When people ask me about Makeup and have questions about what is the best product out there, and what high street brands I like, I always answer with "what does your skin feel like?" I think knowing your skin is the most important thing. And also knowing how to look after it and nourish it.
If you still have no idea what I mean, then let's begin with simple questions you can ask yourself; Does your skin feel dry? Does your skin feel oily? Does your skin feel both dry and oily at times? You might not even fit into any of these categories. I myself suffer from an oily skin, but it gets extremely dry at night. I still regard my skin as an oily skin and treat it accordingly.
Once you know what your skin feels like most of the time, it is about understanding why your skin is that way. People with oily skin have larger pores, hence why they are more prone to getting blemishes. The large pores easily get clogged up. People with dry skin have smaller pores.
The next question to ask yourself is what skin routine you have. What products do you use to tackle these problems and balance your skin? For example, people with oily skin should use oil-free products. I myself use oil-free products as well as keep my regime very basic. The more products you use, the more you block your pores. I would then analyse the texture of your skin; is it smooth or rough? Sometimes this particular element has to do with genes, or not enough exfoliating, or maybe even your diet.
Lastly, I would look out for pigmentation. Most Asians suffer from darker pigmentations around the eyes, the mouth, and the forehead. Again, these are either genetic, or through other factors. Unfortunately I do not know how to reduce the appearance of pigmentation, but I know how to hide it through makeup. Colour Corrector is the secret ingredient here! The darker areas on our face can look grey and ashy, and a colour corrector warms that area up, and once you apply a concealer over the corrected area, your entire face will look even-toned.
Now, once you have analysed your skin, I would suggest investing in some good products. Your skin is something you should definitely invest in (instead of buying designer shoes or bags may I add). Pop into a department store, get some advise from the beauty assistants, and take home samples. I would try out a good face wash, maybe a cleanser if you wear heavier make up in general, a day moisturiser, and a night creme or serum.
Please remember, that your skin will not show any improvements until at least two weeks. So if you react instantly, or break out in spots, do not be discouraged, your skin is just getting rid of all the bad stuff. If you get rashes or any other allergic reactions however, please stop using the product and go see a specialist. Once your skin is happy, the next step is makeup. You can follow me here and here for ideas on how to do your makeup- if you have specific questions, post them below and I'll be happy to address them in a future post.
My next post for TC will cover hair regimes. So keep reading!
