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For beauty which doesn’t shine through – radiant skin without shine

Posted on | June 9, 2009 | Comments Off

Beauty Without ShineThe buzzwords for beauty are invariably ‘luminous’, ‘glowing’, ‘ radiant’, ‘shimmer’, ‘highlight’. Why?

Well, because these words and similar,  go someway to giving confidence that a beauty product is going to work, to give us a complexion that radiates health and vitality.

The word ‘matte’,  on the other hand, can imply flat and dull, which, even for oily skins, is not the look you are after.

But what if you really don’t want to shine and yet still want to have a luminous complexion? And of course this thought doesn’t just apply to women; men too are fast becoming aware of the appeal of clear, healthy, natural looking skin and the confidence it bring to the way they feel about themselves.

We are not talking about ‘makeup’ here – we are talking products that reduce the shine you don’t want, whilst optimising the natural radiance and texture of healthy skin.  Skin ‘improvers’ if you will.

Smashbox Cosmetics have been at the forefront in creating professional beauty tools to make you look good ‘close up’ – as the number one professional photography studio, they are well aware of the difference between ‘shine’ and ‘radiance’.

They have two key products that are international best sellers which work to invisibly reduce shine caused by oiliness or even (in this hot weather ….!) just to reduce moisture on the skin. Anyone who wears specs is well aware of that telltale line of perspiration around the rim of your glasses, and how many times on a hot summer morning have you resorted to putting your make up on in the car once the air-con has dropped the temperature a little. Surely it is not just me that does that? I do appreciate at the moment, this seem more ‘aspirational than perspirational’ though given we had our central heating on at the weekend!!

Smashbox Anti-Shine Gel

But back to Smashbox – the look here is natural – we have many customers who come to us in desperation after layers and layers of powder have simply left their skin looking caked and heavily made up. The Smashbox Anti-Shine gel is a primer product that you apply underneath your primer (if you wear one) and over your moisturiser. It can (especially relevant for men) just be applied to a clean face to those areas where you are prone to shine (usually your T-Zone). If you are applying make up over the top, simply wait until the skin has absorbed the product and feels touch dry, then complete your make up in the usual way.

For touch ups during the day Smashbox have the same product but in a compact.  Smashbox Anti-Shine compact is a neat little black compact, with a mirror in the lid, which can easily slip into a jacket pocket or purse. (I wouldn’t put it anywhere to close to the body (i.e. trouser pocket) as body heat might cause it to melt a little. You again apply this where you need to reduce shine (it can even be used on receding hairlines and bald heads chaps, if your pate is causing you a problem) – it comes with a little sponge and all you do is dab on the product and then dab on the shine for an instant matte without product build up or caking.

In the May edition of InStyle UK, (Pg 162 – Beauty – Glow Girl) this compact wonder was hailed as the perfect mattifying primer to keep make up in place by Celebrity Make Up Artist Molly Stern, who points out that NOTHING is more aging than overly powdered skin.

Smashbox Anti-shine compact

BUT – we say there is  powder and there is powder – and any article on reducing shine would not be complete without a recommendation for Christopher Drummond’s Finale Finishing Powder

whilst this mattifies without in anyway dulling the skin, this unique  skin-balancing, ultra-fine finishing powder nourishes your skin as it absorbs excess oil and helps your skin retain its moisture. You are left with a long-lasting, flawless finish. No heavy powder look, just perfect skin – and this again is a product that appeals not just to women; as Christopher himself points out, men are increasingly interested in having well groomed and flawless looking skin. Finale gives you your skin, but better, and it comes in three skin perfecting shades (please do not be afraid to try the white – it is FANTASTIC as a natural, illuminating, non ashy finishing powder for fair-light skin).

Christopher’s range of complexion products are skin perfectors rather than make up – natural, anti-oxidant rich, and without ANY of the irritating ingredients found in other mineral make up brands. Definitely worth a try for anyone who wants a radiant, natural complexion – without shine!

Christopher Drummond Finale Face Powder

Category: Christopher Drummond Beauty, Smashbox

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