Laminated Skin Is The Sexiest (& Easiest) Skin Trend

Complexion
by Eleanor Mallon |
Wed, 5 Oct 2022

Laminated-Skin (1)

Spring Summer 2023 will go down as one of THE most eventful seasons in fashion history. For real, it’s been one mic drop moment after the other. Confession: we spent all weekend in disbelief over the Bella Hadid and the Coperni dress moment, then feasted on memes for hours. Anyway, we digress… The beauty looks have also hit different this season, from Valentino’s monochrome magic to Tom Ford’s disco energy.

However, if there’s one beauty look that we’ve seen consistently over the past month in NYC, London, Milan, and most recently, Paris, it’s laminated skin.

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Coined by MAC MUA Terry Barber, laminated skin – or as some are referring to it, “sweaty skin” – is that perfectly dewy skin sheen. It’s kinda like you just stepped out of the pool on a hot summer’s day or arose from a sweaty session between the sheets, IYKWIM. It’s fresh, sexy, and can be achieved by anyone as long as you know the right products to use. So hunny, keep on reading for our laminated skin guide…

Laminated Skin 101

According to Terry Barber, laminated skin ups the ante on glass or glazed donut energy; it’s a “next level glow.” He recently told Refinery29, “The skin for the season is sweaty, which is no longer a negative.” He continues, “All the designers I’m working with are talking about sweaty skin, like you’ve just come out of the ocean on holiday, or been on a dance floor – or you’ve just had sex.” Or, in our case, stepped into the Dubai humidity…

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Oh, and before you grab your go-to highlighter, it’s achieved using creamy products drenched in setting spray to create an ultra-moisturized, you guessed it, laminated base. More product intel later.

Now when we said it was EVERYWHERE during fashion month, we’re not overexaggerating. We saw laminated skin at the likes of Fendi, Victoria Beckham, Erdem, Nensi Djoka, JW Anderson, Proenza Schouler… The list goes on. Seriously, we can keep going. We also saw nods to the trend at Roberto Cavalli, Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, Vogue World, not to mention, Jil Sander, when the models literally walked through the rain for that moist glow.

How to Get The Look

Okay, so the secret to the look lies in a delicious creamy base, which should be applied with your hands and massaged into the skin for that second skin look. Look for products that have a luminous finish and are amped up with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Our GloWish Multidew Skin Tint, $39, is perfect as it gives the skin the most stunning glow and is enriched with antioxidants, like ugly bell pepper. Another great option is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation, $69, as it melts into your skin and has a beautiful dewy finish. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a drugstore option, we’ve lurrrved the Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation, $9, for years thanks to its easy-to-blend and glowy finish.

 

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The next step is drenching your skin in a moisturizing setting spray or facial mist. Our top picks? Well, Terry insists that the MAC Fix+ Magic Radiance, $34, is a staple for the look, and he’s not wrong. The lightweight mist is loaded with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and essential oils for an ultra-radiant, supple skin finish. Don’t be afraid to spritz, spritz, spritz away.

If you have oily skin and think this sounds like a recipe for disaster, don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be. Avoid oily products and opt for a lightweight gel moisturizer like The Inkey List Omega Water Cream Moisturizer, $10, which was actually used at the Paul Costelloe show. Then use your go-to foundation and finish with the MAC setting spray. We know it may seem wild but stay clear of setting powder for this look. The lived-in element to this look is everything.

If you’re really into this look, consider investing in the Isamaya Beauty Skinlacq Triple Hyaluronic Glow Serum, $78, it’s the easiest way to get laminated skin in seconds. The multi-tasking serum is infused with three different weights of hyaluronic acid to plump up the skin, as well as multi-tasking emollients to drench the skin in moisture. It’s also shimmer-free, so it is suitable for all skin tones and delivers that fresh-out-the-ocean glow.

So now you know everything about the look, flood the comments with your thoughts. Are you a laminated skin lover? Or a matte babe forever?

Disclaimer: Every product we review has been independently selected and tested without bias by our editorial team. Although some brands allow affiliate links, we never take payment to review products, so we may earn a commission if you purchase a product by clicking on one of our links.