How do I get my skin, as a guy to look so clean and shiny?

September 3, 2009 8:09 AM

Male skin filter: I want my skin to look like this. How does he get his skin to be so shiny? Photoshop? How can I get that doll-like look? I am also asian. What products do I need to use, and is there a quick and easy way way of doing so.
posted by anonymous to clothing, beauty, & fashion (14 comments total)

He looks moisturized and poreless, so you should look for a pore minimizer and good moisturizer (or both in one). Shiseido products were originally formulated for Asian skin; maybe that's a good brand to try (don't worry about how feminine the site design is; skin products don't care what gender you are).
posted by oinopaponton at 8:25 AM on September 3

It doesn't look particularly shiny to me, anon. "Glow" on the skin can be created through good lighting and Photoshop retouching, which is incredibly common for models. The best way to have an approximation of glow in real life is to keep your skin healthy and moisturized. Keep it hydrated without making it look oily. Facials can sometimes perk your skin up as well, but you can do it with daily maintenance.

Invest in a good exfoliating scrub to use every couple of days, a gentler facial cleanser to use in between, and a moisturizer. For an even skin-tone, you could look into tinted moisturizers - they have a small amount of color that could hide little imperfections, and create a doll-like smooth look. Unfortunately it's hard to suggest specific products without knowing what your skin is currently like (dry? oily? acne-prone?), but the one moisturizer I swear by is this. (The description of the packaging is junk, but it's extremely nourishing.)

Remember that a lot of photography deceives us when it comes to how people's various features look!
posted by Tequila Mockingbird at 8:29 AM on September 3

The easiest way to achieve this is with makeup; go to Sephora or a higher-end makeup counter and ask for recommendations for a foundation that will give you a "dewy" look. (Dewy is makeup-speak for that slightly shiny-glossy finish.) They should be able to find a good product for you and show you how to apply it.

If you'd rather use a product that doesn't have added color, MAC Strobe Cream is frequently recommended among dewy-face fans. If there's a MAC counter or store near you, you might want to head there first - they have a wide range of really good products, and they're generally pretty cool with putting makeup on guys.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:31 AM on September 3

IS this for photos or IRL? What looks good in a photo taken 6 feet away will not necessarily look good in person or up close.
posted by hermitosis at 9:15 AM on September 3 [2 favorites]

That image is possibly airbrushed in Photoshop, although I'm not an expert at determining that. Most of what you see of celebrities in magazines, etc., is Photoshopped. If you want to do that with your photos, Google up "photoshop airbrush tutorial" or similar.
posted by Eastgate at 9:24 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

AmorePacific treatment enzyme peel. Basically a chemical scrub. Immediate results.
AmorePacific is a Korean brand, so they make their products with Asian skin in mind. Also try Laneige products (Laneige is under the AmorePacific group too).
Also try Clarins products - the Brightening / Whitening line (in Asia they usually call it "Whitening", in Western countries they call it "Brightening") - try their serums or lotions; cleansers are a less worthwhile investment in comparison IMO.
Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, and use a good sunscreen (Shiseido's is pretty good).
posted by aielen at 9:54 AM on September 3

You want to look like that? Try Photoshop. Seriously, what he's got looks almost unachievable by normal means.

This would be a good question to ask a dermatologist. You might need a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, or other stuff that one just can't do themselves at home.

And, even if we had the requisite skill, we don't have any idea what your skin looks like right now.

Consider that you might not be able to get from where your skin is now, to where you want it. Some people are gifted that way, some aren't.

Good luck!
posted by Citrus at 10:35 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Photoshop, good lighting, (maybe) good skin. and good makeup will get you 100% of the way there.
posted by Magnakai at 11:44 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

I spend a lot of time around models at work and I really wish it was all photoshop tricks. A lot of it is probably genes but one of the weirdest and most consistent answers I get when asking about skin is vaseline. Before going to sleep they put a thin mask of it on their face and then cover it with saran wrap to keep things in place.

Don't forget to cut out air and eye holes ;D
posted by laptolain at 1:31 PM on September 3

Obviously smart blurring your face in real probably won't work. Use make up for the easy fix.
posted by JJ86 at 1:35 PM on September 3

I saw him on LookBook and was struck by his great skin, too! In real life, I have a few friends with skin like that. They are all half-Asian, half-white, as I would guess this model may be. My friends seem to have inherited very smooth, plumped, and taut skin from the Asian side, and pale pinky-white colouring from the Caucasian side. The guy in that photo may also be lit from below with a bounce reflector to make his skin look very shadowless. And then a little futzing with levels and diffusion in photoshop to finish it off. Most bloggers photoshop their pics, and I bet this dude is no different, especially on a purely superficial site like Lookbook.

You can try wearing lots of sunscreen to keep your colouring pale, using exfoliants to keep it smooth, and using primer to fill in any pores or lines (here's a before and after that shows primer's mattifying and smoothing effects- I don't know that woman, just found with with Google). A little concealer and powder will also go a long way. Microdermabrasion will also work in the short term- I recently ran into a friend on the subway whose beautifully tan skin was basically radioactive, it was glowing so brilliantly- and he confessed he'd just had micro that afternoon.

In other words, it usually takes either very lucky genetics or quite a bit of effort to look that perfect.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:52 PM on September 3

My skin definitely "glows" more when I'm good about taking my fish oil pills.
posted by edrnjevich at 9:11 PM on September 3

The person in your image looks very well lit (as in professionally, not as in thoroughly) and un-sun-damaged.
posted by Bergamot at 9:18 PM on September 3

You simply cannot trust professional photos of models. They aren't realistic standards to judge humans by.

There's a 2% chance (source) that this photo wasn't altered in Photoshop(tm) or an equivalent, in some way, even if the model actually owns divinely beautiful skin.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:38 PM on September 8