TikTok’s ‘Skin Smoothie’ Hack Is Like Wearing A Glow Filter IRL

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If TikTok is anything to go by, glowing skin trends are going nowhere fast. 'Skin flooding' has achieved viral status for lending a plump, hydrated and glossy finish, while models at London Fashion Week were sent down the runway with 'laminated skin', described as a hyper-moisturised base with lashings of shine courtesy of face mist packed with hyaluronic acid. This spring, it's all about the radiance-enhancing 'skin smoothie'.

Contrary to the name, TikTok's latest viral beauty hack has nothing to do with food. Dreamed up by TikToker and beauty content creator Amy K, the skin 'smoothie' is a mixture of makeup and skincare products which are said to impart an otherworldly glow. In the video, which has racked up an impressive 668.8k views and 34.6k likes respectively, we see Amy combining a handful of products. Petroleum jelly is first up. Amy swipes Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly into the palm of she hand and follows with a pump of CeraVe Moisturising Lotion. The next step, a highlighter or illuminating primer, is key; Amy uses Keys Soulcare Let Me Glow Illuminating Serum. The last addition is optional: self-tan makeup. For this step, Amy enlists Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Instant Tan Lotion.

Though Amy only shows the results of the combination on the back of her hand (hint: it's the juiciest sheen), it wasn't long before the comments section started to fill up with people who were keen to give it a go. I was one of them. Post-winter, my skin needs some serious help in the glow department. I could step up my skincare game and introduce exfoliating acids such as glycolic and lactic acid to lift away dull skin but my face has been reacting to certain potent ingredients lately so I figured a little makeup might be my best bet. Plus, I'm looking to wean myself off heavy foundation.

I had Vaseline to hand but none of the other products Amy used so I decided to improvise. To a pea-sized amount of Vaseline, I added some E45 Moisturising Lotion, three swipes of Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (a TikTok favourite), and a tiny squeeze of St.Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Gel, for some colour. I mixed everything together in the palm of my hand and pressed the blend into my skin with my fingertips, taking care to avoid my lips and eyes. A bit of extra buffing with a dense makeup brush was required to make sure there were no streaks, as the mixture ended up being quite slippery.

My initial reaction was positive. Though a few strands of hair got stuck to my face (that'll be the petroleum jelly), the glow was real — I've never had such dewy skin. I liked that you could still see a lot of my skin texture as, unlike foundation or concealer, it didn't totally erase my contours or pores. That said, the highlighter combined with the self-tan was enough to subtly blur some areas of red skin staining left behind by breakouts. In natural light, my cheekbones in particular were gleaming so bright, I'm convinced you could've seen them from space.

While I really liked the glossy slip this homemade tint gave my skin, my oily T-zone didn't fare well throughout the day. I won't completely avoid this area next time but I will finish off with a dusting of translucent powder over my nose and forehead. There are other things I'd do differently, too: a hack like this might be enough coverage for some but I noticed my dark under-eye circles peeking through during the day, and I felt a bit exposed. You don't need me to tell you that dark circles are entirely normal, but to feel more comfortable in my skin, I'd apply a dot of concealer here to keep things natural. I'd also swap the self-tan for wash-off bronzing drops, like Bondi Sands GLO Matte One Day Tan.

You might be thinking, Where does sunscreen come in? It's not advised to mix sunscreen and other skincare or makeup products as you run the risk of reducing the amount of protection you should be receiving. For this reason, I applied sunscreen 30 minutes beforehand. For top-ups, you could try a sunscreen mist, which can be applied easily over makeup.

What does an expert think of mixing so many products to create a glowy tint? "A little DIY goes a long way," said Mira Parmar, makeup artist and self-described dewy skin-maker. She told me that combining products in this way simply dilutes them, creating a "fresh and glowing canvas". When it comes to highlighter, Mira suggested choosing something that is a close match to the colour of your skin to achieve a tint that looks natural, not ashy. She explained that the highlighter is doing most of the heavy lifting to make the skin appear dewy but it's the addition of petroleum jelly that really gave my skin a glasslike sheen.

I can't deny that this is the ultimate no-makeup makeup hack but if you have oily skin like me, it pays to tweak things somewhat and skip the petroleum jelly. Instead, Mira recommended sticking to your favourite dewy moisturiser to dial up the hydration. I love Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream, Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturiser, and The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + PhytoCeramides, which all lend skin a subtle glint.