Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic
Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
March 21st, 2010: Foundation Recommendations
Q As Prescriptives is coming to an end (sad face) I am struggling to find a foundation that gives me coverage for my acne-prone skin and that matches my skin colour. I am Asian and find that most foundations are either too yellow or too pink! My skin is quite oily and I find myself blotting a lot. Any recommendations?
A We know how sad it is that this classic brand has now been withdrawn (since the end of January this year). However, we have found a few options which we think will put a smile back on your face!
Firstly, Cosmetics a la Carte (CALC) is, they tell us comfortingly, ‘On hand to expertly blend foundations just for you’. They will find or copy the perfect match foundation for colour and texture in five to ten minutes if you visit their Knightsbridge store (Cosmetics a la Carte, 19b Motcomb Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 8LB, tel/020 7235 0596, www.cosmeticsalacarte.com). You can also have a made-to-measure match for a discontinued colour copied by mail at CALC’s London-based lab. (That might be good if you have a bit of your Prescriptives base left.) Just dab a little on a piece of paper, or put some in a tiny pot, and send with two x 50p stamps and CALC will send you a sample to approve. Custom Foundation is £45.
For your acne-prone skin, CALC recommend using their Matte Miracle anti-shine and pore-minimising gel as a primer, £30, and trying out their mineral make-up Cover Tint, which will help control shine as well as concealing spots. It comes with its own puff and a mirror in the lid for quick touch-ups. They offer samples to try before you buy, and colours can be blended. Cover Tint £30 for standard range of colours, £45 for custom-blend, both at www.cosmeticsalacarte.com.
And secondly, Ruby Hammer (herself a woman of colour) and her business partner Millie Kendall advise: ‘The most important factor is to get the perfect balance of colour and cover. Either go for a custom-blend by Cosmetics a la Carte [as above] or try one of the M.A.C. or Bobbi Brown foundations for Asian skin. If you have a big budget I'd try Chantecaille: they have innovative, oil-free gel foundations which have a refreshing lightweight texture (that might be very suitable for your skin). Best to set aside time and go to the brands’ counters to get advice about the most suitable products. Also, do ask for samples to take away so you can play with them at home. You may need a colour slightly lighter than your skintone as it oxidises and can become a little darker directly after application.’ For more information, visit www.maccosmetics.co.uk, www.bobbibrown.co.uk and for Chantecaille counters in the UK, www.chantecaille.com/locator.cfm.
Ruby and Millie also have some fab extra tips for you:
• Use a matte primer for a silky smooth finish, and don’t be put off by a slightly pinker shade, it can be very effective for darker or Asian skins as it can lift darkness left by acne scarring. Both Estée Lauder and Clinique do fantastic primers (Estée Lauder Face Primer Plus Smoothing Matte Base, £19.50 for 30 ml, or try Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF15, £14 for 40 ml.) Ruby & Millie’s Pre Base Formula, £9.50 for 30 ml, is a good start too!
• Apply foundation/base after primer, with a round-headed foundation brush (see below).
• Invest in good brushes to apply concealers and foundation just where needed. The Body Shop do a great Foundation Brush, £11.50 and M.A.C Stippling Brush is brilliant for days when you want to wear less make-up – it blends as you apply.
• Spot apply concealer after foundation and before powder, just where you need it (often on dark circles under the eyes in Asian women). Pat in a tiny bit at a time with your ring finger.
• Set make-up with a fine translucent powder, using a powder puff first then a big powder brush to dust off excess.
We  . . . Christian Dior Serum de Rouge, £23 at www.boots.com if you click here. Ever since Jo got to interview Monica Bellucci for YOU last year – she’s the ‘face’ (or rather the ‘lips’) of this ‘age-defying’ launch from Dior – she’s been enjoying this, not least because of the pen-style design, which makes it super-easy to apply. The melting texture offers semi-sheer coverage and has a ‘weightless’ feel (heavy lipsticks can make both of us feel positively claustrophobic). 740 Rosewood Serum is a fabulously wearable mid-rose which would probably suit every woman on the planet.
Where To Find Products
Cosmetics a la Carte Matte Miracle, £30 for 35 ml, is available to purchase online from www.cosmeticsalacarte.com.
Cosmetics a la Carte Cover Tint, £30, is available to purchase online from www.cosmeticsalacarte.com.
Estée Lauder Face Primer Plus Smoothing Matte Base, £19.50 for 30 ml, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com.
Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF15, £14 for 40 ml, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com.
Ruby & Millie’s Pre Base Formula, £9.50 for 30 ml, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com.
The Body Shop Foundation Brush, £11.50, is available to purchase online from www.thebodyshop.co.uk.
M.A.C Stippling Brush, £29.50, is available to purchase online from www.maccosmetics.co.uk
Christian Dior Serum de Rouge, £23, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com.
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive
March 14th 2010 - Ingredients
March 7th 2010 - Laser hair removal
February 28th 2010 - SPF Moisturisers
February 21st 2010 - Eyelash enhancers
February 14th 2010 - Night-time skincare
February 7th 2010 - Moisturisers
January 31st 2010 - Concealers
January 24th 2010 - Primers
January 17th 2010 - Choosing skincare products
January 10th 2010 - Parabens free make-up
January 3rd 2010 - Cosmetic Dentistry
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive 2009
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