Patrick Ta’s Guide to Achieving the “Glass Skin” Beauty Look

Following an influx of TikTok beauty trends highlighting bright, cheerful hues (see: the “Strawberry Makeup” look), the beauty community has begun embracing a more natural, dewy appearance. Any way you slice it, beauty enthusiasts seem to want to resemble their favorite menu item or appear as though they just emerged from a swim—albeit in a glam, non-sweaty way.

For celebrity makeup artist and brand founder Patrick Ta, an emphasis on supple skin has become something of a signature. He’s the man behind some of Gigi Hadid, Sydney Sweeney, and Camila Cabello’s most memorable beauty looks—but rather than employing a specific technique, Ta swears by a skincare-centric approach to makeup. Achieving Hadid and Co.’s looks couldn’t be more simple, says Ta, who regularly incorporates serums and oils into his clients’ routines. Below, the California native shares his top tips and products for keeping your visage clear and attaining the perfect Glass Skin beauty look.

Prepping the Skin With Oils

Ta’s favorite oil is from Nobel Laureate-founded brand Noble Panacea—specifically, their The Absolute Nourishing Lift Oil, which is the first of its kind to deliver hyaluronic acid to the skin. He uses the product to prime the skin, placing it on the high points of the face, such as the cheekbones, which is also where he focuses foundation.

“The Absolute Nourishing Lift Oil is super rich,” says Ta who, depending on the event, often does not apply a full face of foundation on his clients. “It’s perfect for someone who has dry skin to prep and smooth out any lines so that foundation can lay smoothly without soaking into the wrinkles.”

“Glass Skin” Look

The “glass skin” makeup look (which calls for crystal-clear, super-smooth skin) starts long before the swipe of a brush. Rather than covering up with products afterward, Ta approaches his clients’ foundation from the get-go with skincare. After moisturizing the skin and applying oil, he then uses his Duo foundation, which is a two-in-one cream and powder product. To get that dewy look, Ta recommends focusing foundation in areas with added redness and allowing the oils to act as a product themselves.

Ta also suggests working in “layers.” After he applies foundation, he switches to a sculpting product, like his contour and bronzer duo, to add dimension. He finishes off by sculpting the eyes with a cream bronzer, applying concealer under the eyes, and swiping a bit of cream blush on the cheeks.

Ta tells his clients not to powder their faces (only the center if absolutely necessary) and uses Noble Panacea’s The Brilliant Glow Hydration Oil as a substitute for highlighter, “to allow the oils to really be the highlighter rather than applying a powder.”

Red Carpet Glamour

Even for red carpets or high-profile events, Ta still emphasizes the use of oils to get that “lit from within look.” Often, the makeup artist mixes oils with a medium-to-full coverage foundation to maintain a glowy finish.

“The foundation can be thinned out with oils to be more lightweight,” explains Ta. “Your skin still shines through and you have that second-skin effect. But it will still last all day long—rather than using a tinted moisturizer that’ll last you one hour.”

The way that Ta approaches the face depends on the client—for some, he’ll start with the skin, while with others, he begins with the eyes. With all clients though, especially Gigi Hadid (who he’s been working with for over a decade), Ta tailors the look to the individual.

“Gigi has been my client since I started doing makeup,” says Ta, who met the model when she was just 17. “She gets painted by the most amazing makeup artists for different editorials or campaigns—so it’s fun to see how other people also do her makeup.”

Transitioning to Fall

When asked about his current approach to makeup, Ta simply states, “skin is in.” And the way to achieve that dewy sheen, even as we move into colder months, is by feeding the skin with oils and serums that leave it with a high shine all year round.

“I want to feel like I’m always feeding the skin,” Ta notes, going on to mention that the amount of makeup he uses on his clients is often weather-dependent. “As we transition from summer to fall, we go from wearing no makeup to putting on more coverage now—if your skin is good, you don’t feel like you need to cover. Or if you have a little bit of redness, you’re able to.”