How to Prep Dry Skin Before Applying Makeup

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ageing skin, antioxidant, balm, cleanser, complexion, dead skin cells, dehydrated, Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant, Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30, drier skin, dry skin, dryness, Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist, Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream, fermented, flaky, kefir, make-up, makeup, mist, moisture, moisturising, oil-based, patchy, prep, prime, primer, rooibos tea, skin, spray, Vegan

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Unless you’re lucky enough to have the least problematic skin on the planet, every skin type will have it’s own issues when it comes to make-up application. Ageing skin can struggle with heavier formulas which weigh down the skin while those with oily skin may struggle to get their make-up to last the full day. Today, however, we’re focusing on dry skin and what you can do to prep your skin before applying make-up to ensure that you get the best covering with no patchiness or flaking. 

Choose the Correct Cleanser

If you already have dry skin, the last thing you want to do is choose a cleanser which has ingredients which will further dehydrate your face. We’d recommend using a cleansing oil oir balm, such as Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, to start the cleansing process. Cleansers with an oil or balm texture will help to melt away daily dirt and make-up without stripping the skin’s natural oils and will leave your skin nourished and soothed, with a radiant glow. 

Gently Exfoliate

One of the main issues with applying base products such as foundation to dry skin is that the first place it will cling to is areas of dryness. This will leave your base looking patchy and uneven and it may even appear flaky. The most important thing that you can do to avoid this is gently exfoliating the skin with something like Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant. This will ensure that dead skin cells are sloughed away and your face is a clean canvas on which to paint. 

Properly Moisturise

If you have dry skin, there’s a good chance that you already have a moisturiser in your daily routine, but is it rich enough to properly nourish a dehydrated complexion? Opting for a moisturiser which is specifically formulated to deal with dry skin, such as Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream will ensure that your skin isn’t just drinking in the moisture but still remaining thirsty. 

Prime Your Skin

Many people are under the illusion that cleansing and moisturising is enough, but using a primer is especially important if you have dry skin and want your make-up to sit nicely. Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 will help to smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime for flawless skin and to prepare for make-up application. It’s formulated for use on drier or prematurely ageing skin and will ensure that your skin stays hydrated all day. It also provides broad-spectrum sun protection to prevent harmful UV rays from doing further damage. 

Use a Hydrating Setting Spray

Setting sprays are used quite commonly, but a huge amount of them are alcohol based, making them dehydrating, and therefore bad for dry skin. Imagine doing all of the above to get your skin and make-up on point, only to spray it with something to dry it out?! Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist is a hydrating 4-in-1 treatment mist, infused with antioxidant rich rooibos tea extract and vegan, soy-derived kefir ferment to help soothe and brighten the complexion.  It may also be used as a setting spray to lock makeup in place and revitalise the skin throughout the day.

How to Get the Smoothest Shave

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armpits, bacteria, bath, bikini, blades, blunt, bumps, cool, decleor, direction, dull, exfoliate, exfoliating, hair, hair growth, infection, ingrown hairs, legs, moisture, moisturized, moisturizing, prep, prepare, razor, razor burn, shave, Shaving, shower, skin, smooth, smoother, smoothing, steamy

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Whether it’s your legs, your armpits or any other part of your body, shaving is still the most popular hair removal method the world over. It’s cheap, convenient and you can do it wherever you want, whenever you want, without the need to visit a specialist. Having said that, shaving still has it’s pitfalls, so we thought we’d give you some tips to help you to get your smoothest shave yet.

Steam Your Skin

Skin which is warm is much easier to shave, yet people tend to do their hair removal before they get into the bath or shower, while their skin is still cool. Have your shower first and make sure you get it nice and steamy to open the pores and give you a closer shave.

Get Rid of Dead Skin

The next step should be exfoliation, for a number of reasons. Firstly, exfoliating will get rid of dead skin which will allow your razor to get closer to the roots of the hairs, giving you a smoother finish. Exfoliating will also help to lift any hairs and release any which may be starting to grow inward, reducing your chances of developing ingrown hairs when they start to grow back. This will also make your legs look less ashy in the long run!

Stay Fresh

You should be using a fresh razor (or razor head) every single time you shave. Every time you use a razor, the blades will dull as you move them over the skin, and by the time they’ve defuzzed all the areas you use them on, they’re really too blunt to be useful again. Not to mention the fact that razor blades will harbour bacteria which could cause nasty infections if you reuse them. If you aren’t keen on the idea of using single-use pastic razors, invest in a traditional safety razor which has a metal handle and casing but blades which you replace without the need for plastics.

Go WITH the Grain

Every razor advert on telly shows you images of women starting at their ankle and shaving up, but every barber worth their salt will tell you that shaving WITH the direction of hair growth is not only the best way to get a smooth finish, but it will also help you to avoid both nicks in your skin and ingrown hairs. It often feels like learning to shave is a right of passage for boys, but girls aren’t given the same guidance and we’ve all ended up doing it wrong!

