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.

January 24th, 2010: Primers

Q Please could you tell me what are the benefits of using a face primer and which is the best to use?

A IF you think of your face as a canvas on which to paint (remember, make-up 'artists' are called that for a reason, then a primer smoothes the surface before you apply the 'paint'. Primers help to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and open pores. Which means that not only will foundation and blusher, etc, go on more evenly, look fresher and give better coverage, make-up will stay put much longer and shine will be reduced. Added to that, you will virtually always need to use a lighter foundation, and less of it. And that is really important - the last thing you want is the dreaded (and ageing) mask effect.

Many primers are based on polymers and silicones, which are incredibly effective but don't suit natural beauties. However, some natural ones, based on waxes and plant oils, have recently come on the market including:

Inika Certified Organic Pure Primer, £25 for 50ml, with macadamia oil, shea butter, avocado and apricot oils. inikacosmetics.co.uk

Korres Face Primer, £19.50 for 30ml, Ecocert certified, with vitamin E and skin-soothing botanicals. asos.com

Of the conventional brands, we have exciting news for you. The gorgeous-smelling Rose Dew Primer by Cosmetics à la Carte, £30 for 50ml, has done incredibly well with our ten-woman testing team, scoring 8.15/10. Comments include: 'A dream to apply: you think it's going to sit on your skin but it just disappears and makes complexion look and feel fabulous' . 'I do think it helped my make-up to last longer' . 'excellent; a brilliant base for make-up'.

Make-up artist Jenny Jordan (tel: 020 7483 2222, jennyjordan.com) believes it’s worth investing in a good primer (remember they last for ages). She chooses Barrier Repair by Dermalogica, £28.10 for 30ml, dermalogica.com/uk. This ‘glide-on, see-through gel with silicon, is superb for giving the skin ‘slip’, particularly in this weather – and gets make-up to last all day,’ Jenny says. Chill winds outside and radiators inside dry the skin, so she recommends using double the amount of moisturiser, waiting a few minutes before applying primer, and then waiting again before stroking on foundation. ‘It’s particularly good for stressed out, red, rashy and/or bumpy skin,’ Jenny adds.

We . . . TIGI Catwalk Volume Collection, from £9.50-£10.50. Hat hair is a major beauty challenge in these winter months. But this new collection from TIGI can help. The va-va-voom-ifying styling products help create lasting fullness; ideal for anyone with naturally flat hair - or a woolly-hat habit. In particular, check out Volume Collection Your Highness Root Boost Spray, £10.50 for 250 ml, which delivers oomph and lift where hair really needs it. lookfantastic.com

Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive

January 17th 2010 - Choosing skincare products
January 10th 2010 - Parabens free make-up
January 3rd 2010 - Cosmetic Dentistry

Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive 2009