Katie Holmes, glowing in the dark. Photo: Getty
Now that winter is in full swing, here are some tiny tweaks you can make to your everyday routine to beat blah-looking skin at its own game.
Update the base:
The same way you fine-tune your skincare regimen to suit the seasons, it makes sense to revisit your foundation. Once the temperature starts to drop, that’s your cue to ditch the mattifying formulas in favour of a dewy, liquid foundation that’ll leave the skin with an instant, yet natural-looking glow. Or, if you’re not quite ready to splurge on a new base, blending a pea-sized amount of a liquid illuminisor with your regular foundation will help to play up the skin in all the right places.
Repeat after us: oil is good
It’s time to put your fake tan on the back-burner and buddy up with a multi-purpose body oil. Unlike a straight-up tanner that can be drying on the skin, oils are infused with moisturising ingredients, like coconut extract, and boast just the right amount of shimmer to keep the skin looking glossy and hydrated well into the night. Try: Nars Monoi Body Glow, $95, (below) from Mecca Cosmetica, meccacosmetica.com.au, which also works a treat combed through the hair to tame split ends.
Sorry lipstick, gloss is back!
When it comes to maintenance, matte lipstick is about as demanding as a newborn baby, not to mention incredibly drying on already-chapped lips. If you’ve invested heavily in matte formulas, adding a slick of clear gloss or balm over the top will instantly transform the finish and help to cut down on the number of touchups required. Try: Maybelline New York Shine Sensational Lip Gloss, $10.95, (below).
Fact: crème-based products are golden
Although it seems like the obvious fallback product to give dull skin back its glow, when layered too heavily, bronzer tends to wear looking patchy and flat. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, you can’t go past a coral, golden or peach crème blended along the top of the cheekbone and temples. Unlike a powder, crème-based products not only blend into the skin more evenly, but the in-built shimmer also helps to bounce light off the skin to keep it looking dewy and fresh for longer.
