Article published in Focal Magazine, Issue No: 264, July 31, 2012
All my life
I’ve been afflicted with the insecurity of having freckles and acne scars on the
face. You don’t have to blame me for wanting to look nice and pleasing to the
public, it’s definitely a basic need. My
previous sole target was to find some skin concealer, and you bet I found a
total skin cover-up solution. Thousands may be having the same issues as I do
and I have good news to everyone, there is a way to conceal and hide your skin
imperfections.
Three years
ago I discovered the wonders of Vichy Dermablend.
This is not just a pathetic promotion of the product but it’s my way to help
many people who have the same problem as I do. The product is not new in the
beauty industry but had been existent 15 years creating and designing ways to
cover serious skin discolorations such as scars, birthmarks, and vitiligo.
After trying
a lot of beauty concealer products, I settled to Dermablend, which provided
total skin coverage. Yes, it covers very very well and you should be able to
enjoy 12 hours of lightweight flawless wear (16 with the setting powder). It
has an added SPF 20, dermatologist/ophthalmologist tested, and non-comedogenic
(less likely to occlude/block the skin pores). It’s recommended for minor to
moderate imperfections such as freckles, uneven skin tone, birthmarks,
bruising, rosacea, spider veins, acne scars, tattoos and pigmentation issues.
The biggest
downfall may come from the fact that it only comes in 5 shades: Opal 15, Nude
25, Sand 35 ,Gold 45 and Bronze 55. My
disappointment came when I realized they didn’t have the right shade for my
skin, which is obviously between Gold 45 and Bronze 55. In the end, I settled
with Gold 45, which is not a bad choice after all. But, if they would come up
with something darker, it would have been perfect.
The
foundation, as you might notice, is thicker that the usual foundations we have.
A little application goes
a long, long way. It sets pretty quickly on the skin, and
I have found that using the fingers works better than a brush. The warmth of
your fingers helps the foundation to glide over your skin with ease.
Accessibility
of product is found on most regular drugstores in Europe, Asia and America,
with an exemption in Israel. Product is not available in Superpharm, but only
to local pharmacies that sell Vichy products. Don’t get confused with names Vichy
Dermablend with Dermablend Professional. Yes, they may two different products
but acknowledged to employ the same purpose: to camouflage skin imperfections.
In this article I do refer to Vichy Dermablend, which I have tried personally
and effectively and although many attest that Dermablend Professional is also
good, I may not be able to make a fair and honest review with it because I
haven’t tried it myself. For now I prefer to focus on products that are
tested and proved to be useful to many
consumers.
How to Apply
1. Cover Creme
a. Apply skin moisturizer
before application of Dermablend.
b. Squeeze a small amount of crème on the
finger. Place on the back of your hand and using a circular motion, warm and
soften product until the texture becomes creamier.
c.
Apply directly over imperfection with fingers.
d. Blend outwardly. If extra coverage is
desired, tap on more product over the area.
2. Setting Powder
This is
bought separately and applied after application of cover crème. It is a must to
apply this to ensure lasting wear of the make-up.
a. Pat on setting powder generously over covered
areas. Wait 2 minutes.
b. Brush off excess using a make-up brush.
Lots of Asians have issues with the lack of a double eyelid. It's also the reason why blepharoplasty (or double eyelid surgery) is the second most requested cosmetic procedure among them. Coupled with stubbornly sparse, straight eyelashes, it's the sole reason why many Asian women give up on applying eye makeup and mascara altogether. But just because we are Asians, it doesn't mean we are limited in doing our makeups. Asian eyes are among the most beautiful eye shapes we have around. With the help of proper tools, techniques, and right choice of colours, you could use this advantage to bring out the glow of natural beauty.
Goal: create the illusion of double eyelids with eye
makeup
Tools: slanted brush, shading brush, smudging brush
and blending brush
Instructions:
1. Apply foundation on your lids. This prevents makeup
from sliding off the face.
2. Apply various eyeshadow shades. Start with a
light shade at the ball of your closed eyes, and then switch to a darker shade
onto the crease. Apply the light shade again, just beneath your eyebrow bone
and underneath your eyebrow. By using two or three different shades, one dark,
two light, you create definition and give the eyelid some much needed contours
and crease. Asian eyes are greatly enhanced with the darker shades such as
plum, brown, bronze, gray and black.
3. Add liner
to both top and bottom lash lines and smudge it out to finish. If you only put
it in the lower rim, it makes the eye seem smaller. You have to smudge it out
to bring those outer edges forward, so it makes the eye look larger.
4. Curl
eyelashes
Heat an
eyelash curler with the hair dryer for 5 to 10 seconds. Touch it to make sure
it is not too hot for your eye area.
Gently place
the eyelash curler over your upper eyelash, close to the lash root, and press
down firmly for 15 to 30 seconds. Clamp it down again in the middle section of
your eyelash for another 15 to 30 seconds, then again toward the tips.
5. Apply mascara to add a more dramatic effect. Do not use too much mascara because it can
weigh the lashes down.
