Summer months here in our country may be over but good thing sunny days aren't. If there's one thing we all want, it's a perfect summer glow all year, am I right? That bronze-y, glowy, I-just-got-from-the-beach vibe. Pegs in life: Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima. 

But for those who want to have that glow but don't have time to go sunbathing or just aren't beach fans, I've got a cheat sheet for you. A beauty cheat sheet to be exact. This list will help you achieve an appearance of glowy, healthy skin in just a matter of minutes. Ready?

- Skin Care + Base -

I'm all about simple things and if there's one thing that'll help make your skin look brighter and healthier, it's your trusty moisturizer. Moisturizer's pretty important because it brings dry skin and patches back to life. Most moisturizers also give the skin a little bit of sheen, making the skin look healthier and more alive. For those with oily skin, fret not. The moisturizer market now caters to all skin types so finding a moisturizer that fits you shouldn't be a problem.

If you prefer not to go barefaced, a tinted moisturizer should be your go-to base makeup. Forget your heavy foundations and go for the sheer ones. Glowy looking skin shouldn't look too made up and heavy; it should look light and effortless. Think no makeup makeup look, The sheerer the base, the more natural it looks. Tinted moisturizers, more often than not, have SPF which is super important all-year round.

Another base makeup product you shouldn't skip is concealer. Again, apply this with a light hand. Cover up discolorations and imperfections and don't forget to blend, blend, blend. Your concealer could also double up as a highlighter so apply it to the areas where light hits the most: center forehead, bridge of the nose, tip of the nose, chin, and browbone. You could also do it Kim Kardashian style but don't forget to blend it all out to sheer everything. 

With your base done, you can pretty much leave everything else undone. But if you want to take it a couple of steps further...

- Bronzer -

Bronzer brings color and glow to the face. If you want that beach babe vibe, use bronzer. Since it's not as potent as proper contouring powders it's enough to give you a subtle contour and color on your face. Most bronzers are quite shimmery so it also gives that one thing that makes the skin look glowy: highlight!

- Cheeks - 

For cheeks, I recommend tints. Tints can be sheered out and that gives a natural look to the skin, like you're blushing from the inside. Tints are also lightweight and really easy to blend out, plus it doesn't get erased easily compared to powder blush.

But if all you have are powder blushes, go with a coral shade as that pairs really well with bronzer, and that duo will help you look glowy. If you want to skip the bronzer and go for just a pop of color on your cheeks, go with a blush that has a little bit shimmer. Again, this is for, wait for it....highlight!

- Highlighter - 

I guess the best product to use to cheat glowy skin is highlighter. It adds light to the skin, making you look fresher and more awake, Go for highlighters that have subtle shimmer. That way, you get to build it up or down and avoid looking like a walking disco ball. I really like the Hourglass Incandescent Light powder in the Ambient Lighting palette as it's very workable and looks very subtle yet divine on the skin. Double thumbs up for this product! Apply highlight on the tops cheekbones, bridge and tip of the nose, brow bone, inner corners of the eye, cupid's bow, chin, and center of the forehead. Again, blend, blend, blend!

You can either do all of these or pick your fave pairing with the base. Bronzer + blush? Highlight + blush? Highlight only? Bronzer only? Do what you think fits what you need. Glowy skin can be done with this product but don't forget to go lighthanded because you don't want to go overboard, do you? There are a lot of articles out there that'll help you achieve glowy skin from the inside but when you're in a rush, you gotta go for the shortcut.

xxx

Makeup + taking care of your skin from the inside are the perfect combination to having that lovely glow. I personally made it a habit to drink as much water as I can. Water's really good for the body, it keeps us hydrated and makes our skin less dull and more healthy. Plus, it's cheap and free of calories! As for food, I'm not the healthiest of eaters out there but I do try to inject healthy food sources in my meals like fruits and vegetables. I love snacking every now and then and recently I try to snack on healthier stuff hence the search for easy to do snack recipes. I've seen some interesting recipes in Aloha and I gotta say, I'm so tempted to try their Caramel Drizzle Popcorn and Nuts & Honey Banana Rolls! And their Glow Getter Iced Tea? Perfect for the summer AND for the skin.

Go get the summer glow, girl! x

(Products featured on photos: Neutrogena HydroBoost Essence, Stila Oil-Free Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer, L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Concealer, Becca Beach Tint, the Body Shop Blush, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, Too Faced Candlelight Glow, NYX Cottage Cheese Jumbo Eye Pencil)