Long-Wearing Glass Skin using MAC Face & Body Foundation

"Glass Skin", or an extremely dewy, non-shimmery glow, is a trend made popular by South Korean celebrities and media. But the traditional methods of achieving it - face glosses, creamy foundations etc - are not always great for real life (or warmer weather).

Well there IS one forgotten product that can achieve this effect without feeling like an oil-slick or smearing off after 2 hours. MAC's classic Face and Body is an ultra glowy film-forming foundation that actually sets looking like it's wet. And because it's made for use on bodies during shoots, it's transfer resistant and sweat resistant. What better to get the glass skin effect without the cons?

The thing is many people these days no longer use or even know of Face and Body, and I have to say it's got a strange texture and seems to have zero coverage at first, but there are some tricks for getting it to work beautifully.

Rubbing it on with fingers ALWAYS works better than brushing it on or sponging it on. The rubbing seems to allow the pigmentation to show more, so you get more coverage. Plus - this formula just soaks into bristles and sponges and can be a pain to wash out when it sets. Also, it's fantastic for layering. I've layered up to 5 coats for more coverage and it still looks beautiful and skin-like although the sheen by then is over the top.

I do like MAKE UP FOR EVER and Dior's versions but those are less dewy. So if "Glass Skin" is what you're trying to achieve, this is the only one that will give you that.

Tom Ford’s Complexion Enhancing Primer and Skin Illuminating Powder Duo

2 products that I was super excited to see this season were Tom Ford’s new “illuminating” skin products, the Complexion Enhancing Primer, and the gorgeous Skin Illuminating Powder Duo.

They offer different intensities of dewiness on the skin, so it’s really up to you what sort of effect you want. But both products are not very obvious, metallic products that look like noticeable makeup. The pearl pigments are so fine that even quite close-up, it just looks like you have a healthy glow. 

Complexion Enhancing Primer 01 Pink Glow

This is a pearlescent shell-pink beige which is quite subtle and will not go on very metallic on the skin, so I personally prefer to apply it AFTER foundation, even though it’s a “primer”. I never see the point of applying illuminating primers before foundation cos you have to use a lot for it to show up under makeup, and applying it all over just emphasizes pores in areas you don’t want.

What I do is rub half a pump on the back of my hand so I have an even coating on my fingers, and then press it on over my cheekbones, on the cupid’s bow, and in the center of my nose-bridge.

Skin Illuminating Powder Duo

 This baby is a must-try for those of you who are addicted to high-end highlighting or illuminating powders. How it differs from other powders we find from MAC, Lauder, etc is in how fine-grained the powder pigments are and the multi-dimensional tones. Once it’s on the skin, it doesn’t look sparkly, doesn’t catch easily on fine lines, and doesn’t make the skin look leathery.

Most days I'll just tap my brush in both shades for a soft beige highlight that goes with any look, but if you want a little extra something, you can use the chai shade just across the top parts of your blush, and then the ivory a little higher, right above the peaks of your cheekbones so it catches the light more.

It’s actually a fantastic highlighter for mature women, even though it would look beautiful on everyone. On first look you get an ivory and a soft chai latte color. But once swatched you’ll see they are both multi-dimensional. The ivory has subtle gold and opal pink tones, and the creamy chai shade has bronze tones. And they go on translucent so even if you have very dark skin, the pale shade does not go on chalky. You just get a beautifully natural look, like great skin.

And here are both products in side by side comparisons so you can see the difference intensity.

I personally consider the powder duo a must-have in my collection, and the liquid primer good for those who want a softer glow that isn’t detectable even on HD camera.

Makeup notes:

• Eyes: MAC Julia Petit Eyeshadows x 2 in Sagu (Druzy Luster shadow and Black Plum Matte shadow)

• Physicians’ Formula Nudewear Blush in Natural

• MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick

VDL Base Makeup Collection - Series 1: Achieve a longwearing, luminous base

Great makeup starts with a great base. And here in Asia, where most people do not wear a lot of dramatic color makeup on a day-to-day basis, the skin itself is often the focus of the look, whether you like it or not. Your base can make or break your makeup look.

Gone are the days of flat, matte, powdery, mask-like foundation bases that look like plaster paint up-close. Even when you need to wear quite a lot of coverage, the emphasis is on creating that "expensive-looking" HD complexion that looks polished, touchable and natural.

Which can be a huge challenge in tropical, humid environments like ours when we need to deal with sweat, oil, and dry air-conditioned environments.

I always believe that for your base to go on smoothly, look light, and stay beautiful longer, you need to start thinking of your skincare as part of your makeup routine. Everything from your moisturizers, to your primers, to your base itself, needs to work well together for the best results.

