Thanks to my husband’s winning bid at a charity auction, I was the thrilled recipient of an indulgent spa package – facial, massage, mani/pedi, blowout and makeup. Pampered into exhaustion after the sixth hour, I was keen to trade any cosmetics for a nap. The technician won out, softening my polite but insistent rebuffs with her high praises of the makeup artist’s talent and stunning transformations. Thankfully, this old dog learned some new tricks for facial oil that are well worth sharing.
Skin-Loving Primer
Swapping primer for facial oil has been my go-to for more than a decade. It helps to seal in any previous skincare, creating a smooth well-hydrated canvas without congesting pores or typical heaviness. Most primers tend to clog pores, thanks to all the mattifying and blurring ingredients. Yes, even oily skin types can benefit from a non-comedogenic oil like hemp, castor or argan.
Apply facial oil after skincare and wait 5-10 minutes before applying cosmetics. Facial oils amp up the radiance, big time.
Glass-Like Highlighter
Being of a certain age, glitter and sparkle are not my friend. Mixing a few drops of facial oil with highlighter helps to subdue any artifice with a more manageable consistency.
It conceals imperfections much like how glass refracts light. Glitter also reflects the light, but in a way that tends to accentuate any irregular texture - think of how wrinkling worsens after swiping frosted cosmetic onto your hand.
Facial oil alone as a highlighter? Yes, it works and very well. A single drop rubbed on fingertips and then tapped onto the high points of the face – cheekbones, bridge of the nose, brow bones, or Cupid’s bow. It looks amazingly natural and it's super simple.
Tint Facial Oil with Mineral Makeup
I adore the skin benefits of mineral makeup, but not overjoyed with the finish, nor the accentuation of every textural flaw. To my utter amazement, a few drops of facial oil with the loose powder creates a flattering and customizable tint. Applied with a foundation brush, it was lightweight and looked just like skin, only better.
Using a bit more powder, it adequately functions as concealer and works just as well with mineral blush. Thanks to this trick, my mineral powders have gone from my makeup graveyard to my favorite foundation. Who knew and why did you not share?
Perfect Drying/Heavy Foundation
I covet natural and radiance, over longwearing. My addition of facial oil to foundation prior to application minimizes dry patches or looking overtly covered. The thinner consistency aids in a smoother finish, yet remains buildable. Although tempting, avoid adding the facial oil directly into the foundation container. Mixing just prior to use, enables customization based on your skin needs - more oil or coverage.
Oily skin types should seek a non-comedogenic facial oil and may require a light dusting of setting powder following foundation. A must try for those prizing luminous and radiant in face makeup – natural, dewy look with a subtle glow.
Smoothing Lip Treatment
My nightly skin rituals ends with a swipe of facial oil to my lips, but underestimated the smoothing benefits prior to lipstick for day. Smugly confident in my intolerance of matte lip color, a generous coating of oil remained on lips throughout the makeup application. The artist removed residual oil with a tissue and then applied a very matte and very red lipstick.
Amused by the absence of puckering, caking and clumping after five minutes, I was floored when the just-applied look remained for 4 hours. Humbled, I was quite happy to be wrong.
Takeaways
While I use c-boost exclusively as a primer, I use resQoil for most everything. With a-boost containing retinol, I would not recommend its use for days. Naturally, my favorite facial oils are about-face essentials. All the same, any facial oil affords similar benefits to your cosmetic routine. Please, give it a go and share your experience.
On a more personal note, my takeaways were profound reminders. Embrace flexibility and the value of being wrong. A perfect stranger may understand my needs, better than I. There are lessons to learn as long as I remain open to it. I am grateful for the opportunity.
Cheers to Better Skin!
