finger and dab it into the areas instead of rubbing it in. At some point, you will achieve a natural finish, having covered the small imperfections. That’s when you stop.
ELLE: What is the most effective way to conceal dark circles without a cakey appearance?
GP: You don’t need to go heavy on the concealer. If you have a colour or pigmentation problem like dark circles, you have to choose the right colour corrector. Go in with a thin layer—just a touch of this colour corrector is enough. Follow it with your medium coverage concealer or the Complexion Balm under the eyes. This gives you the coverage you need for a bright under-eye. If you have under-eye bags, use a concealer the same shade as your skin and go into the hollow, dabbing it there to soften the shadow.
ELLE: How can one use blush for a natural flush?
GP: I like going in with the blush once you have applied your Complexion Balm and before you set it with a powder. Take a blush brush, like the Les Pinceaux Hermès Precision Makeup Brush, and Le Precis, and go high on the cheeks with light strokes and bring the colour to the temples. With the excess on the brush, make a stroke on the bridge of the nose and go over the forehead and chin with what’s left over. With blush, we are mimicking the circulation of blood when the skin is vital and healthy, so the whole face has a hint of colour.
I would pick a beautiful red brick shade with a hint of blue that looks radiant and vibrant on women with medium to dark skin tones. Something with a little shine so we don’t have to add on highlighter, and it looks naturally glowy.
ELLE: How would you advise one to use a highlighter to enhance the radiant glow?
GP: Use the highlighter in a diffused way. Take a larger brush, grab a bit of highlighter, caress the area around the eyes and cheeks, and put a bit on the nose bridge. Keep it natural because excessive use of highlighter can give it a metallic finish that looks grey on the skin. It’s important to know that much like your foundation or concealer, highlighter is also a complexion product, so always go for a shade close to your skin tone. For a natural finish, I often like to take a bit of lip balm, rub it into the back of my hand and dab it on the high points of the cheek. Those with medium to deep skin tones can also use the Rouge Hermès Poppy Lip Shine. It’s transparent with a sparkle that warms up medium skin tones and gives a beautiful glow. Your skin will have never looked better. It looks like you used moisturiser and nothing else.
ELLE: Is it important to set your makeup when you want to achieve a natural look?
GP: You can use a powder that will give you a thin layer of matte finish where needed. But choose a powder that doesn’t look cakey, like the Hermès Plein Air Radiant Matte Powder. A light dusting over the face will set your foundation and make it long-lasting. You could also use the Complexion Balm on its own, and if you feel the need for a mattifying powder, use a more precise brush under the eyes and around the nose—just where it’s needed. Mattifying the complexion tends to make it appear dull, and naturally, the skin has oils that add a sheen. Mimic natural skin for a dewy finish.
ELLE: What is the best way to touch up your makeup to keep the glow minus the oil?
GP: In high-temperature climates like India, skin can look shinier throughout the day. Instead of reapplying powder to mattify it and cover it up, I advise absorbing the oil. Use blotting papers, like the Hermès Plein Air Blotting Papers, to absorb the oil and not mess up the foundation. Use it where the shine can look more like oil—around the nose, on the forehead, between the eyebrows, and maybe on the chin. If you cancel out this shine, the rest you can keep as it is for the glow. And then, if you see that it’s not enough, maybe at some point during the day, you can dab a bit of powder.
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