April 30th, 2014
You know the situation well – you’ve spent what feels like forever creating the perfect canvas, the ideal face, only for it to start melting away under hot studio lights, in humid conditions or over a long day. A certain level of dewiness can look beautiful and fresh, but if the scale tips too far the other way you find yourself reaching for products to blot away the shine. Warpaint feel your pain, and have hand-picked some of the best blotters and powders around to control your coverage.
Prep
You can help to keep the oil at bay with the use of a specialised primer on freshly cleansed and moisturised skin. The Bourjois Happy Light Matte Primer (£10.99) is formulated to help create a glowing, natural complexion whilst controlling excess oil and shine. Smashbox’s award-winning primer has a lighter sibling, the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light (£25) which is oil free and 60% water-based.
There’s a new Illamasqua product to keep your eyes peeled for – Illamasqua Matte Veil (£30) will be launching in early May, following on from the success of MUA favourite Hydra Veil. This intensely mattifying gel is designed to give skin a primed, matte finish. Butyelene Glycol dissolves the skin’s overactive oil levels whilst drawing and retaining moisture, while Sodium Hyaluronate keeps the skin feeling healthy and balanced. If you’re dealing with a client with particularly sensitive skin, try Nurturing Force Blot Out Offensive (£21.50), a big favourite among many MUAs for its ability to be used on all skin types and complexions. This comfortable moisturising cream creates an instant matte canvas, and is devoid of silicones, parabens, added fragrance or colour.
Powders
A quick sweep of a loose or pressed powder can rectify a slipping base, and there are some excellent offerings out there which are mattifying but by no means masking or cakey. The Urban Decay De-Slick range has a great Mattifying Powder (£19.50). This pale lilac pressed powder is actually translucent, and helps to create a luminous and natural finish, but without any unwanted or excessive shine. The MAC Blot Powder (£20) is another pressed powder which contains Mica and Silica to absorb excess oils and reduce shine on the skin’s surface. Although available in five shades it does not apply a layer of colour as such, and is light enough not to disturb your base beneath.
Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil (£20) is a multi-award winning loose finishing powder which has earned its place in many kits. Available in ‘Illuminating’, ‘Tinted’, ‘Hydrating’ or ‘Original’ translucent, a sweep of this ultra-light powder effectively saps shine and creates an effortlessly natural look. MUD Loose Powder (£24.50) is another finely-milled loose powder that creates a beautifully soft, smooth finish. Ultra-light, it stays on the skin’s surface without settling into fine lines. The silky-smooth formula applies evenly and comes in a spectrum of delicate tones from no colour at all to a deep, rich brown.
jane iredale Beyond Matte HD Powder (£18.79) is excellent for the eco-friendly. Coming in individual pans to fit a refillable compact, this vegan certified powder is based on a proprietary technology – Beyond Matte not only eliminates shine for hours, it also absorbs oil, lessens transference, makes skin look smoother, refines pores, and increases the water resistancy of the minerals. jane iredale‘s head make-up artist, Danielle Bookatz, explains, “The product was designed originally to suit the demands of make-up artists working on HD TV productions – for creating a flawless, non-chalky, matte finish.”
Papermates
Sometimes you’re caught unprepared, and blot papers are a simple and lightweight way to carry a mattifying agent around with you. MAC Blot Film (£11, 30 sheets) are supersized sheets and contain a special patented absorbing material to mop up any excess oils, while KIKO Make Up Milano Blotting Papers (£6.90, 100 sheets) are light, hypoallergenic and leave a soft trace of powder behind to mattify.
For a more customisable fit, try Nurturing Force Blotting Paper (£11.95) which comes in a handy little roll, but contains a 29 foot continuous roll of soft, absorbent paper for custom-sized usage. Available in Rose, Lilac, Aloe Vera or Unscented versions, this paper is Talc-free, Powder-free and Lint-free.
Papier Poudre have been creating powdered face papers since 1903, and they still use the same paper which was used in the original product over 100 years ago. In fact, they have recently been used in popular ITV drama ‘Mr Selfridge’, providing stock to display within the store. Supplied in a handy purse-sized booklet of 65 leaves, a box of 12 booklets is £21.60, and the beautifully presented papers come in three finishes to match skin tones. These delicate papers lift oil, dust and dirt from the skin, soak up any excess oil, and leave a delicate trace of powder for an instant matte finish.
Papier Poudre are even offering a discount to all Warpaint readers. Type in ‘WP14’ when paying on their website to get 10% off until 30th June 2014. Discount will be deducted from final total.
Comments
Related Posts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.