"It's plump, moist, delicious, and cute" — this might sound like makeup artist Nam Vo [1] is describing a dumpling you'd want to eat, but she's actually describing what her signature "Dewy Dumpling" glow looks like. Even if you have never heard of Vo, you've likely seen one of her glistening makeup looks on your Instagram feed.
The pro makeup artist has created high-shine looks [2] for celebrities and campaigns in beauty and fashion editorials for more than 10 years. To find out exactly how to re-create the same glowy skin effect at home, we sat down with Vo at a recent Beauty by POPSUGAR event at Macy's in NYC's Herald Square for her best tips. Read on to learn more.
“Dewy Dumpling” Glow Tip 1: Invest In Skin Care
Vo's best tip for achieving her famous "Dewy Dumpling" glow has nothing to do with highlighter. "Instead of creating the illusion of looking naturally and beautifully glowy, the investment should really be in skin care," she said. "For me, the better the condition my skin is in, the less makeup I have to wear and the less I have to spend on foundation."
Vo recognises that everyone's skin needs are different, but when it comes to her own, she looks to microneedling, a treatment that can be done at-home (with a tool like the
BeautyBio GloPro Microneedling Facial Regeneration Tool [3] ($199)) or in-office and creates superficial punctures in skin to stimulate collagen production. She also gets radio-frequency skin treatments, [4] which uses electrical current to stimulate collagen production and tighten muscles. Vo said that both treatments have significantly upped her glow.
“Dewy Dumpling” Glow Tip 2: Massage Your Face
Vo suggests cutting out two things for skin to look its best, especially before a big event or a photo shoot. "Don't eat anything salty and stay away from the sun," she said.
If you happen to eat something salty and need to de-puff, Vo recommends massageing your face either with your fingers or a jade roller (like the Herbivore Jade Facial Roller [5] ($30)).
Vo explained that she also steams her face before applying makeup, if needed. "Dumplings obviously steam," she said.
“Dewy Dumpling” Glow Tip 3: Use Foundation As Concealer
Vo uses the Shiseido Future Solution LX Total Radiance Foundation [6] ($92) as a concealer for her under eye circles to keep them looking bright. "It's almost like a wet second-skin and it doesn't sit in unflattering areas," she said. She presses it under her eyes, before setting it with a powder.
“Dewy Dumpling” Glow Tip 4: Know Your Face Before Applying Highlighter
Vo suggest getting to know your face before sweeping on your highlighter, as your features can help indicate where you should apply it: "You just have to know if [you want to accentuate] your eyebrows, cheeks, lips, skin, neck, lips," she said. "You have to know how to showcase your strongest features."
In terms of product, Vo claims she can think of "72 highlighters" that she loves, but that she uses both cream and powder textures (similar to the Beauty by POPSUGAR Be Bright Shimmer Highlighter [7] ($32)) during her day-to-day.