Six months postpartum, I had yet to regain anything resembling a “pregnancy glow,” and my skin felt less than vibrant due to perpetual lack of sleep coupled with new motherhood stress.
My spring quest, besides some cleaning? To discover luminous summer skin—and find time to put on a little makeup too! I wanted to find makeup that would heal and nurture my skin, not just add some color. “My products are formulated with raw, food-grade, organic ingredients in their natural state,” says Rose-Marie Swift, makeup artist and founder of RMS Beauty. “Organic [and] wildcrafted ingredients like raw coconut and buriti oil, as well as the highest quality cold-pressed organic jojoba oil—the most similar to the natural characteristics of human skin—contain some of the most powerful, nourishing and healing properties that the skin thirsts for.” Her gorgeous Savannah Peach Collection was inspired by the port city’s spellbinding sunsets, “a complete makeup artist’s color fantasy.”
To achieve lasting luminosity, I sought out nutrient-rich serums that heal and repair. “Undernourished skin doesn’t glow,” says Lisamarie Garguilo, VP of Spa Sales and Education at Luzern Skincare. “Facial oils boost your skin’s natural glow and keep it better protected against damaging free radicals for skin that is nourished, glowing and protected.” Luzern decided to create The Sublime Oil as a warmer weather choice, and for individuals who are new to oils and concerned with the feel of heavier oils. “As skin starts to adjust to increased heat and humidity during warmer months, it can cause your skin to produce a shine from the higher activity of your sebaceous glands,” says Garguilo. “Hydration is still needed during these months and instead of skipping hydration all together, which can be detrimental to skin, look for lightweight hydration.”
For a spiritual approach to increasing skin’s vibrancy, Odacité has the answer in its All-Embracing Serum, which is charged with crystal energy. “I wanted to fuse the vibration energy of crystals and beauty energy of plants and herbs,” says Valerie Grandury, founder of Odacité, a French wordplay on audacity. “I wanted to supercharge this serum with the spiritual belief that amethyst's high frequency purifies the aura of negative energy and creates a protective shield of light around the body. My grandmother in France had a collection of crystals on her nightstand—I do, too—ensuring calm, restorative and protected sleep.”
The Tool Kit
Here are our top picks to achieve a fresh, glowing complexion.
RMS Beauty Savannah Peach Collection
This gift set features Peach multEYEtasker and three exclusives to the set: Monterey Lipstick, Savannah Sunset Swift Shadow and Scarlett Peach Luminizing Powder. Universal rose gold tinged with peach “works beautiful magic to almost any skin tone,” says founder Rose-Marie Swift. The luminizing powder is pressed, not baked, therefore preserving healing nutrients.
Luzern Skincare Serum Absolut The Sublime Oil
This new release is power-packed with ingredients that impart a healthy glow, including squalane (derived from sugarcane) and jojoba oil, with a molecular structure almost identical to the skin’s sebum. Rosehip oil contains essential fatty acids that help regenerate skin cells and repair damaged tissue, while rosemary leaf extract boosts elastin and hyaluronic acid production for hydrated, healthy skin.
Infused with the calming crystal energy of amethyst, this all-natural soothing and hydrating serum features lightweight anti-aging watermelon seed oil and antioxidant-rich hibiscus flowers, which also contain mild natural acids that help promote a radiant complexion.
Vapour Organic Beauty Solar Translucent Bronzer
Packed with sun-specific antioxidants including pomegranate, green tea and açaí berry, this vibrant bronzer delivers creamy color to highlight and contour your face. We love simmer, a shade that offers just the right amount of subtle sun-kissed bronze. Pair with the new Halo Illuminator 24K for a golden glow.
Olive + M Renew + Repair Face Oil
Made in Austin, Texas using natural ingredients that have felt the sun and soil, olive oil combined with rosehip seed and pomegranate seed oils leave your complexion soft and glowing. Antioxidant-rich olive oil closely resembles our natural oil, penetrating skin quickly and easily, and its antimicrobial properties help protect the skin from infection and damage. This formula rehydrates and renews for a fresh start to summer.
Soothing shea butter and antioxidant-rich avocado oil make this shimmer ultra-moisturizing, leaving skin looking luscious. “[Our Illuminators] make the skin look dewy and lit-from-within, never sparkly,” says founder and creative director Sasha Plavsic. “The product truly melts into the skin when applied with your fingers, which enhances the vitality of the complexion as a whole.” We love the new spring shades: Stella By Starlight, a rose gold hue, and Summertime, with warm red undertones.
Ranavat Botanics Radiant Rani Illuminating Botanical Serum
After hearing about Kumkumadi—an ancient south Indian “miracle elixir”—at a conference in India, founder Michelle Ranavat tweaked the formula by tripling the saffron content, adding rice bran oil to make it lighter, and blending in rose essential oil for a luxurious aroma. “Saffron is a beautifully rare spice that is rich in carotenoids,” says Ranavat. “Two main natural carotenoids of saffron, crocin and crocetin, are responsible for its color but also provide incredible benefits to the skin. Carotenoids are thought to help our skin tolerate UV light exposure, collagen degradation and brightness of the skin.” It’s truly a serum fit for a queen (rani).