Hot or Not Beauty

Do you hate that shiny skin that some sunscreens can leave you with? I personally think that there is nothing worse than the oiliness that you can encounter when you are trying to stay protected from the sun, while already sweltering in high summer temperatures.
My personal tip to counteract this problem is to use a tinted moisturiser. These tend to offer lighter coverage than foundation and are easily reapplied during the day. Select one that contains an SPF 15 to make sure your skin is protected from the damaging effects of the sun’s rays and you have a great alternative to ensure you put your best face forward.
Here are my 3 top picks for tinted moisturisers -
No. 1 - Stila Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15 - this one gets my pick of the bunch because I feel that it has the best coverage and the widest range of shades, plus there is a SPF 30 available as well.

No. 2 - Dove Essential Nutrients Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15 - I think this one is a good alternative, but the Dove Tinted Moisturiser offers far less shades than Stila (but it is very reasonably priced for those on a budget).

No. 3 - You Rebel Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15 - this one is pretty expensive, and still doesn’t have the same range of shades as the Stila, so it gets my vote for no. 3 position.

There are other options available, but not all offer the SPF 15; which I honestly believe is the minimum you should consider if you’re planning to use this in place of regular sunscreen.

Take a look at will be one of my suggestions that I will be throwing around, like mini-articles of stuff I use on a regular basis, regard as my staples or things that I definitely consider you should take a look at.

MAC Blot Powder Pressed has been my favourite pressed powder for 3 years now, I go back and forth and try other brands but ultimately this is one of those products that ALWAYS reaches the pan for me. It never broke me out either.

I consider it quite affordable and use it in Light, applying it with a powder brush and gently applying it all over my skin avoiding my eye area so it won’t dry it out or crease my concealer. It also has my favourite pressed powder puff of all time that you can buy a refill for at any MAC counter. If you’re like me and prone to oilies surrender yourself to MAC Blot Powder.

Mineral Makeup has been one of the biggest hypes in makeup appearing in practically all brands and a very popular infomercial.

But what is it that makes mineral makeup so incredibly popular and is it truly for every skin type?

Mineral makeup has been around since the seventies, but only recently has it stepped into the spotlight.

Part of mineral makeup’s ever growing popularity is that it claims to be made from all natural ingredients which are actually beneficial to the skin due to their lack of fillers, preservatives, chemicals, artificial coloring and so on and so forth. Mineral makeup also “revolutionized” makeup application with its uncomplicated buffing application with soft stippling movements allowing you to control the desired amount of coverage from sheer to full and always remaining natural and soft-looking.

Also, mineral makeup gives a glowy/dewy finish to the skin with its pearl finish and brings radiance to your face, however as with all makeup that have this finish it’s not advisable for those with oily skin. As your sebaceous glands work throughout the day, the oil will turn glow into greasy making you shine like never before in the worst possible way.

Also part of its popularity is the fact that most of these products have SPF, although most of them have 15SPF which I don’t believe it’s enough, specially if you’re exposed to the sun all day. So do yourself a favor and wear sun protection underneath, even though bareMinerals having the Cancer’s Foundation seal of recommendation, dermatologists advise you to wear additional protection.

Mineral makeup’s claims to being therapeutic to the skin are, in my opinion, more a marketing tool than anything else, while it’s true that titanium dioxide and zinc dioxide (used for SPF) have anti-inflammatory properties, they’re common to most products of makeup with SPF, specially in powder form.

When MAC Cosmetics made their Natural Mineralize Skinfinish collection permanent items, fans throughout the world were ecstatic and I joined the club purchasing it in Light and trying it out to see what all the hype was about. I was less than satisfied with the results, while it gave me a natural glowy sort of looked it took little more than an hour to turn me into greasevile and today I use on glowing brides as a highliter (as long as they don’t have really oily skin) and am quite pleased with the results.

