Eesha Kulkarni

There’s a secret known to the pros, a beauty hack that brings forth an ethereal glow that rivals the dreamy golden hour lighting. Photographers, with their keen eye for perfect illumination, have long understood the power of the golden hour. That magical time just after sunrise or before sunset, when the sun hangs low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow on everything it touches. Soft-focus, sun-warmed skin that seems to radiate from within is the holy grail, and now you too can capture the essence with the golden hour make-up trend.

Imagine strolling through life with a permanent golden hour filter on your skin. It’s a fantasy we all wish to indulge in, for nothing is more flattering than the warm embrace of golden light, accentuating our features and giving us that unmistakable glow. But here’s the twist: you don’t have to wait for nature’s perfect lighting to strike. Make-up artists have unlocked the secret to recreating the golden hour’s allure, even in the absence of sun-drenched locations or specific timeframes.

Enter the art of strategic highlighting. Make-up gurus have mastered the technique of layering silky, luminous pigments in a delicate dance of powders, creams, and liquids. By skillfully combining textures, they can mimic the golden hour’s transformative effects on the skin, allowing you to bask in its radiant glory anytime, anywhere.

This make-up trend has taken the internet by storm, captivating the hearts of beauty enthusiasts everywhere. With an astounding 1.8 billion views and counting on TikTok, it has become a viral sensation. Beauty blogger Victoria Lyn, the mastermind behind this ethereal look, dubs it “no-makeup makeup’s big sister, a little more glam.” Inspired by the prime time for selfies, it offers a lasting golden hour experience beyond the actual hours. Lyn begins by prepping her face with a tinted sunscreen and serum, setting the stage for the transformation to come.

How to get this look

To achieve that goddess-level glow, bronzing drops take centre stage. With a few drops artfully applied to her forehead, Lyn creates a “sunkissed, glowy summer skin” effect. Moving to the eyes, she sweeps a darker gold eyeshadow across her lids, accentuating them with a lighter shade in the centre for that eye-catching pop. For the lips, she opts for a brown-based lip liner, subtly defining their shape before finishing with a luscious gold lip gloss.

Completing the look, Lyn uses a golden highlighter to grace her cheekbones, brow bone, and inner corners of her eyes, mimicking the sun’s natural touch. And why stop there? She suggests using a spray highlighter on the shoulders to ensure that every inch of you is kissed by radiance.

Korea’s beloved beauty blogger, Pony, also offers her take on this trend. In her YouTube video, she recommends prepping the skin with hydrating products for flawless makeup application. Her approach is more understated but equally mesmerising, as she strategically places a rainbow highlighter on her eyes, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow, transforming into a radiant ray of sunshine.

Now, if you’re eager to embark on your golden hour makeup journey, let us guide you with some product recommendations. These will help you achieve that celestial glow:

Tinted Sunscreen and Serum: Prep your canvas with a tinted sunscreen and serum combo, providing a smooth and radiant base for the makeup magic to unfold.

Bronzing Drops: Add a few drops of bronzing liquid to your forehead, granting your skin that coveted sun-kissed and luminous summer glow.

Gold Eyeshadows: Play with a darker gold shade all over your lids, complemented by a lighter gold hue in the centre to create depth and allure.

Brown-Based Lip Liner and Gold Lip Gloss: Line your lips with a brown-based lip liner, enhancing their shape, and then apply a generous coat of a stunning gold lip gloss for a mesmerising pout.

Golden Highlighter: Illuminate your cheekbones, brow bone, and inner eye corners with a golden highlighter, capturing the essence of the sun’s touch and imparting an ethereal glow.

Spray Highlighter: Don’t forget your shoulders! Spritz a touch of spray highlighter to ensure your radiance reaches every corner, leaving no inch untouched.