[Sponsored] Fresh-faced for spring: 6 Beauty Panel tips for refreshing your skin

Date May 8, 2014

Is spring finally here? While we may still be hoping for weather that lets us ditch our wintery layers, there’s nothing stopping us from getting our skin ready for the season. In practice, it may actually be smarter to get a head start on your spring skincare routine: new products always take a week or two to start working and frankly, it’s nice to wake up and start the day with light, fresh layers of skincare products and makeup. Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have, right?

Well, this week, the Beauty Panel partnered up with Biotherm to do just that. Our beauty blogging experts spent the last month testing the Biotherm Aquasource skincare line, all in a quest to uncover the best way to get a fresh-faced look for spring. While makeup can certainly brighten any look, having a great base—your skin!—makes all the difference. It’s the reason why both fresh skin and the no-makeup makeup look made the list of our top beauty trends for Spring 2014. Makeup artists like Pat McGrath and Diane Kendal spent their time backstage prepping models’ skin with masques, serums, BB creams and moisturizers, which resulted in truly fresh-faced looks on the runway.

Challenge 61: How do you use Biotherm Aquasource to get a fresh-faced look for spring? See the answers now! »

For our Beauty Panel members, getting a fresh-faced look for spring starts the moment you wash your face. Tess Lopez, from Makeup By Tess, enjoyed using the Biosource Exfoliating Gel daily, due to its tiny microbeads that buffed away dead skin cells. For Emily Chan of THISWASFOREVER, layering products was key to getting a fresh-faced look, with Biotherm Aquasource 48h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel providing a light layer of moisture that lasted all day long. Finally, Alison*Elle’s Alison Leoung embraced the no-makeup makeup look, thanks to how Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel provides just the perfect hint of coverage. Ready to kickstart your own spring skincare routine? Read on to see how all our Beauty Panel members used Biotherm Aquasource in their quest for a fresh-faced look.

Have a beauty question you want to see the panel answer? Send it our way at [email protected]. Read on for the answers to this week’s challenge and for more goodness, get to know all contributors on our Beauty Panel hub page.

Stephanie Lau
Toronto | Fun Size Beauty

I wake up on a fine spring morning, look in the mirror and what do I see? Dull skin, worn down by winter’s wrath. Tired skin isn’t fixed simply by piling 20 products on the face. Undoubtedly, the secret to fresh faced beauty is the perfect base: healthy, nourished skin…the makeup bits are secondary.

I start by cleansing the face with the Biotherm High Efficacy Cleansing Oil. It removes any dirt and gunk residue that may have been stuck on my face from the night before. The cleansing oil is effective yet nourishing, cleansing without purging my skin of all its natural moisture.

My skin gets oily fast, so I try not to go overboard on the skincare. Instead, I prefer to go for a 2-in-1 skincare/makeup hybrid. The Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream provides a light coverage, enough to smooth over my acne scars and minor imperfections and even out my skintone. On the skincare side, it’s lightweight, ultra-hydrating and illuminates the skin without feeling sticky. Throughout the day, the dewy finish dries down slightly but a subtle radiant glow still persists.

As for the eyes,I keep it light and bright. I blend a matte beige onto the inner half of the eye to bring brightness to the face and a matte brown into the crease and outer corner to subtly shape the eye. For some soft definition, I blend a black eyeliner in between my lashes. Furthermore, to create a wide-eyed look to pair with the radiant skin, I apply a volumizing mascara. For the cheeks, a hint of a natural orange cream tint along the cheekbones is all that is necessary.

Last but not least is highlighter. Powder highlighters often look fake or chalky, so instead I pump the tiniest bit of the Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum onto my fingertips. It has a soft iridescence to it that’s perfect for patting onto the high points of the face.

And there you have it—an easy-to-achieve fresh-faced look for spring!

Products used: Biotherm High Efficacy Cleansing Oil, Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream, Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, Shu Uemura Pressed Shadow in “Soft Brown” and “Light Beige,” Shu Uemura Tint in Gelato in “CR04,” Shu Uemura Gel Eye Pencil, Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Mascara

Emily Chan
Toronto | THISWASFOREVER

Spring, at last, is upon us! For me, this means it’s time to put away my winter skincare routine and to bring out my new spring regimen. The key to any spring time routine is to keep your skin moisturized, but not over-moisturized. Did you know that if you fail to swap out your foundation or thick creams for lightweight lotions or tinted moisturizers, could result in clogged pores during the hotter season?

