Wednesday, November 14, 2007

A bit of a pouf

The following is the text of November's Deeply Superficial column in the (sydney) and (melbourne) magazines:

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 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 a kind of revolution has happened with powders. It was only last May, when visiting New York, that a makeup artist friend suggested I dropped into the Sephora emporium for a jar of i.d. bareMinerals powder by Bare Essentials, which she thought among the best. 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 skintone and delivered the kind of glow you see on the cheeks of Hollywood starlets when they’re let out of rehab.

Just like those television commercials and the gushing endorsements of TVSN spokesmodels, mineralising powders work well and they work fast – and seem to suit every face from Gladwrap-smooth teenagers to expression-filled grannies. Because the best of the mineralising products are totally free of harsh chemicals, fillers, talc, preservatives and fragrances, 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 Skinfinish range. Dermatologists sell them to their clients and you can also find cruelty-free and vegan brands in the health food stores. It’s worth investigating these latter options. One brand I’m now using is Inika, founded by Sydney women Miranda Bond and Jenni Williams, who began the Thriving Healthy Women Network that specialises in women’s nutrition hormones and toxic-free living. The range of colours in the foundations and bronzers is excellent, as are 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 in it at my first, too-vigorous attempt. The $54.95 jar probably will last so long it will need to be carbon-dated one day.

Now I’ve got the swing of mineralisers, I’ve discovered something potentially more wonderful. Sydney makeup artist Karen Playel has brought to Australia the ERA spray makeup range from California, which includes foundations, bronzers and primers. This is 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. Really.

I’m a bit of a fool, believe me, and I was very dubious about this, but a quick 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. You can spray a small amount into the palm of your hand first and then dab it where you need more coverage. And 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, tatoos or rosacea will find it a boon.

I admit I was a bit terrified to use it at first, and still find it’s best to tuck my hair under a plastic showercap before I spray, but it only takes one or two goes to become adept. 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 makeup. O, brave new world!