Beauty Fix: A blush that changes to match your skin tone and more answers to your beauty questions
Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week it’s all about the cheeks: from how to fix skin that may look just a little bit too rosy to a bronzer that works for even the most fair-skinned set. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at [email protected].
What is makeup setting spray? Should I use it if I have oily skin?
Ever noticed that your makeup sometimes looks better a few hours after you’ve applied it? That’s because it’s totally set—and that’s also what makeup setting spray helps you achieve instantly. It’s a liquid solution that is sprayed onto a face with completed makeup applied in order to help the makeup adhere to the skin and last longer on the skin’s surface. Makeup setting sprays can be especially beneficial when your skin is on the oilier side and your makeup is prone to pulling a Houdini and disappearing by mid-day. Urban Decay De-slick Oil-control Makeup Setting Spray ($30, sephora.com) actually works to regulate the actual temperature of your makeup so that it remains in place and never shiny, thanks to light-dispersing particles that ward off surface shine.
How do I know which colour of blush is best for me?
I think the advice we’ve all read time and time again is that the colour that looks most flattering on us is the flushed shade that we are after a brisk jog. I don’t know about you, but the shade of red that I turn after an aggressive bout of cardio isn’t really what I’m looking to emulate with any cosmetic product ever! When in doubt, let science help you out! Grab a smart stick of Sephora Collection Pastel Pop Color Adapt Blush ($17, sephora.com), which is a transparent creamy gel-like formula that reacts to your skin’s pH level to produce a natural and truly flattering shade of rosy pink that is anything but garish. The formula is packed with açaí oil, cherry extract, and safflower seed oil, so it’s good for your skin, which is excellent news because it can also be used on lips!
My skin is flushed more often than not, and I don’t know how to alleviate the redness. Is there anything I can use to do so?
Whether you have extensive rosacea or just redness that is more situational (perhaps it’s only brought on by sun exposure or stress), the flushing and occasional burning or discomfort that is associated with skin redness is not the easiest to deal with, primarily because it is so visible, which can often make us more self-conscious or stressed, which exacerbates the issue. A vicious cycle, undoubtedly, but one that can be managed to an extent! SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer ($78, skinceuticals.com) utilizes a specific combination of peptides that work to simultaneously regulate inflammatory mediators and reduce skin temperature, which leads to a drastic decrease in redness over time. The lightweight lotion also contains squalene, vitamin E and shea butter to improve the overall condition of the skin.
I am extremely fair-skinned and want to use bronzer, but most shades are way too dark on me. Do I have to give up on the idea of sunkissed skin?
In a world where most bronzers are geared towards those with medium skintones, what’s a pale girl to do? Seek out a bronzer that’s meant for quite literally the fairest of them all! Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder in “Nude” ($82, thebay.com) is a bronzer that is divided into four sections, which can be interpreted to be the different seasons of the year. With this particular shade in the range, there are three variations of matte bronze shades with the remaining quarter of the palette being occupied by a soft, shimmery pink. The idea here is that you can use the same bronzer palette year-round due to the variety of shades inside the palette that will work with the way your skintone changes throughout the different seasons and you have an accompanying blush that can be used to accent the faux glow produced by the bronze shades in the palette. The matte shades in this compact are excellent for contouring for light skintones as well, making it a solid value!
My dry skin doesn’t seem to agree with my current foundation. After a short amount of time, it looks a bit patchy and uneven. Should I try a different formula?
Dry skin can be tricky to find a suitable foundation for, simply because it can be a challenge to find a product that will apply well and wear well. I assume you’re applying adequate moisturizer and/or primer at least 5-10 minutes prior to applying makeup (giving it a chance to sink in), because that will have a large impact on how colour cosmetics will apply to the skin. If that’s all good in your routine, perhaps a foundation switch is in order! Give M.A.C Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation ($40, maccosmetics.ca) a go if you haven’t yet. It’s a pretty considerable moisture boost for dry skin thanks to MAC’s 77-Mineral Complex, as well as shea butter and vitamin E, and it has a really sublime finish that makes skin look satiny and luminous.
 actually works to regulate the actual temperature of your makeup so that it remains in place and never shiny, thanks to light-dispersing particles that ward off surface shine.
How do I know which colour of blush is best for me?
I think the advice we’ve all read time and time again is that the colour that looks most flattering on us is the flushed shade that we are after a brisk jog. I don’t know about you, but the shade of red that I turn after an aggressive bout of cardio isn’t really what I’m looking to emulate with any cosmetic product ever! When in doubt, let science help you out! Grab a smart stick of Sephora Collection Pastel Pop Color Adapt Blush ($17, sephora.com), which is a transparent creamy gel-like formula that reacts to your skin’s pH level to produce a natural and truly flattering shade of rosy pink that is anything but garish. The formula is packed with açaí oil, cherry extract, and safflower seed oil, so it’s good for your skin, which is excellent news because it can also be used on lips!
My skin is flushed more often than not, and I don’t know how to alleviate the redness. Is there anything I can use to do so?
Whether you have extensive rosacea or just redness that is more situational (perhaps it’s only brought on by sun exposure or stress), the flushing and occasional burning or discomfort that is associated with skin redness is not the easiest to deal with, primarily because it is so visible, which can often make us more self-conscious or stressed, which exacerbates the issue. A vicious cycle, undoubtedly, but one that can be managed to an extent! SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer ($78, skinceuticals.com) utilizes a specific combination of peptides that work to simultaneously regulate inflammatory mediators and reduce skin temperature, which leads to a drastic decrease in redness over time. The lightweight lotion also contains squalene, vitamin E and shea butter to improve the overall condition of the skin.
I am extremely fair-skinned and want to use bronzer, but most shades are way too dark on me. Do I have to give up on the idea of sunkissed skin?
In a world where most bronzers are geared towards those with medium skintones, what’s a pale girl to do? Seek out a bronzer that’s meant for quite literally the fairest of them all! Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzing Powder in “Nude” ($82, thebay.com) is a bronzer that is divided into four sections, which can be interpreted to be the different seasons of the year. With this particular shade in the range, there are three variations of matte bronze shades with the remaining quarter of the palette being occupied by a soft, shimmery pink. The idea here is that you can use the same bronzer palette year-round due to the variety of shades inside the palette that will work with the way your skintone changes throughout the different seasons and you have an accompanying blush that can be used to accent the faux glow produced by the bronze shades in the palette. The matte shades in this compact are excellent for contouring for light skintones as well, making it a solid value!
My dry skin doesn’t seem to agree with my current foundation. After a short amount of time, it looks a bit patchy and uneven. Should I try a different formula?
Dry skin can be tricky to find a suitable foundation for, simply because it can be a challenge to find a product that will apply well and wear well. I assume you’re applying adequate moisturizer and/or primer at least 5-10 minutes prior to applying makeup (giving it a chance to sink in), because that will have a large impact on how colour cosmetics will apply to the skin. If that’s all good in your routine, perhaps a foundation switch is in order! Give M.A.C Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation ($40, maccosmetics.ca) a go if you haven’t yet. It’s a pretty considerable moisture boost for dry skin thanks to MAC’s 77-Mineral Complex, as well as shea butter and vitamin E, and it has a really sublime finish that makes skin look satiny and luminous.
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