The Only 9 Products You Need To Master The “Dewy Clean Girl” Look In Your 40s This Summer
It’s glow time.
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by The Candidly Team
It’s ironic that the sun is both the most aging element in the world and also the thing that makes us look our youngest when we stand directly in it.
Isn’t that the case?
In those moments we’re caught in the blaring sunlight, we seem … smoother, glowier, glassier, healthier, dewier. All the adjectives we want for our skin all the time.
Well, we found a way to hack it without the skin damage. That clear-skinned, sun-kissed, clean girl glow that we thought was only for 20-somethings until we found the exact formula that works for our mature skin.
All it takes is 9 perfect things. They work so well, we’re practically giddy to tell you about them. And here they are:
1. Emma Lewisham Supernatural Face Crème Riche
There’s no getting around the fact that without a plumped, hydrated canvas, no makeup will make you look remotely dewy or youthful. Skincare is critical, and we have been astounded by our results from using this cream. Our skin looks tauter, more elastic, bouncier, LIFTED! Our texture is better than it’s been in years. It’s a clinically tested formula shown to “synthesise collagen production at a cellular level” and diminish wrinkles and fine lines. The formula is more powerful in terms of results than pretty much any face cream we’ve tried (that isn’t $300) and somehow they do this without using ingredients that have been linked to harmful health effects such as parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, and many, many other murky things that show up in our skincare.
Price: $95
2. Furtuna Skin Due Alberi Biphase Moisturizing Oil
If you hang out on our site for more than 3 minutes, you’ll probably hear us mention this oil. It is indeed our holy grail, miracle product we tell everyone about, because the instant radiance and all-day glow is unparalleled. Here is one of us at night after applying it in the morning:
Over weeks of use, it significantly reduces the appearance of fine lines. But that glow is immediate, and it’s addictive.
That said, the price is not low. However, only a few drops a day are needed so it lassssts, and Furtuna was kind enough to give us a code for a hefty 20% off. Use CANDIDLY20.
Price: Starting at $100
3. Skinceuticals C E Ferulic
If you’re not using a potent Vit C cream, you’re missing out on a wild amount of skin benefits that start with the most healthful, brightening effect, which is exactly what we get the moment we apply a few drops of this serum. Vitamin C is one of 3 ingredients proven to actually be anti-aging, and the protection we get from this concoction, coupled with the increased firmness and minimized lines make us never, ever, ever be without it. And we try zillions of products.
And you can get 15% off on Dermstore using the code CANDIDLY.
Price: $185
4. Clinique Moisture Surge™ Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25
If you want blurred, natural-looking skin, this tint is a dream. It gives that dewy, gorgeous, your-skin-but-better finish with a touch of SPF and ongoing hydration to boot. Plus, and this is a BIG plus, the shades are extremely flexible and therefore, easy to match. Choose your best guess and you will be right. The moment you apply, you’ll be asking where has this foundation been all my life.
Price: $44
5. Rhode Pocket Blush
We were not expecting Hailey Bieber’s new billion dollar beauty line to produce what might be the best cream blush ever for mature skin. But the originator of the “clean girl aesthetic” has indeed given us over 40 gals a gift, so much so that we have bought no fewer than 4 shades because every one just seems to be another version of sheer perfection. Every single one looks like what we’re all always trying to achieve with blush—as if our skin is flushed with radiance, kissed by the sun, lit from within with rosy light. No spotty application that sweats off in 12 minutes. No sinking into pores.
Again, choose any shade and you’ll be right. For a universally gorj hue, choose sleepy girl. For a summery coral that’s brimming with life, choose spicy marg.* For a cool, classic pink, try piggy.* And for a surprising and beautiful baked, slightly sunburnt look choose toasted teddy.* Here is one of us wearing a mix of sleepy girl and spicy marg in the blaring sun.
Price: $24
6. Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40
Sadly the SPF in our foundations isn’t enough. We need a base of protection to protect us from the one thing responsible for 90% of aging - the sun. This glowy, award-winning formula is neither drying nor ghostly. It hydrates and primes the skin perfectly for makeup. And if you’re not into wearing foundation in the sun, it gives that tiny kiss of color that makes our skin look its best.
Price: $38
7. Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tinted Cream Highlighter
We’ve said it before but this is the absolute best glowy (not glittery or sparkly) highlighter of all time, especially for mature skin because it doesn’t sink in or add texture to fine lines. It just sits on the surface, helping us glow to the heavens. And it’s so easy to apply, you can’t really mess up. The price isn’t easy, but yes, it is that good and lasts that long.
Price: $75
8. Tower 28 Beauty Sculptino™ Soft Matte Cream Contour + Bronzer
Part contour, part bronzer, and unbelievably easy and non-intimidating to apply. Truly! You will look slightly tanned and sculpted in the most natural way that you can’t mess up. Tower 28’s cream formulas are unbelievable on over-40 skin. They don’t cake or sink. They’re silky, deeply blendable, and never every streaky. We use THIS* sponge to dab it round our temples, on the highest part of our cheekbones, the tip of our nose and round the chin and we marvel at the difference it makes. We look like we spent the day at the beach without the breakouts and sun damage.
Price: $20
9. The Outset Lip OasisTM Glossy Treatment - Dune
Put plainly, this is THE nude gloss we’ve been looking for the entirety of our adult lives. The Outset just released it, but we are being diligent about telling every human we know about it, because we need them to keep making it for the rest of time. It plumps with zero sting and leaves the prettiest, your-lips-but, better color with the richest, non-sticky, glossy finish. Here is a photo of one of us using some other gloss on the left and The Outset gloss in shade dune on the right:
We coupled it with THIS* liner but even the solo gloss has the most understated, clean girl wow factor we’ve been able to muster on our own lips.
Price: $28
BONUS: The Extras That Make Everything Sing
The Mascara:* For a water-resistant formula that won’t irritate your eyes, we adore this one.
The Eyeliner:* For the single most precise line in all the beauty industry (that’s also waterproof).
The Freckle Stamp:* Because clean girls don’t hide their youthful freckles. In fact, they add them.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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