Also, I’ve noticed that with most mineral makeup when applied to ethnic skin tones makes them either ashy or muddy, so I don’t think there’s all that choice or that the shades are THAT universal.

Sadly, mineral makeup hasn’t reached Holy Grail status for me and the only item that leaves me curious is Laura Mercier’s and I’ll probably be disappointed with it too.

One cannot deny the growing popularity and the constant growth of its legion of fans, I stay however on the nay sayer side waiting for further development or is this a trend that will slowly die in the coming years?

After six months of Chanel’s purity line, it was time to completely re-buy my skincare line (it’s amazing how cleanser, toner and moisturizer practically end simultaneously), however my budget didn’t allow to go anywhere NEAR Chanel this month and I decided to go on to something more affordable.

After suffering horrors with Vichy’s Normaderm line and feeling like I washing my face with cooking oil with Caudalie, I was scared of actually trying another Pharmacy brand, but after a very good experience with a Galénic eye cream, I decided to give it a try.

After a week trying, I’ve had better results with it than with Chanel, my skin feels less oily and some blemishes started to disappear without a trace. Having a couple of uneven pigmented spots I decided to add to my regimen the lightening serum.

One of the things I love about it is that the astringent lotion doesn’t have alcohol and has an incredible feel on your skin. The gel is incredibly light does leave a mattifying effect, I’ve also used it in lieu of a primer for a slight brush of compact powder foundation and have been very happy with the result.

The 3 in 1 Mask is also very nice and performed graciously under pressure, so I guess Galénic is going to be a part of my skin regimen for the upcoming months and if it behaves like it has so far, the only regret I’ll have is not having tried it sooner.

Combined, I have products of the Ombelia, Cauterets and Pur lines (Ombelia is focused on skin lightening and preventing hyper-pigmentation, Cauterets caters to oily skin and Pur is their cleanser and makeup removers)

Although Galénic isn’t drugstore cheap, it’s conveniently affordable and I’ll definitely be looking into some other of their products in the future.

Last, but certainly not least, we’ll go over key items to take with us in order to always look fresh. Once, while looking for a friend’s cellphone at a party, I found 4 lipglosses, three eyeliners, two blushes, two mascaras, two pressed powder compacts and wondered where was the need to bring all this with her. Usually accessories like handbags for more formal situations are of limited size and therefore don’t allow you such freedom of choice.

So here’s what I think you should bring and what you definitely shouldn’t.

Bring it on
Pressed powder or blotting paper - One or the other, if you don’t like to feel as if you’re caking on powder, then opt for blotting paper, the pressed powder should preferably be in the shade of your loose powder or make sure that it doesn’t alter your complexion. I like MAC’s blotting paper, as well as their blot powder compacts.
Lipstick and/or lipgloss - With sipping, eating and so on and so forth, lipstick and gloss (specially gloss) wears off and should be reapplied. Remember to fill in your lips with your lipliner in case you use it, so you don’t distract yourself and end up with just an outline of your lips. I’m not issuing any recommendation, as you should stick to what you applied at home.
Concealer/highlighter in pen format - I prefer Yves Saint-Laurent’s Le Touche D’Éclat or La Prairie’s Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing - Brightening Eye Treatment. You can also opt for Diorskin’s Skinflash, but I’m not crazy about the texture. These allow to bring an instant highlight to a darkened area without disturbing your makeup and without caking it.
Multi-Purpose Stick - If your skin can handle it, or if you have an oil-free version of it, I’m biased towards the NARS Multiples.

Leave at home
Foundation - Leave it at home and don’t cake it on, you won’t look better, you’ll look heavy
Mascara - I don’t think mascara should be reapplied, it will cake on your lashes and make them heavy and icky.
Eyeshadow - If you prime it well and use good products, you won’t need to reapply your eyeshadow, so leave it behind.
Eyeliner - Same as eyeshadow, if it has enough staying power, no need to clutter your purse or handbag

When touching up, always remember that less is more, it’s not a matter of how much you apply, it’s how you apply.

