Inspired by a recent smattering of unsightly blemishes, seemingly permanent purple marks beneath my eyes and the constant need to make both disappear whenever I leave the house, I am dedicating this week’s beauty column to the marvellous Quick Fix.
If you are lazy like me when it comes to preparing one’s face to assault the world outside your house, or at the constant mercy of Murphy’s Law which dictates perfect hair and skin is all yours until you have to go out in public, then the Quick Fix is your best friend. A product that does its job quickly and quietly, much like an assistant to Madonna, one might imagine.
SKIN
One’s skin is the cruelest mistress, I find. If it’s having a bad day, you can’t tie it up, or hide it under a hat. Sure, you can hide a zit under the skin’s equivalent of a hat, concealer but then everyone just stares at the zit hidden under a brick of concealer. Skin also finds it funny to wait until the last minute to appear sallow or wan, or enlarge its pores, or something equally as unattractive, so you step out for that party looking nowhere near as good as you were looking dancing around your bedroom in a moment of madness the other day.
So, the scenario …
No matter how good your foundation is (or if, like me, you eschew foundation altogether) there is nothing quite like dewy, fresh skin. A good skin routine enough sleep and a varied diet are the basics, but a little luxury help never goes astray.
Most of us aren’t in the position to go for laser resurfacing (however all power to you if you are) and so the next option is finding a product that delivers the same benefits. It won’t strictly be a quick fix, but it will mean you don’t have to use Beauty Flash Balm every time you leave the house – your skin will be naturally even and soft.
Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimising Skin Refinisher is a beautiful product. With its silky texture and cool feel, it’s quickly absorbed and designed to penetrate deep within the skin’s surface layers. Skin resurfacing benefits include minimizing pores and speeding fresher, healthy looking skin cells to the surface. It won’t happen overnight, this is a product that requires you to work with it daily, but the result is worth it. Consider it your semi-quick fix – after all, what are a few weeks for a lifetime of super smooth skin? RRP: $98 for 30ml
Looking Tired
You know how it goes. There’s an important something in the diary and you look like hell because you tossed and turned all night. You feel like hell and your skin looks like plasticine.
Enter stage right Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Dream Cream for Face. Hydration, antioxidants and light diffusing technology all in one wonderful little tube. Fig extract and a host of other ingredients help to de-stress skin and enable hydration, while spectral light diffusers give the effect of your skin being bathed in Vogue-shoot esque lighting. RRP: $25
Blemishes
Nothing needs to be said about these heinous things, except they’re unattractive, inconvenient and the 
faster they disappear the better. And don’t squeeze them. Do as I say, not as I do.
As soon as you see a spot come up, hit it. Clean your face and dab on a drying out treatment. If you’re under siege, a masque and a night time treatment is your first port of call.
Nivea Visage Bye-bye Spot SOS Stick is a fast acting treatment that dries out spots with hamamelis and salicylic acid. It’s clear, so you can dab it on night and day. RRP: $8.95
A great alternative to drying the bejesus out of your skin with drying treatments, if you have several spots and the threat of more, is Nivea Visage Young Bye Bye Spot! Night Care - it’s a lightweight gel cream that reduces skin sebum and soothes with Provitamin B5. It’s like a preemptive strike and I have to say, it dealt with my skin rather nicely. Within two nights, I was back on the path to clear, smooth skin. RRP: $9.95
EYES
Bags & Puffiness
A bad night’s sleep, a succession of bad nights or a crying stint can leave one with horrible puffy eyes – or more accurately, little slitty eyes and puffy surrounding skin. There is nothing quite so disturbing as facing the world with slitty eyes and puffy surrounding skin, both for you, and the person who has to converse with said slitty eyes.
If you’re after a natural remedy, cold tea bags, cucumbers or cold milk works wonders. If you’re out of any of the above, then reach for Origins No Puffery Cooling Mask for Puffy Eyes. Apart from having a sensational name, it works wonders for tired, puffy eyes. Yeast extract gets rid of bags and de-puffs the skin, while Hoelen mushroom extract calms the surrounding area. Use as a masque for the eye area, or apply sparingly and leave on for an all day treatment. RRP: $46
Dark circles
If they’re not hereditary, you can get rid of these things by using a quality eye cream. Instant, temporary banishment can come in the form of Clarins Eye Flash Balm, but regularly using eye cream means permanent banishment and it really doesn’t take that long to achieve.
