Lily Collins has the best hack for DIY glowy foundation

If it's good enough for Emily in Paris...

By Kate PasolaPublished: 15 October 2020

Say what you like about new Netflix French-fest Emily in Paris (it's certainly divided the nation), but Lily Collins herself is, as they say, iconique. Fashion high points and accessories inspo aside, she's also radiant as heck, on-set and off.

Luckily for us, she just chatted through her entire skincare and makeup routine, and dropped the best trick for creating the kind of glow that only comes from living above a hot french chef in Paris and eating authentic pain au chocs on the way to your dream job (which, by the way, has a 10.30am start time? In what world, Emily?).

Here's the lowdown.

First she preps with a ludicrously cheap cleanser by Cetaphil (chic she may be, but a skincare snob she is not), a witch hazel toner, a hydrating serum (more on that later) a Herbivore Rose and Hibiscus facial spray and lip scrub, Burt's Bees lip balm and sunscreen.

But here's where the magic happens.

Instead of applying her long-lasting foundation straight to her prepped face, she takes a pump of serum and mixes it into a pump of foundation in her palm, and dots the resulting sheer, tinted goodness across her face, explaining it like this:

"This actually makes it more of a medium coverage, and it adds back that healthy, radiant glow, it's the ideal combo."

And, to be quite honest, we agree. Disclaimer, not all serums will work for this hack, and it's best to stick to a hyaluronic-based number. The serum Lily picks (shop below) is perfect for this occasion.

In the tutorial, Lily also delves into her troubled relationship with self-tanner and bronzer (worth a listen for sure) and her newfound love of minimalist blush, plus she teaches us a lash separating trick using the same clean spooley she deployed for brow-combing purposes.