I’ll spare you the Twilight jokes this time around, but I will take a second to talk about how into TikTok’s latest makeup trend “vampire skin” I am. If you’ve read any of my other writing, you’ll know that I love a good dewy, glowy, sun-kissed makeup look. Deep shades of bronze, golden champagne, and a healthy dose of glitter work really well for my skin tone when the light hits just right. Naturally, this love led me down a rabbit hole of #VampireSkin videos on TikTok. One, because I was intrigued and two, because people were creating some stunning yet simple looks that required only two items: foundation and a liquid highlight.
The great thing about this trend is that you can truly make it your own. You don’t have to use a liquid highlight, you can use straight-up craft-store glitter from a tube if your heart so desires. Personally, though, I’ll be hopping on this trend using one of my favorite dewy highlights. If you’re also into the trend and want a few tips on how to execute it like a pro, keep scrolling. I’ve tapped two celebrity makeup artists for all the details.
Because I trust them wholeheartedly, I asked celebrity makeup artists Judi Gabbay and Allison Kaye to give me their pro tips on vampire skin. “Vampire skin is a spin-off of glass skin,” says Kaye. “Glowing skin is in style and to achieve it, you mix a liquid highlight or glowy product into your foundation or layer them under your foundation.”
What I personally love about this trend is that I didn’t have to buy anything new or spend a lot of money to give it a try. I’m fully stocked on both foundations and liquid highlights, so I could play around with different combinations to find what I liked best. Gabbay also has a few tips: “If you’re looking to create vampire skin, you’ll need a few products that you may already have on hand. The trend calls for a liquid glitter, but I find using a liquid highlighter [is] more wearable. Using your favorite lightweight foundation, mix in your liquid highlighter or glitter. Stipple the mix onto the skin using a damp beauty sponge. The trend calls for glittering skin ‘like Edward Cullen,’ so you’ll want to highlight the high points with a fine glitter such as Makeup by Mario’s Crystal Reflector in Quartz ($26).”
For a few of each’s product recs for vampire skin, plus a few I’ve been testing out myself, take a look below.
As mentioned above, Gabbay recommends highlighting the high points of your face with a fine glitter reflector like this one. I’ve definitely seen a few folks on TikTok shave a bit off of a highlight like this and mix it with a liquid formula and their foundation. The results are phenomenal.
Gabbay also loves this liquid illuminator from Kevyn Aucoin. You can actually use this gel formula on both your face and body, but it’s just the right consistency to mix with foundation IMO without making it overly sticky or tacky.
Gabbay’s foundation of choice for achieving vampire skin is this Pat McGrath formula. This foundation is unique because it contains “diamond core powder” which enhances your skin’s natural radiance and luminosity already. Mix in a little highlight and you’ll definitely be glowing.
Kaye, on the other hand, is a fan of this glowy super gel from Saie Beauty. Personally, I think this one will work best for those who like a very subtle glow as it doesn’t necessarily wow in terms of radiance. I like using it during the summer, but I do wish it added just a tad more warmth to my complexion.
As far as drugstore foundations go, this is one of the best. I can’t tell you how many professional makeup artists tell me this is an incredible formula and for the price, it really can’t be beaten. It’s creamy and as the name would have it, super blendable so it’s a fabulous option for creating dreamy vampire skin.
To create subtle, glowy vampire skin, I’ve been using Refy’s Gloss Highlighter. I loved this highlight even before using it to try out this trend, but I think it mixes so perfectly with Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Foundation. I like a little radiance, but I definitely don’t need to look like Edward Cullen in my daily life. This highlight helps provide a happy medium for the look.
Danessa Myricks is known for her dramatically beautiful hues. Colorfix might be a bit too intense for some, but I like to try new things so I might use a gorgeous champagne shade like this one and mix a tad with my foundation. As a bonus, you can also use this pigment-rich formula on your eyes and lips, too.
Kaye also loves Ilia’s Liquid Light Serum as an option because it contains mastic which helps refine your skin’s texture and gives it a smooth, even appearance, and overall natural glow.
I love using this foundation to create vampire skin because it already gives your skin a lit-from-within glow even without adding highlight. It contains Micro-Fil technology with buildable color pigments that help the formula lay flat for a seamless blending and layering experience. The result is airbrushed, silky skin.
Any makeup artist will tell you that any luminous makeup look starts with proper skin prep. This facial oil from Rituel de Fille is the perfect glow-inducing, priming oil. It creates a silky, radiant base for both your highlight and foundation that lasts all day.
This is another favorite highlight of mine. On days I feel like creating a vampire-esque look, I’ll dab a little of this onto my brush before going in with foundation. It creates such a gorgeous sheen on the skin that really shows up in natural light.
Flawless Filter is a classic makeup-artist favorite that also creates a luminous base for foundation. This is for anyone who likes more of a subtle gleam than a full-on Twilight-era vampire look.
