These Dewy Skin Drops Have Completely Replaced Primer in My Makeup Routine

The results are so radiant, I sometimes skip highlighter, too.

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Published on January 29, 2023 @ 04:00AM

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i havent touched a primer since i first tried these hydrating glow drops — Photo:
Sephora

I first experimented with primers a decade ago. At the time, they felt very silicone-like and were only marketed towards performers and dancers who needed their makeup to last for professional reasons — so I wrote them off because they felt too heavy and congested my oily, breakout-prone skin. While the primer product category has seen a lot of growth and innovation in the last decade (there are many that I now like), I have not touched one since realizing how great of a replacement Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops are.

My discovery was actually an accident. My skin has been especially dry this winter, and to compensate I have been cycling through a number of products marketed as being “dewy” or “glow-enhancing.” When I was moving from my skincare to my makeup routine, I noticed that after using Glow Recipe’s Dew Drops, my complexion looked much more even, less porous, and yes, dewy.

Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops — Sephora

Shop now: $34; amazon.com and sephora.com

When I first used the product, I elected to skip a primer and go straight to foundation, and the effect was stunning. My foundation went on like I was working with the most even of canvases and not like the road covered in potholes and pebbles that my complexion frequently is.

Glow Recipes Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops Author Photo — InStyle / Tamim Alnuweiri

Thanks to the niacinamide-packed formula, my skin looks (and feels) so soft, smooth, and radiant that sometimes I skip highlighter altogether. Plus, the hyaluronic acid in the formula locks in moisture super well — at the end of the day, my skin feels as hydrated as it did when I first finished my skincare routine. I also think the Dew Drops have been functioning as some sort of protective barrier, preventing any potentially comedogenic ingredients from penetrating my skin too deeply. My post-makeup skin is less clogged and congested when I prime my face with the product.

The TL;DR? Your makeup and skincare routines are probably missing out without these drops. Head to Amazon and Sephora to shop Glow Recipe’s makeup-improving Dew Drops.