Instagram has helped launch the careers of many makeup artists, but few have harnessed the power of social media as well as Nam Vo. She’s known as the Queen of Glow because her page is essentially a reel of the most dewy skin highlight you’ve ever seen. It’s hard not to get caught up in a video after a mesmerizing video of her applying the highlighter perfectly.
Her signature “dewy dumpling” glow has earned her celebrity clients like Chrissy Teigan and Kylie Jenner countless editorial work, but the most eye-catching complexion on her page is hers. Even without a trace of makeup, Vo’s skin is as smooth and shiny as a dumpling.
However, Vo is open to the fact that her skin is the result of serious efforts that began before she even started in the industry. “I ask for a lot of maintenance,” she laughs. “I’m Vietnamese so I think that has already given me a head start. Since I was a child, I’ve been taught the importance of taking good care of my skin and staying out of the sun. My mom had really bad melasma and bad skin, and she used to sit next to her in front of the mirror. She grew up poor; she had no skin creams, sunscreens and the like. So I still laugh, because my mother chased me with an umbrella because she was afraid that I would be damaged by the sun. And now I’m chasing other people with an umbrella. You know, they say you become your mother.
Vo’s skills with a makeup brush are undeniable, but in the end, she swears skincare is the foundation of her signature glow. “People always ask, ‘How do you create the illusion of this? “How do I look like a dewball?” “, she says. “But I actually think it’s a way of thinking upside down, because rather than using foundation, makeup, highlighters, this, that and other things to create this illusion of shiny, dewy dumpling skin, I tell people to go get some facials and spend that money on skin care, and actually work for the real thing rather than create the illusion of it.
In fact, for Vo being a dew dumpling is fundamentally a way of life. “I’ve been diligent in my skin care routine all of my life,” she says. “I think I ended up in the right companies, because I’m really obsessed with skin care. I literally have a facial every day. I get boxes [of skin care products] send me every day. I started early in my career working with celebrities and doing photoshoots. And I’ve always been pretty well known in the business, like, “Oh, my God, set aside an hour and a half for Nam, because she spends half the time prepping the skin.” So I eat, breathe and drink my rosy dumpling lifestyle.
Below, Vo shares all the products she can’t live without, including a $ 22 and $ 2,100 retinol mask, for CharmGive up the routine.
My cleansers
I love the Elemis Rose Balm Cleanser, I use it first. I also love the Then I Met You Cleansing Balm and Pai Oil Cleanser – I’m a real cleansing oil whore. Then I switch to a cleansing gel: I love the Peach & Lily Power Calm cleanser and iS Clinical Cleansing Complex.
My tonics
Then I move on to toning. During the day I use the new Elemis Superfood Fruit Vinegar toner. I also like P50 from Biologique Recherche and Paula’s Choice BHA scrub. I love that my toner does something like exfoliate.
My essences
After that I will move on to an essence. I love Amorepacific Essence. I don’t know what it feels like, but I feel like it plumps up my skin, it brightens my skin. My mom would always say, “Put on your body moisturizer right after you shower, while you’re still wet,” to feel like it helps catch the next few products. I don’t know if it’s true or if it’s just something I made up. Basically, I don’t know what it feels like, but I think it does something right.
my retinol
After the essence, I will use the Versed Retinol serum. It doesn’t irritate my skin and I feel like the next morning I wake up and look refreshed. And I’m such a candle person, but I actually like an inexpensive product – I have a product category called Save Money, Honey.