The next evolution of skin trends is here, and its future is bright! With glass skin in the past and glazed skin getting tired, we were waiting for the next big thing to take over. Introducing mirror skin, the ultra-shiny upgrade from glass and glazed complexions that have us reaching for our glowiest, most hydrating products. Get the skin you can see yourself in with our expert-loved picks!
Featured Experts
- Emily Gray is a celebrity makeup artist
- Natalie Dresher is a makeup artist based in Miami
- Daniel Schlessinger, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Omaha, NE
- Elaine Kung, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York
What is mirror skin?
@dr_emilly Think beauty has a deadline? Think again. This is how we do it at 50+ #skincareroutine #skincareover50 #brownskincare #antiagingskincare #personalizedskincare ♬ original sound – Emily 50+ skincare
Glass skin, pearl skin, glazed skin, oh my! With a thousand trendy names for the healthy, glowing skin we all want, mirror skin seems like just another entry. While it sounds just like glass skin, mirror skin probably has the most in common with the way Hailey Bieber described glazed skin.
“My standard when I go to bed at night is that if I’m not getting into bed looking like a glazed donut, then I’m not doing the right thing,” said Bieber last year, not knowing how much the word “glazed” would own the beauty world.
Mirror skin is essentially glazed skin or glass skin rebranded, with a focus on a reflective, high-shine finish. If glazed skin has a diffused glow and glass skin has a smooth texture, mirror skin is the next level of radiant. The evolution of these other trends, mirror skin is the end game, where your skin is so glowy it’s nearly otherworldly.
How is it different than glass skin?
Just like glass skin, mirror skin relies on skin-care products, with makeup as support. While you want the same smooth, perfect surface that glass skin provides, mirror skin is about turning your glow to extreme levels.
“This is different from other skin trends in that in really relies on skin products, hydration levels and facial massage, more so than a certain combination of makeup products,” explains celebrity makeup artist Emily Gray. “That being said, there are makeup techniques to use to enhance the look. I would also add that maintaining a hyper-reflective skin look is more maintenance if you want to keep it looking like that all day. [Your skin] may look greasy or too shiny if not properly touched up throughout the day.”
Gray advises focusing on non-comedogenic and oil-free skin-care products to keep your shine from verging into grease. You can also boost your radiance from glass to mirror level by reaching for brightening and hardworking hydrating ingredients that will ensure your glow lasts.
“Hydrating serums with water-attracting ingredients like hyaluronic acid work by pulling water molecules from the air into the skin,” explains Omaha, NE dermatologist Daniel Schlessinger, MD. “While our body produces its own hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and plump, we make less of it as we age, which in turn, causes skin to be more susceptible to dehydration. By incorporating a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid or other humectants into your routine, you can replenish some of this lost natural hydration.”
How do you maintain mirror skin?
If you’ve got hydration on the brain, you’re on the right track. Mirror skin is all about achieving a super moisturized and hydrated base that will catch light. Brightening ingredients are your friend, and options like vitamin C and retinol can play a key role in your mirror skin look.
There are also ways to achieve your high-shine look without getting greasy or oily.
“Mirror skin is my favorite as a dry skin girlie,” says Miami makeup artist Natalie Dresher. “I also love when clients have mirror skin because healthy-looking skin equates beauty, and healthy skin is hydrated skin. I absolutely love this primer and liquid highlighter from Valentino Beauty ($58) because I can use it as a primer on my drier girls and as a precise highlighter for those with more oily-prone skin. The finish is absolutely beautiful, and doesn’t contain any chunky glitters.”
If you’re finding yourself at a dead-end when it comes to your natural radiance, in-office treatments are a great way to get a more permanent glow. From the Hydrafacial to Sculptura, there are a ton of dermatologist-loved treatments that will take you from ordinary to absolutely radiant.
“Radiant, healthy skin is a coveted aesthetic outcome, and while diligent at-home skin care is essential, in-office procedures can provide a powerful boost,” says board-certified New York dermatologist Elaine Kung, MD.
Products for Super-Hydrated Mirror Skin
Key Ingredients
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, peptides and sodium hyaluronate
Key Ingredients
Hyaluronic acid, grapeseed polyphenols and grape water
Key Ingredients
Japanese superfoods, green tea, rice and algae
Key Ingredients
Aloe bio-ferment, hyaluronic acid complex, vitamin C and vitamin E
Key Ingredients
Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and peptides
Key Ingredients
Hyaluronic acid and roma-light complex
Key Ingredients
Sugarcane squalane, jojoba, grapeseed, evening primrose and rosehip oils
Key Ingredients
Peptides and oleo-gel complex
Key Ingredients
Shea butter and glycerin
