Fight those winter hues
IN October we battle the skin of the ‘undead’. I don’t mean a cool, Twilight undead. I mean drained, hideous, grim-looking greyish skin.
I noticed it the other day — a drab, pale slate-coloured tinge that makes me look like I sleep in coffins.
Pale may be the ‘hot’ look, but the lack of fake tan does not make for a pretty complexion. Especially in October.
We’re far from summer and are charging into a season of damp, short days and cold that seeps into your bones.
I’m loading up with serums and skincare goodies, but winter is the time to think about your foundation. Foundation used to be make-up, but now it’s skincare. It enables you to battle the dull, grey-face while ensuring your skin is well looked after.
A great bet is a balm, one of beauty’s current obsessions. Beauty balms are like tinted moisturiser, but they promise other things, too, such as radiance-boosting qualities. They are very light, but they work well at this time of year — after all, you still want your skin to look natural.
Most balms have great skincare benefits and if you need extra coverage, then pop on a little foundation in places you need it most, such as around the nose.
My favourites are Boots’s No7 instant radiance beauty balm, €22, and L’Oreal’s Nude Magique, €14.99, both of which offer great skincare benefits. If you have dry skin, balms are not enough without a base moisturiser, but, applied over your regular day cream, they work a treat.
Want to battle the onslaught of environmental nasties destroying your skin? Then arm yourself with new products, such as Bourjois bio detox organic, €9.88.
Good liquid mineral foundations can be expensive, but they’re an excellent choice if you’re looking for something that is kind to your skin, and more natural.
Jane Iredele’s liquid minerals foundation, €43, is packed with active ingredients and gives great coverage through the day without looking too make-upy. For a less expensive alternative, try The Body Shop’s extra virgin minerals liquid foundation, €23.50, which is made with cold-pressed olive oil and pure minerals.
Foundations that amp up the skincare qualities are everywhere these days, and anti-ageing is one of the biggest sectors of the market.
Most foundations use tricks of the light to help you look younger, but over the last few years the big players have been infusing their foundations with the same types of ingredients that go into some of the biggest skincare products.
And it figures. Good Housekeeping in the States awarded top marks to Chanel’s lift lumiere firming and smoothing fluid make-up, €44, and it earned “the only perfect lab score for firming, too”. The coverage is light and very natural, but it equally excels at covering up imperfections. Clinique’s repairwear laser focus all-smooth makeup SPF 15, €35.50, is a partner product of the hit serum of the same name. As well as giving instant benefits to dry skin, it claims to soften fine lines and wrinkles over time. What’s not to love?
I’ve stopped wearing foundation altogether. I think it’s an age thing. Or maybe it’s a post-summer thing, but even very light formulations are looking noticeable on my skin, which I’m not into at all. So, instead, I use a beauty balm — the modern woman’s tinted moisturiser. This one from L’Oreal is my favourite. It adjusts to the tone of your skin, and packs in the skincare benefits. Worn over a day cream it really keeps my skin feeling very hydrated and looking fab.
Bourjois have upped their game by launching a foundation that claims to “filter pollution” thanks to chlorophyll extracts, a nifty little trick if ever there was one. There are lots of skin creams I’ve come across that claim to address environmental factors, but this is the first foundation I’ve come across to do the same. It comes in five shades, and has been certified organic by Ecocert. Good for normal/oily skin types.
I know. I know. It’s expensive, but Jane Iredale’s foundations are not only great for those with sensitive skin types, they also help the condition of your skin thanks to the quality of the minerals included in them.
Designed for more mature skin types and clocking in at €44, this little baby is definitely a luxury product, but it feels like one, which makes it a worthwhile investment. It gives good coverage – so it’s not a great choice if you’re after a very sheer look, but if you want firmer looking skin with a natural look then it’s a great choice.
As well as an immediate ‘blurring’ effect on fine lines and wrinkles, Clinique’s foundation claims to treat your wrinkles long-term. Anti-ageing properties aside, it’s a very good foundation that is not too heavy on the skin, while still providing good coverage. It’s allergy tested and fragrance free, too.
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