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Captain obvious, here: Everything is harder in the winter. Getting dressed means packing on 15 layers that make you feel like the Michelin man, going out to dinner means braving the near knock-you-over winds, and planning anything means navigating social calendars that look more packed than the subway during rush hour. One thing that doesn’t need to be difficult this season? Your skin-care and makeup routines.
When it comes to getting ready in the morning, I am Madame Minimalism, so if I find one product that combines three steps into one, I’m sold. My favorite du jour (and all season long)? The Versed Mood Lighting Luminizing Glow Drops ($18). I’ve been using them for three months now, and am confident that they have earned their place in my routine forever.
Versed Mood Lighting Luminizing Glow Drops in Sheer Golden — $18.00
Versed Mood Lighting Luminizing Glow Drops in Sheer Bronzed — $18.00
What are they?
The Versed Glow Drops pack the ultimate multitasking punch into a pocket-sized package. The formula combines a serum, a skin tint, and a highlighter in one, giving you the perfect I just spent a week in Miami glow without having the disco ball effect of rubbing a highlighter stick all over your face. Though the drops are the brand’s first foray into the makeup-adjacent world, they definitely take after the versatility promised in the brand’s name. Sheer, buildable, and can mix with anything? Sold.
What are the benefits?
What makes these drops so special is that they both look and feel exceptionally natural. While they do have a bit of shine, they don’t have the kind of obvious glitter that channels Twilight-level Edward Cullen sparkles. Plus, you don’t feel the shimmer when you apply the product—it goes on just like a smooth hyaluronic serum might.
In addition to the drops’ tinted, lit-from-within, blurring benefits, they’re also packed with some serious skin-saving ingredients (and free of dyes, fragrances, parabens, silicones). They contain a whole host of peptides—including hydration-master, polyglutamic acid—for peak moisturizing benefits; vitamin E to help soothe any winter dryness and roughness; and blackberry extract, which is an antioxidant that helps protect your skin barrier from environmental stressors and serves as a gentle exfoliant.
How do you use them?
According to celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo, because the drops are so lightweight and soak into skin so well, there are no rules or limits for the ways to use them. She loves to use them as a highlighter to achieve her signature ‘Dewy Dumpling’ look, but notes that they’re also great to use as a primer under your foundation, to mix with your daily serum/moisturizer/SPF, or to apply all over your body for a head-to-toe glow. Personally, I like to add two to three drops to my moisturizer or sunscreen and then massage the mixture onto my face before, or instead of, makeup.
TLDR: These glow drops do just what the name says they will—they don’t tan your skin, but rather they give it a sun-kissed glow. Like a highlighter, they reflect light, and the few drops I add to my moisturizer deliver a touch of shimmer and color to my complexion. “Dew drops,” indeed.
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