The market is saturated with eye creams promising all sorts of things – tightening, brightening, lifting, nipping, tucking, brilliance yadda yadda yadda – and trust me, I have sampled my fair share in an effort to find a good one that doesn’t promise me the world, cost an arm and a leg, and then never delivers.
Yes to Carrots Eye Can C Clearly Now is a winner. Carrot seed oil, carrot juice, cucumber juice and dead sea mud blend to form this fresh little pot of goodness that feels rich and cool on the skin around the eye area. My eyes usually weep, no matter what I put near them, but not so with my new carrot loving buddy. Now, go and eat your vegetables. RRP: $21.95
HAIR
Oily Roots & No Time to Shampoo
There really is only one star of this show, and it’s my true love, Principessa Bianco Breeze Hair and Body Powder. It smells good enough to eat, absorbs oil in a trice, and a simple sprinkle or two leaves you with voluminous, scented, fresh as a daisy hair. This Canadian brand is one of my all time favourites, I have sampled the entire range at some point. Some may almost call me dangerously in love. The range is available exclusively at Sassi Sam. RRP: $32
LIPS
Cracked and Thirsty
I don’t need to harp on about lip balms. I think it’s safe to say it’s probably the lone beauty product in the beauty product consuming world that everyone has owned at least one of (men, I am looking at you as well). I will say sticky glosses aren’t your hydration friend, stick to a natural balm.
If the cooling weather is wreaking havoc on your lips, never underestimate the power of sleeping with zinc cream on the offending areas. And for the rest of the day, keep a nourishing balm on hand like any of these gems …
- Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter (I love it in mint): this is a brilliant balm, I haven’t been so excited about a lip balm since the Body Shop redesigned their range. RRP: $5.95
- Feel Good Mixed Berries Lip Butter: very natural, not too sticky, a great overnight balm as well. $4.99
- U Little Beauty Kiss Me Quick Nourishing Lip Balm: full of all the good things in life – calendula, macadamia and avocado seed oil. RRP: $14.95
MULTI TASKERS
Everyone loves a multi-tasker. They save room, time and energy, taking care of several issues at once and in no time at all. A base with SPF and light reflecting ingredients? Yes please. A cheek tint that doubles as a lip stain? Absolutely. One compact you can use for all-over foundation and one-off concealer? Why not.
Base Wunderkinds
Estee Lauder DayWear Plus - a sheer tinted moisturizer that gives light, even coverage and contains anti-ageing antioxidants and SPF 15+. An overachiever, even in the multi-tasking world. RRP: $76
Benefit Hello Flawless – this little baby will hit stores in May and is everything you’d ever need in a compact (and a really attractive compact at that). Using the brush, sweep on for a sheer finish, or using the sponge, dab on for spot cover-up. RRP: $63
Inika Nurture Mineral Foundation - a concealer, foundation and powder in one, not to mention 100% vegan and 100% cruelty free. Dust on with the Kabuki brush for overall coverage and should a blemish taint your glorious visage, simply dab on a touch more on and around that area, and blend. RRP: $54.95
Lips/Cheeks
Benefit Posie-tint Lip & Cheek Stain – we all know my deep love for the original Benetint, and now I am adding Posie to my harem of cheek stains. For those who prefer a pinker cheek to a red one, this is for you. A soft poppy pink for the apples of your cheeks – an instant pick-me-up and a beautiful daywear alternative. RRP: $53
Napoleon Barely Blushing - this is a lovely, rich berry colour that glides on and stays on. It’s thicker than the tints I usually use, but it’s worth it for the length of time your cheeks stay rosy and oh so perfectly flushed. RRP: $30
NOW, GIRLS & BOYS, LISTEN UP … I want to dedicate the next column to things that you don’t usually find in the glossies. Any non mainstream beauty questions and quibbles you need addressing? olivia@nichecreativemedia.com
Cover image by jnx404 on Flickr
