If we followed every piece of beauty and skincare advice, we’d ever been given we’d never leave the house. For me, every morning is a battle between looking presentable and maximising my time in bed, so I’m keen to find out what corners can I cut without anyone noticing. And, I know I’m not alone. Recent research by E45 revealed 81% of women feel overwhelmed on a daily basis with conflicting health and wellbeing messages. To simplify our routines, I asked dermatologists, facialists and make-up artists what products are really marketing fluff and which are wonder products we shouldn’t live without.
Clinical Facialist Kate Kerr: Skip The Moisturiser, Balms And Face Oils
‘I never use moisturiser! It has been ingrained in us from a young age to cleanse, tone and moisturise. We think all skin types need this, but in fact our skin is capable of maintaining its own hydration levels, so only a “true dry skin” is in need of moisture supplementation.
‘By using a moisturiser our skin’s surface sends a signal down to its water reservoirs telling it that there is plenty of moisture and to halt production. This makes the skin sluggish and lacking in moisture, so we reach for more moisturiser, thus exacerbating the problem and reaching for a richer moisturiser. It is important to wake up your skin's natural moisturising mechanisms as this will have a knock on effect and stimulate other processes within the skin - balancing oil production, brightening the complexion and slowing the rate of skin ageing. You need to break that perpetual cycle of reaching for a moisturiser when your skin feels tight, often reaching for a richer and richer moisturiser as time goes on.'
Adele’s Make-Up Artist Michael Ashton: Use Only A Blusher And A Bronzer, But Multiple Ways With Different Brushes
‘Woman are so busy these days, but also still wanting to look their best so for me products that can cut down time spent getting ready are the ultimate make-up must haves. A product that can do multiple jobs is a must in any make-up kit! One of my favourites is Charlotte Tilbury’s Beach Stick in Formentera - a neutral tone cream stick that although designed to use on the cheeks works just as well when used as eyeshadow and blotted onto the lips for a soft flattering look. The fantastic thing about cream products is you can literally apply and blend just using your fingers for a seamless finish.
‘When I need to get a client ready quickly one of my favourite techniques is using a bronzer to create a beautiful monochromatic make-up. My go to is the Marc Jacobs Beauty’s O!Mega in Tantric which has just enough warmth to work on any skin tone. Using different brushes with just one bronzer, you can really achieve expensive looking depth and dimension to the face. Start with a large blending brush and gently sweep bronzer across the eyelid and up into the crease of the socket before downsizing to a smaller firmer brush for a more concentrated application right at the lash line and finish the eye with a coat of mascara. When it comes to sculpting the face, I like to use a bronzer to lightly dust around the hairline, under the cheekbones, jawline and then also a little across the apples of the cheeks and down either side of the nose for a healthy glow. A quick slick of clear lip gloss is a great way to keep this sort of look polished yet fresh and without being too overdone.’
Pixiwoo's Sam and Nic Chapman: Lip Plumpers Are Pointless
Lip Plumping Glosses only ever work temporarily so the better option is to use a lip liner in one shade darker than your natural lips and very subtly draw outside your natural lip line. You can create volume by dabbing on a clear gloss to the centre of the lip to catch the light.
SJ Froom, bareMinerals International Make-up Artist SJ Froom: Skip The Eyeshadow, It’s A Waste Of Time!
‘Sometimes when time is an issue we need to know which parts of a make-up routine we can skip. My perfect products are multitaskers – giving us quick, easy routines and make up applications that don’t take too long to apply or cost too much to buy! Skip the eyeshadow and instead use your favourite bronzer on the cheeks and eyes, then lashings of mascara and a hot lip and you are good to go!’
Dermatologist Dr Harryono Judodihardjo of the Belgravia Dermatology Clinic: Bin The Toner, Anti-Aging Creams And Anti-Cellulite Products
‘In our opinion if your skin is normal and you’re healthy then the only things that you need to do is to clean your skin with a mild cleanser or soap and protect it with sunblock. However, if you’re going to give up any element of your daily routine, let it be:
‘Anti-cellulite cream: There is no anti-cellulite cream that really works! Cellulite is due to excess fat in the superficial layer of the skin that is trapped by fibres. There are no creams that can penetrate the skin deep enough to reduce this problem.
'Toner: In the past, toners are mainly composed of alcohol to act as an astringent to reduce the oil from the face. If your toner has alcohol in the top five in the ingredients list then it should go straight into the bin.
‘Anti-aging or anti-wrinkle creams. There is no effective cream that you can buy over the counter that can effectively reduce wrinkles that you already have. Maybe at best they can plump up your skin. If you want real medications for your wrinkles you would need to go and see your dermatologist for a prescription of real drugs like tretinoin.’
MAC Senior Artist Rebecca Butterworth: Skip Primer And Throwaway The Cream Blusher
‘Invest in your skincare, establish a consistent routine and your skin will be better than ever! With a great moisturiser and a foundation chosen carefully, you don't need a primer too. Or you could get savvy and use a product that combines the best benefits of primers with some colour, like MAC Lightful C Tinted Cream, which adds radiance as well as keeping your skin matte, contains sun protection and gives you a tinted moisturiser style coverage.
‘Never skip lipstick as they can double up as incredible cream blushers! Warm a little lipstick on the heel of your hand and press into your cheeks. It's the quickest way to brighten up your face and keep your makeup looking totally co-ordinated.'
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.