In order to create a fresh-faced look for spring, I tend to stay away from foundation and lean towards a tinted moisturizer instead. However, I have always find that all the tinted moisturizers in the market to be either too pricey or the colour simply does not match my skin. So I have started to make my own formula. It’s really simple and really friendly on the wallet. All you need is your favorite foundation or BB cream and a moisturizer.

For the past month, I have been loving the Biotherm Aquasource 48h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel as the base of my DIY tinted moisturizer because it blends so well with any foundation. Plus, the gel formula is light and yet provides just the right amount of moisture. I take one part foundation and one part moisturizer and blends everything together with a brush. Simply add more moisturizer for a lighter shade and add more foundation if you need to increase the coverage. Then apply the tinted moisturizer on your face with the brush and you’ll have hydrated skin for the rest of the day!

Products used: Biotherm Aquasource 48h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel, Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream, Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara in “Dark Brown,” Shu Uemura Tint in “Gelato” and “Spiced Orange,” Shu Uemura Duo Custom Case with Pressed Eye Shadow in “Light Beige” and “Medium Brown”

Tess Lopez
Toronto | Makeup By Tess

After such a looooong cold winter, many of us may have been noticing that our skin has been unusually dry and dull than normal. But now it’s time to get our skin back to looking fresh and radiant as we finally say “Adios!” to winter and welcome spring with open arms!
Achieving radiant looking skin begins with a great skincare regime. I love using makeup to create a beautiful glow, but your skin and makeup will look even more gorgeous if you have a good canvas to work with. This past month I’ve been trying Biotherm Aquasource and found that it brings hydration back into the skin without it feeling oily and heavy. It has fragrance too, which isn’t super overpowering. I would recommend this skincare collection if you have a normal to oily skin type.

I start off my day washing my face with the gentle Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel. This mild cleanser has tiny micro-beads which is perfect for everyday use. These tiny granules gently exfoliate, removing dry, dead skin and making your face feel very smooth and soft. Next, I apply the Aquasource Deep Serum. This lightweight gel texture surprisingly keeps my face feeling hydrated all day without it feeling oily or sticky. Biotherm claims it hydrates your skin for 48 hours! When applied, it gives off a cooling sensation making your skin feel refreshed. This product is paraben free and contains no mineral oil—great for sensitive skin. It contains Life Plankton and Mannose which help with cell renewal and hydration.

At night, I ensure I remove all traces of makeup before I go to sleep by using High Efficiency Hydrating Oil. I can never go to bed with makeup on … even on my most exhausting days. With just a few drops in your hand, add a tiny bit of water and gently massage it into your skin. This remover works wonders for waterproof makeup too! Not only does this remove your makeup, it acts as a cleanser as well. I end the night by applying the Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel. Similar to the Aquasource Deep Serum, it is lightweight in texture giving a refreshing sensation. This gel melts into your skin repairing and re-hydrating while you sleep.
Starting off your makeup routine with hydrated radiant skin makes the application process a lot easier; makeup adheres to your skin better and you use less of it.

Products used: Biotherm Aquasource Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel, Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, Biotherm Aquasource High Efficiency Hydrating Oil

Maggie Ng
Toronto | Beauty PhD

Having great skin (in my opinion) supersedes having to mask your face with pounds of makeup any day! As the weather warms up, most of us lean more towards a fresh-faced look for spring VS thick cakey foundation. To achieve this look, skincare is at its utmost importance. To prep, clean any dirt or excess oils off your face using the Biotherm Biosource Cleansing Gel. It is gentle enough to use daily and helps exfoliate the skin. Exfoliation is key before applying makeup, as you don’t want dead skin cells to be flaking off.

To really hydrate the skin, apply Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, allowing it to absorb into the skin for a few minutes. This has some illuminating properties that give the skin a nice dewy effect. Also, be sure to also apply a layer of the Biotherm Aquasource 48h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel, which gives off a healthy radiance.

