While I really do love and appreciate makeup and all of its beauty, what I really don’t appreciate is what it does to my skin. Just one day wearing a full-coverage base will likely leave my face dry, upset and plagued with breakouts. You see, while most makeup is designed to make you look your best in the short term, the skin likes to breathe, and makeup doesn’t necessarily allow for that.
While a full-coverage finish was once all anyone wanted, as years have gone on, trends have moved toward a more approachable, fresh-faced look. And we’ve been championing it from the get go, because what’s not to love about natural-looking glowy skin? The issue, however, is that the majority of us still itch for a little bit of coverage. And thus, we enter the vicious cycle of wanting to embrace a clear complexion, disguising blemishes with breakout-inducing makeup formulas and then breaking out all over again.
This season, however, there’s change in the air. Just as I was growing tired of being let down by my products whenever I set out to achieve a fresh-faced glow, beauty brands upped their game. This season, I’m seeing a huge rise in makeup formulas that are infused with seriously impressive skincare ingredients.
And no, I’m not just talking the odd hydrator to boost dewiness, I’m talking skincare powerhouses. New launches are no longer just makeup products injected with a bit of skincare goodness to make them work better—they are hybrids of genuinely great makeup products and genuinely great skincare, too. If you’re fed up of makeup that disagrees with your skin, keep scrolling for the skincare-infused products you should have on your radar.
You might be familiar with It Cosmetics CC+ Cream, which is a heavy-duty foundation with a seriously radiant finish. This new foundation launch in the same range is actually much more lightweight and contains hyaluronic acid and aloe extract for plumped-up hydration. On top of that though, it also contains exfoliating acid and vitamins E and B5 for a soft, healthy, super-hydrated result.
Under-eye concealers have a tendency to be drying and can leave skin looking wrinkled and lacklustre. While many formulas already contain skincare ingredients such as vitamin E in a bid to combat this, it’s arguably not enough. This eye cream/concealer from L’Oréal Paris, on the other hand, contains hyaluronic acid and has a rich, creamy formula that feels more like a moisturiser than it does a concealer.
If you ask me, the secret to a great, natural-looking blush is that the formula should leave skin looking dewy, not matte. This one is water-based, making it super-glowy, and it also contains plant extracts to help fend off damage caused by pollution.
Foundation sticks are notorious for being heavy duty and coating the skin in a pore-blocking veil. However, this stuff is different. Not only does it give skin the most natural-looking but perfected finish, it is also beautifully moisturising and contains antioxidants to combat redness and irritation.
It turns out, it’s not just the skin on our faces that needs some love when it comes to makeup. Lipsticks, for example, are typically drying and can cause irritation. However, this new line from bareMinerals consists of buttery formulas infused with nourishing oils and fruit extracts to hydrate and soften.
Regarded by beauty editors as one of the best full-coverage concealers on the market, this creamy formula from Shiseido not only uses a special technology to adapt to the skin throughout the day, it also contains antioxidant wild thyme extract and a protective polymer to prevent damage caused by pollution.
Primers already sit somewhere between skincare and makeup, but this one really takes it to the next level. Rich in coconut water and coconut fruit, this primer isn’t just unbelievably hydrating, it also comes with added antioxidant benefits to protect skin from the damage caused by environmental aggressors.
When it comes to skin-friendly makeup, bareMinerals know a thing or two. This tinted moisturiser is probably one of the best around. Not only does it offer up great coverage, it also contains plant-derived squalene to quench thirsty skin.
Powder bronzers have a real tendency to go patchy when they’re applied to dry, unhappy skin. This pressed powder is actually formulated with hyaluronic acid to hydrate while it works, giving a healthy-looking glow.
Foundations this glowy usually always contain skin-loving hydrators to amp up the dewiness, but this one goes that step further. Enriched with glycerin it offers up deep hydration and luminosity, but it also contains kalanchoe extract, an active discovered by Chanel that creates a protective barrier over the skin.
Setting powders can dry the skin out, causing it to look lacklustre and dull. To avoid such a situation this easy-to-use pressed powder contains hyaluronic acid to keep things glowing and hydrated. Just blot onto the skin to keep oiliness in check.
When it comes to tinted moisturisers, I’d say this is the one that takes the moisturiser part most seriously. It doesn’t just contain nourishing oils, it also contains tamarind seed extract to prevent further moisture loss, SPF30 and also vitamin C and E for antioxidant protection. It’s probably one of my favourite makeup products of all time.
You might not think that your eyelids need any special attention, however dry lids can really ruin a great eye look. This thick putty primer provides an even base for shadow to ensure it sticks around for longer and also contains hydrating squalene to ensure your eye makeup doesn’t dry out the skin.
If you know me personally, you’ll be fed up on me trying to push this product on you. If you like a natural-looking, glowing base, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 70% of the formula is serum-based, made up of water, aloe vera, ginger and witch hazel. It’s so skin-loving and glow-inducing, you’ve got to see it to believe it.
I know that this stuff is pricey, but when I swiped it onto my lips for the first time last week, I genuinely couldn’t believe how nourishing it was. Infused with Baobab oil, it feels like a balm but has the pigmented finish of a normal lipstick. Plus, the nude shades are incredibly flattering.