Welcome back to part two of makeup for weddings (when I say weddings, it can apply to any sort of special event or cerimony that demands that you look your best and usually will have you photographed or videotaped for posterity), when we review the best type of makeup products to use.

First and foremost, a primer is mandatory! You want to ensure that your makeup holds all day long with the least bit of touching up necessary that will make you look always fabulous and prevent the “Oh dear, is it six AM already?” look.

Here’s a couple of options that (to me) have always been bullet proof:

Make Up For Ever’s Corrective Make Up Base - Available in several shades to correct skin discoloration/rosacea
Make Up For Ever’s All-Mat - Formulated for oily Skin and to ensure a matte look throughout the day.
Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer - Also available in light, color corrector and anti-aging versions to suit your skin’s needs.
Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer - Regular or Oil-Free

Blot the skin with a soft tissue to remove excess product (if needed) and follow with your usual makeup to even out the complexion. As always, regarding dark circle concealers opt for moisturizing formulas that avoid creasing and don’t enhance whatever lines you might have in that area like:

Estee Lauder’s Re-Nutriv Duo Concealer
Chanel’s Vitalumiere Creme Concealer
Dior’s Anticerne Perfecteur Concealer
Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer

Where foundation is concerned, although we like to appear as natural as possible, more damaged skin (either sun damage or scarring) will require foundation with deeper coverage, also if you have oily skin avoid shimmery/dewy types of foundations, as the day progresses it will make you look greasy and that’s a definite no-no. Also, avoid shimmery powder and highlighters if you have uneven skin in terms of texture, the shimmer will atract light and make painfully obvious whatever you’re trying to conceal.

If it’s a afternoon/evening wedding, prefer matte or semi-matte foundation formulas so that the flash won’t reflect and wash out your complexion and avoid foundations with SPF, specially Titanium Dioxide. Opt for SPF in your primer or day cream.

Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer (sheer coverage with a fresh glowy finish) - For those who need sheer coverage and slight adjustment to their complexion, this is a consumer and artist favourite.
Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body Foundation (gel type, all skin types, dewy) - Sheer to Medium Coverage, water resistant and can be used on body
Make Up For Ever’s Lift Foundation (fluid, with powder for deeper in formula for deeper coverage, semi-matte) - Formulated for mature/dry skin with medium to full coverage.
Make Up For Ever’s Mat-Velvet + (Fluid, combination/oily skin) - Photographs gorgeously and medium to full.
Dior’s Diorskin Air Flash - (Spray Formula, matte finish) - Velvet finish with a lightweight formula

Use loose powder to set your foundation and to ensure a flawless application of other products that will follow, apply with a velvet puff for more coverage or a brush for a more natural finish.

MAC’s Loose Blot Powder - For oil-control and makeup hold, specially for combination/oily skin.
Make Up For Ever’s Super Matte Loose Powder - Impecable hold and extraordinary finish
Chanel’s Le Poudre Universel Libre - A gentle loose powder for more sensitive skin
Dior’s Diorskin Poudre Libre - Gentle loose powder completely oil-free

If your under-eye area has a lot of fine lines, avoid using loose powder in that area so you won’t accentuate them even further, also avoid heavy pigmented powders in that area it won’t darken the area that you’re trying to lighten.

Next follows the application of color products to the face…

A compact of pressed powder is one of the most iconic items in makeup, the expression “to powder one’s nose” or similar are ages old and in some cases like Edo Period Japan used as code words for geisha and oiran and we always associate a pressed powder with a touch of elegance and sophistication, it comes very hand for “product placement” in movies or tv series, the one that comes to mind is Sonia Braga in “Alias” with a MAC compact checking her makeup.

Estee Lauder is also known for its collectible compacts, Chantecaille will on occasion create special edition compacts (ouch, wallet), it is probably one of the most used makeup items when creating limited edition items.

