Deeply Superficial
The Age
Friday October 26, 2007
The idea of putting powder on your face seems strangely anachronistic these days, especially with the advent of mattifying foundations that make the need for blotting any shine redundant. I like a bit of a pouf, so it always seems to me that we have lost something in not having a dressing table of marabou-feathered powder puffs at our disposal.
But there has been a powder revolution: only last May, when visiting New York, a make-up artist friend suggested I drop into Sephora, the huge beauty retailer, for a jar of i.d. bareMinerals powder by Bare Escentuals. I did and I was hooked. The tiniest bit of powder, when lightly and rather carelessly applied with a brush and then worked into my skin, gave surprisingly good coverage, evened out my skin tone and delivered the kind of glow you see on the cheeks of Hollywood starlets when they're let out of rehab. Just as those TVSN shopping channel spokesmodels might gush, mineralising powders work well and they work fast - and seem to suit every face from Glad Wrap?smooth teenagers to expression-filled grannies. The best of the mineralising products are free of harsh chemicals, fillers, talc, preservatives and fragrances, so they're recommended for women with skin conditions such as rosacea and also for women who have undergone cosmetic procedures. Unlike talc, the powder does not settle into wrinkles or cake-up your complexion.Just about every mainstream brand has a mineralising foundation these days, from L'Oreal's Bare Naturale to Almay's handy Pure Blends with a built-in brush and M.A.C's Mineralize Skinfinish range. Dermatologists sell them to their clients and you can also find cruelty-free and vegan brands in health food stores. It's worth investigating these latter options. One brand I'm now using is Inika (www.inikacosmetics.com), founded by Sydney women Miranda Bond and Jenni Williams, who began the Thriving Healthy Women network. The range of colours in the foundations and bronzers is excellent (so too the dazzling eyeshadow colours) and it's all pure and ethical. And a speck of it goes a long way, as I discovered after dusting my clothes with it at my first, too-vigorous attempt. A $54.95 jar of Inika Mineral Powder Foundation will last so long it will need carbon-dating one day. Now I've got the swing of mineralisers, I've discovered something potentially more wonderful. Sydney make-up artist Karen Playel has brought to Australia the ERA spray make-up range from California, which includes foundations, bronzers and primers (www.themakeupbusiness.com.au). ERA makes a hypo-allergenic, water-based foundation in a can with an SPF factor of 20, which replicates a professional airbrush application and is almost foolproof. I was very dubious about this, but a two-second spritz of this product over my face, a minute for it to dry off, a bit of a pat down with a powder puff to remove excess moisture - and, voila, a flawless, light finish that can be as natural or as photo-ready as you like. Spray a small amount into your palm and dab it where you need more coverage. You don't need to clean it off your eyelashes as it makes a great base for mascara. It's long-lasting, waterproof, suitable for face and body and is recommended for those undergoing IPL or microdermabrasion treatments because it is sterile. People with pigmentation, vitiligo, scarring, birthmarks, tattoos or rosacea will find it a boon. I was a bit terrified to use it at first, and still find it's best to tuck my hair under a showercap before I spray, but it only takes one or two goes to become adept at applying it. This is the stuff that's used on Hollywood film sets. Mere mortals can buy the product ($74) off the website, which has an auto-match service that matches the foundation you are using to ERA colours. The four-minute mile, the three-minute egg - and now the two-second make-up. O, brave new world!-- misslee@leetulloch.com
© 2007 The Age