After kick-starting her career on makeup counters, Nam Vo got her first job in New York doing makeup at a strip club. Fast-forward ten years and ‘dewy dumplings’ has become a global phenomenon.
From her drool-worthy ‘highlighter swipe’ videos to her unrivalled celebrity client base including the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kylie Jenner and Chrissy Teigan, we cannot stop fangirling over this mega beauty boss.
If you’re a millennial on Instagram, chances are you’ve heard of Nam Vo. The professional makeup artist and global artistry ambassador for Marc Jacobs beauty has been blowing up our social media feeds on the daily with her world famous ‘dewy dumplings’ glow.
In attempt to recreate *that* lit-from-within glow, we asked Nam Vo to reveal the ultimate tricks of her trade. Prepare for the most radiant skin of your life.
Exfoliate before moisturising
With moisturiser, there are so many great formulations but if you have a lot of surface dead skin and you’re not exfoliating, the moisturiser isn’t going to be able to penetrate the form. The pineapple enzyme gently slots off dead skin that’s about to come off and makes the skin polished so you’re able to take full advantage of the hydration of the cream. It absorbs beautifully into the skin and really helps foundation to glide on smoothly.
Mix your skincare with foundation
We’re seeing skincare and beauty being merged more and more. I often mix oils, primers and mist with foundation.
Get the glow
The glow is a case-by-case scenario. For editorial, I’ll do really over the top glow but for everyday, women just want to look like they have healthy, moist skin. For a lit-from-within radiant glow, it’s about layering. I usually do lighter in the centre and then I’ll work with highlighter, bronzer and contour. It’s about knowing textures and how to layer them – cream, powder and then maybe a mist.
Do not slap powder over your entire face
I love powder but women do themselves a disservice when they grab their powder and slap it over their entire face. Powder isn’t meant to go everywhere. I call it precision powdering which is the t-zone and side of the nose with a very small detailed brush. A lot of the time, powder makes you look matte which can be ageing. We all have oil glands, it’s natural to be oily. The cheeks look beautiful with a little bit of shine. Even some parts of the highs of the face look beautiful with shine. It just doesn’t look cute on the side of your nose or side of your mouth.
Invest in your skin
Stay the f**k out of the sun and wear a lot of SPF. A lot of skin is genetic but it’s also about lifestyle. Instead of creating the illusion of good skin, work for good skin.