Loose powder has the glamour of a beautiful package and a luxurious powder puff softly by a vanity or armoire.

Powder can be used for two goals:

Slightly evening out your skin tone and still keeping your look natural and created the illusion of smaller pores, it also reduces excess shine in the T-Zone or other areas.

Setting foundation and concealer (specially in fluid/cream formulations) keeping them “stable” and preventing them to migrate to other areas on your face.

Preferably, loose powder is applied to set the face makeup and ensure a proper blush and pressed powder application making color and pigment application a lot easier because the foundation or skin’s natural oils don’t adhere to the powder product that is being put on top.

Pressed powder on the other hand is preferably used in a shade closest to your skin tone as an alternative to foundation or for touch ups to reduce the shine. It can be also used in darker shades than skin tone to contour and reshape the face. While some makeup artists (like Kevyn Aucoin) would regularly use contouring techniques to beautify the face, others like Bobbi Brown avoid contouring altogether believing that it makes the woman (or man) look unnatural. In this case, the lighter shade to enhance areas like the nose bridge can be of a more pearly finish to attract light and the darker shade is matte to create a shadow effect.

In my opinion, if I decide to contour it’s in evening makeup where light is more forgiving and you can get away with it more easily.

Both loose and pressed powders can be matte, pearly or iridescent (be careful with shimmer finish powders, some are too glittery and look weird and almost circus like) and achieve a wide variety of looks.

Since I’m prone to an oily complexion, I will wear MAC’s Blot Powder in pressed format during most of the year and will use Chanel Le Poudre Universel Compacte at the peak of winter.

The usage of powder requires some extra care with your skin, as powder will absorb sebum and oil and residual moisture, if you don’t exfoliate on a regular basis you might end up with dry patches and flaky skin that isn’t all that flattering, so remember to exfoliate if you like to apply powder in your face.

Powder can be applied with a powder puff or a large brush, a puff ensures a higher coverage of product and a more matte finish. Using a brush allows a more sheer application resulting in a more natural look. If you use a powder puff, then slightly sweep with your powder brush to remove excess product.

Loose powder can also be used with a large eyeshadow brush as a “safety net” under the eyes to catch falling eyeshadow or mascara, specially very dark colors that can stain your under eye area and make you look like you’ve been hit.

For more mature skin, avoid very dry matte powders as they will make your skin appear very dry and emphasize fine lines, specially under the eye, so it’s best to avoid powder in this area unless absolutely necessary or opt for a more “moisturizing” formulation.

One of the biggest myths is that translucent powders are suitable for every complexion and I disagree, they work for light to medium complexions, but in deeper skin tones it will end up making the complexion look ashy or dull and you require a certain amount of pigment to make sure the color doesn’t change. Other brands will always have yellow tones in their powders to maintain the looks natural and balanced.

While some resist to the application of powder, I believe it to be essential to ensure a proper blush and eyeshadow application and there’s always a pressed powder compact in my backpack.

All of us that have oily skin suffer from extra-sebum secretion during the Summer months and no matter how much we touch up and blot, our glistening foreheads, noses and chins give us away instantly.

A shinier, oilier complexion will instantly give a very sleazy look that gives out the message that we don’t care care of ourselves, no matter how flawless your makeup looks, how incredible your hair is or how hot the clothes air, it also makes us look more dull and tired.

With that in mind, Benefit has another solution that the wide well known pressed powder with its incredible Dr. Feelgood balm. Its silky texture will help minimize the look of those with enlarged pores and soaks up excess oil keeping you matte and glamorous and not greasy.

This balm comes with its own sponge for on the spot application and touch-ups throughout the day before a meeting or lunch/dinner date to make sure you look absolutely flawless.

An alternative for those of you who’d rather not powder to exhaustion during these extremely hot and humid Summer days to make sure you always look your best.

A favorite of many make-up artists, Dr. Feelgood will make sure that excess-oil will no longer prevent you from being at the top of your game.