Beauty

Confidence In Your Skin

Fake a flawless complexion even on days you don’t feel great.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

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Everyone has their “down days” – whether it’s the stress and fatigue showing up on your skin, or Aunt Flo paying a visit – it doesn’t mean you should look as lousy as you feel. Restore glow, mask redness and hide blemishes with these tricks to help you feel skin-confident.

Prime Time Action

It’s been said many times before that applying a foundation primer will help smooth out large pores, hydrate dry patches and help prepare your skin so that it’s in the best condition for foundation to go on. If you’re still skeptical about the purpose of a primer, we highly recommend trying one out to compare the difference between the way your complexion looks after a few hours when there is a primer applied and if you went without one.

That said, a primer won’t be the end of all your problems, especially if you have more than one. If you have multiple skin issues, then multipriming (remember you heard it from us first), similar to multi-masking, is your answer. Target excess sebum on the T-zone with a mattifying primer, brighten dull spots with a radiance primer or reduce the appearance of larger pores on the cheeks. The combination is really limitless.
 
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THREE Pristine Complexion Veil Primer, $58 (30 ml).
With a slight peach tint, this lightweight primer simultaneously brightens dull skin, while hydrating it to leave complexion feeling smooth.
 
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Tatcha The Silk Canvas, $72 (20 g).
This luxurious primer comes in a balm which goes on velvety smooth to fill in pores, fine lines and other imperfections. Silk extracts nourish skin and silk powder minimises shine for a perfect balance of radiance without looking dry.
 
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Cover FX Gripping Primer, $58 (30 ml).
The jelly texture of this primer helps smooth out fine lines, creating a smooth surface for foundation to grip onto, for longer lasting finish.
 
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Lay The Foundation

Although foundations help even out the skin tone, don’t forget that they do more than just improve the colour of your complexion, but also the condition and texture as well. The ideal foundation should look natural, hydrating where your skin needs, but still able to control excess shine when it comes to your T-zone. Sound like a dream? Not if you apply the same principles of multi-priming.

Always go for the least coverage you need to avoid looking cakey. For blemishes like pimples, redness, or dark under-eye circles, apply a concealer so that skin still looks fresh. Unless you have skin concerns like rosacea or pigmentation which spans a larger area, there’s really no need to reach for a high-coverage foundation.
 
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The Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, $68, is best applied with a brush, imparting an incandescent glow to the face without looking too shimmery.
 
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Doubling as both a foundation and touchup powder, the Kat Von D Lock-it Powder Foundation, $55, offers exceptional coverage for those who need it.
 
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Stay, Don’t Stray

Despite all your best efforts in making your foundation stay, the truth of the fact is that weather in the tropics isn’t exactly the friendliest for your complexion. Setting your foundation with powder adds an extra layer which soaks up excess sebum to keep shine at bay.

When foundation around your nose and forehead does end up looking cakey, dab away the shine with a blotting paper, and then powder sparingly with a puff to keep your foundation going strong.
 
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The Marc Jacobs Beauty Accomplice Instant Blurring Beauty Powder, $69, comes with its own brush which makes it the perfect powder compact to bring along in your purse for mid-day touch-ups.
 
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Tools Of The Trade

The must-haves for a flawless foundation finish

THE MAKEUP SPONGE:

Run the beautyblender Electric Violet, $32, under water and it will expand in size, making it the perfect bouncy sponge for an air-brushed complexion that doesn’t look heavy on skin.

THE SILICON BLENDER:

The Sephora Collection Silicone Make Up Sponge, $15, is made of silicon which means it’s more hygienic and less wasteful since it doesn’t absorb the foundation.

THE HEAVYWEIGHT:

The dome shaped Cover FX Custom Blending Brush, $62, is a really dense brush that buffs foundation on without leaving streaks.

THE FLUFFY MONSTER:

Use the Dior Backstage N14 Powder Brush, $104, to dust on either loose or pressed powder, setting it to last throughout the day.

THE SLANTED KABUKI:

The Shiseido Makeup Hasu Fude Foundation Brush, $55, is a redesign of its Perfect Foundation Brush, which can be used with either liquid or powder foundation.

THE FOOL-PROOF:

With the shu uemura Petal 55 Brush, $80, it is actually possible to apply foundation with your eyes closed. The large surface area and dense bristles apply fluid foundation with ease, blending it out without being patchy.

TEXT: ARISSA HA / PHOTOS: ARI MICHELSON/AUGUST/RAVEN & SNOW
 
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