Trying to keep foundation down to a minimum, use Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel to colour correct without coverage. This will help even out the tone of the skin. Then apply the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream for a light tinted coverage that gives a healthy look. Even though I’m very fair, using these two products leaves a luminescent, natural sun-kissed finish that doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.

For makeup, I kept everything very simple, as to not take away from the overall dewy skin finish. I used a light beige eyeshadow as my highlight and a medium brown eye shadow for my lid. I topped it off with a brown soft gel eyeliner. Doing double duty, I used that same eyeliner to lightly shape my brows. I then curled my lashes with my favourite lash curler and applied some brown natural mascara on the top and bottom lashes. To maintain the overall feel of the skin, I skipped using anything matte or powder-based and opted for a lip and cheek color tint in an orange hue. This brightened up my face and complemented my sun-kissed glow.

At the end of the day, you never want to go to bed with makeup on your face, as that contributes to aging. Eek! So make sure to use the Biotherm Biosource Cleansing Oil to dissolve any traces of makeup, including anything waterproof without drying out your skin.

Products used: Biotherm Biosource Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel, Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, Biotherm Aquasource 48H Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel, Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel for Fair Skin, Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream in “Fair to Medium,” Shu Uemura Eyeshadow in “S Light Beige” and “S Medium Brown,” Shu Uemura Lasting Soft Gel Pencil in “02 M Brown,” Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara in “Dark Brown,” Shu Uemura Tint in “Gelato,” Biotherm Biosource High Efficiency Cleansing Oil

Alison Leong
Vancouver | Alison*Elle

Great skin is the best base for any makeup, but this is especially so for spring when fresh faces are always on-trend. My own skin has been in need of major hydration thanks to the harsh winter weather, so I’ve been making sure to prep with a good serum and following up with a moisturizing gel cream (I prefer gels for my oily/combination skin). Next, I’ve been opting for a lighter take on foundation thanks to Biotherm’s Aquasource CC Gel, a unique tone enhancing moisturizer that corrects colour, then topping with a BB cream for just the lightest hint of coverage. With my skin as the focus like this, very few additional products are required to make this “no makeup” makeup look a winner in my books!

Products used: Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, Biotherm Aquasource Gel, Biotherm Aquasource CC Gel, Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream in “Fair to Medium,” Shu Uemura Custom Case Duo Eyeshadow, Shu Uemura Lasting Soft Gel Pencil in “Brown,” Shu Uemura Stretch Xtreme Mascara, Shu Uemura Tint in “Gelato”

Gerry Xun
Vancouver | The Bunnie Hole

Shedding your winter layers also means storing way the heavy products and welcoming lightweight textures and colours for a fresh faced spring look. With soft skin and neutral makeup hot on the runway, here’s how you can wear it all day every day.

My day starts with the Biotherm Biosource Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel which is mild, rinses easily and helps to balance my skin. Now one thing that seems to slip people’s minds as the temperature starts rising is how important it is to still keep feeding your skin with moisture as the sun and everyday pollutants can tire and dehydrate your epidermal layers very quickly. For me a hydrating treatment like the Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, a potent hydrator with a quick absorbing formula, acts as a buffer between my skin and the outside world. To seal in the watery goodness, I pop on a touch of the Biotherm Aquasource Gel Intense Moisturizer which is tailored for combination skin like mine as it helps to prevent dehydration yet without causing extra oiliness.

With soft pampered skin, makeup is minimal and easy. A soft nutmeg matte shadow all over the lid, a stroke of dark brown liner, a little shading through my brows and simple mascara for the eyes. To further play up my skin, I’ve used the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream for a satin finish and complemented the look with pretty corals using a mousse cheek and lip colour that melts seamlessly with my skin. The result is a fresh faced look ready for frolicking through the peony blooms.

Products used : Biotherm Biosource Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel, Biotherm Aquasource Deep Serum, Biotherm Aquasource Gel Intense Moisturizer, Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream, Shu Uemura Shadow in “M851,” Shu Uemura Lasting Soft Gel Pencil in “#02,” Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Mascara, Shu Uemura Tint in “Gelato”