And this is the philosophy behind VDL's Base Makeup Collection - Series 1.

VDL Base Makeup Collection

The brand's developed a SKIN P+R=O Regenerative range of antioxidant skincare products which protect (P) your skin and help it to recover (R) from damage so you can get optimum (O) results from your skincare, but also complement their bestselling Lumilayer Primer and the newly-reformulated Perfecting Last Foundation SPF 30, PA++.

The basics for the routine are:

1. SKIN P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence and SKIN P+R=O Almighty Cream to hydrate, protect, repair, AND seal the skin.
2. Lumilayer Primer to brighten the skin, add a glow, and create that illusion of youthful transparency while priming the skin.
3. Perfecting Last Foundation SPF 30 PA++ which gives flawless, long-lasting coverage without oxidation or a heavy, mask-like feel.

Step 1: VDL SKIN P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence (SGD$88) and Almighty Cream (SGD$82)

I was most curious about the 2 new skincare products because I've never tried them before.

I must say I was skeptical at first because the descriptions on the box only list proprietary complexes such as Medimin A, Oxytalan SF, and LG-AQ, which don't really tell the consumer anything useful, so I went down to the ingredients list to take a look, and was quite pleasantly surprised.

Skin P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence

Skin P+R=O Almighty Ampoule Essence contains a jaw-dropping list of star ingredients, such as skin-repairing Centella Asiatica from Madagascar, collagen-boosting Cloudberry Fruit Oil, photo-damage preventing soy ferment, conditioning Panthenol, antibacterial Artemisia Annua and Lavender extracts, antioxidant Sandalwood, purifying Moringa Seed extract, anti-inflammatory and whitening agent Niacinamide, and more.

The Almighty Cream is no less interesting. This fresh-feeling salve leaves the skin cool when spread out, and contains the same plant extracts as the ampoule essence, but also has something else I want to talk about. 

Quite high on the list is Acrylic Acid, a copolymer which is quite a powerful film-forming agent. You can sometimes find it in makeup setting sprays. This allows the product to set and act like a shield on the skin, which essentially reduces the chances of makeup melt-down.

Step 2: VDL Lumilayer Primer (SGD$36)

After spending all my teen years blotting and powdering my face and trying to get rid of all traces of oil, I'm now spending lots of money trying to add the glow back. I think there is nothing prettier than that polished gleam on someone's cheekbone when they turn their head.

I find most liquid primers either too subtle to apply under foundation, or too metallic and unnatural to wear all over the face, but VDL's Lumilayer Primer is one that I consider a staple because it really creates that sense of "translucency". VDL layered special red and blue light-reflecting pigments to help color correct, brighten, and create dimension on the face contours.

Gossamer Veil: Pearl-Pink Shimmer on Lids, Cheeks, Lips, and Nails

Most of the time, we try to avoid applying shimmer on every feature in order to avoid looking like a discoball, but if you pick the right highlighter and apply it in the right areas and pair it with matte textures, it can just look like radiant skin.

Products used: Laura Mercier Burnished Copper, La Femme Rose blush, MAC Silver Dusk highlighter, MAC Cultured Lipglass, Catrice Karate with Bronze Lee pencil

The Skin

I began by evening out the complexion and concealing flaws. (Below is a reference to where I usually apply a highlighting corrector.)

You do want to ensure an even base (below) before attempting to highlight specific areas. Otherwise, the highlighting can contrast with dark areas and blemishes and make them even more obvious.

IMPORTANT: If you are combination/oily, it's especially important to apply setting powder on your T-zone, inner cheeks, chin, and any other oily area. To prevent creasing and a "crepe-y" texture due to laugh lines and crow's feet, powder only under the inner corners of eyes, and at the outer corners.

To mimic a glowing complexion, apply highlighter (I used MAC Silver Dusk) to the brow bone, and ABOVE the peak of the cheekbones, concentrating under the temples, and then fading inwards. Avoid shimmer too close to the inner cheeks or wherever pores are more obvious.

To choose a highlighter shade that is flattering on your skintone, you can check out some suggestions here.

Tip: Using the same brush you used for foundation application will allow a less powdery application. The last bits of moisture and the flat surface of the brush helps the highlighter to meld with the skin and look more like natural sheen. (A dry, fluffy brush will dust sparkles all over the cheeks, which can emphasize pores on your lower cheeks.)

Apply a matte pink to the peaks of your cheekbones, overlapping some of the highlighter. This creates a nice transition from matte to shimmer, and mimics the glowy effect of a cream blush, without the greasiness.

The Eyes