This Really Works: Lancome Hydra Glow Illuminating Primer

Summer might be over, but I’m a dewy, effortless skin kind of girl year round. That radiant, just-back-from-the-beach kind of glow doesn’t come naturally once temperatures drop, but an increasing number of brands are releasing everything you need to give your face a candlelit glow…inside…in the winter. Instead of layering on illuminators and highlighters, however, I’m starting from the bottom up. Meet my secret weapon: Lancôme La Base Pro Hydra Glow Illuminating Makeup Primer ($40.)

I think primer should do more than hold your makeup in place (though yes, that’s important too), and this one goes above and beyond. The hyaluronic acid moisturizes and plumps the skin, the rose essence soothes it, and the two different types of pearl pigments deliver the supple dewy base that keeps me looking fresh-faced past 5 p.m. It’s kind of like traveling with your own lighting crew on a daily basis.

The best part is, you can layer concealer or foundation on top if you need more coverage, and you’ll still glow right through. (And it makes the colors you layer on top brighter and truer, whether that’s blush or eyeshadow, a must for any primer.) Summer glow, meet winter.