Replenish Moisture

When you exfoliate your legs, then shave them, there’s a good chance that they’re left pretty dry afterwards, even if they don’t look like they are. Slathering your legs with a rich moisturiser like Decleor Nourishing Body Balm will ensure your skin feels nourished and hydrated.

Banish Your Pre-Holiday Skin Problems

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acne, ashy, beach, bikini, cellulite, confidence, control, decleor, dermalogica, dimpled, dry skin, Elemis, holiday, issues, mattify, oil, oily skin, pool, prep, problems, sebum, skin-confidence, smooth, stretch marks, swimming, swimming pool, tiger stripes, vacation

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Summer has officially started, now that we’re past the longest day, and for many of us that means that we can really start to look forward to our holidays. However, baring all on the beach or going make-up free can feel like a totally nightmare if you’ve got skin issues, so we thought we’d take a look at five common skin complaints and what you can do to clear them up before it’s time to jet off to hotter climes.

Cellulite

Probably the single most common issue for women to be worried about before sticking on their bathing suit is cellulite. As most of use know, cellulite is an area of fat cells which gives a dimply appearance – and most of us have it somewhere on our bodies! Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil is a treatment oil which can be massaged into areas of cellulite to help to banish the build up of toxins which cause cellulite and give a more even appearance if used regularly.

Acne

Acne isn’t usually something whch is going to be cured overnight, but for many sufferers the thought of going bare-faced beside the pool is a massive no-no. Switching to the Dermalogica Clear Start system ahead of your holiday should help to get your skin under control, and using Dermalogica Breakout Control in the event of a breakout should help to give you skin-confidence.

Dry Skin

Nothing can ruin the look of a bikini worse than dry skin everywhere and ashy-looking knees and elbows! Nourishing your skin with a rich moisturiser before you go away will not only help to banish your dry skin, but it can also help to prep your skin for sun exposure, helping you to get a more even tan and avoid burning. Use Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil for an intense burst of moisture with a scent which will make you think of a tropical island every time you use it!

Oily Skin

Hot weather can really exacerbate the over-production of sebum so if you’re prone to oily skin, going on holiday can be a really worry for your complexion. Using Decleor 2 in 1 Purifying and Oxygenating Mask will help to deeply mattify your skin before you jet off, and packing Dermalogica Oil Control Lotion will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you have your skin under control.

Stretch Marks

Many women now embrace their ‘tiger stripes’ because they’re a totally normal part of being a woman, but for some of us, we still feel a little self-conscious about stretch marks. Decleor Sculpt Stretch Mark Restructuring Gel-Cream, when applied regularly, will to help prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks, giving you the confidence to bear-all on the beach.

Quick Christmas Beauty

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beauty, Christmas, decleor, Decleor BB Cream 24 Hour Hydration SPF15, Decleor Intense Brightening Mask, Decleor Soothing Micellar Water, dermalogica, Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque, Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer SPF30, face, mask, masque, oil, prep, sebum, serum

As much as we’d all like to HOPE for a relaxing time over the Christmas period, the reality for most of us is going to be far more hectic. Between shopping, wrapping, cooking, hosting, visiting and all the other things we’ll be cramming into the next few weeks, it’s likely that we’ll be neglecting ourselves in favour of keeping everything else together.

Here at Pure Beauty, we’ve put our heads together to come up with some fast beauty fixes that you can fit in between all the festivities to keep you looking and feeling your best.

The Night Before…

If you’re anything like us, the later part of Christmas Eve is usually spent doing all of the last minute prep like wrapping and baking, in order to be ready for the big day. Before you start all the wrapping, use some Decleor Soothing Micellar Water to remove all of your make-up and the grime from the day. Once your face is clean, apply Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque which will help to purify and revive your skin whilst removing excess oil and ensuring you don’t get any unwanted breakouts. Leave it on while you do your wrapping and take off before bed for a great freshener.

The Big Day

On Christmas Day, the opportunity for a beauty session is usually rare, so you’ll need some super quick fixes to help you put your best face forward. Prep your skin with a layer of Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer SPF30, which will help even your skin tone and texture allowing for a smoother application and longer lasting coverage of makeup to follow. Follow this with Decleor BB Cream 24 Hour Hydration SPF15 which will not only moisturise and protect your skin, but also illuminates and evens out the complexion.

The Morning After

When you wake up on Boxing Day, the day before often feels like a surreal dream which all passed far too quickly (and with FAR too much money having been spent!) Now is the time to take a moment for yourself to pamper your skin after what was probably a long day of eating, drinking and having fun. We recommend using a Decleor Intense Brightening Mask to refresh, hydrate and brighten dull skin. We’d also suggest smoothing a soothing serum like Decleor Rose D’Orient Soothing Oil Serum to really replenish those lost nutrients.