Great title right? Whiten your skin? Sounds very strange!
You may have read on a few occasions where I mentioned that I use a "secret" whitening agent on my skin prior to foundation. This is in fact a post about what I use to achieve not only a flawless completion but also how I take the shade of my skin down a notch or two or three if I so desire (I normally try to lighten it one shade down as I believe it makes me appear fresher).
Those of you from the western side of the world may find this a strange technique and those of you from the eastern side of the world may very well relate to wanting your skin a shade or two lighter then what it already is.
But Muse why do you want your skin tone lighter?
The Muse does not embrace the idea of being tan or bronze. For myself personally I don't like my skin as it is. It's a medium fair and to me it appears very dull. This is not to say that darker skin types aren't beautiful because they are very gorgeous! The problem is that I don't like the way I look in a shade of medium. My skin somehow lacks the flawlessness I seek in it's current state. My sister favors my dad and is a deeper tan color and she works it well but my own skin tone feels dull to me.
So what do I do? I take it down a notch or two and make it whiter (or paler whichever way you want to say it!).
I think whitening it gives me not only a fresher look but also a good working canvas for my makeup. Colors seem to be brighter on my face, my foundation seems to work better, and I just appear younger and more flawless looking when I take the extra step to whiten my skin.
Think of the beautiful Geisha and maiko and the utter elegance of their makeup. Granted we don't want to appear that white but the beauty of the Geisha's flawless face can't be denied.
I think Asian woman on a whole are always looking for that extra step to whiten their skin a notch or two which could account for how popular whitening fluids, foundations, etc...are within Japan, China, Etc.... Most of these products do not technically whiten the skin but just offer a bit of shimmer or what I call a candlelight glow. I can't count how many items are available for purchase that have "whitening" in the title outside of the US. From creams to foundations and powders! And yes the Muse has tried and used them all!
The idea and popularity of a pale complexion within the Asian culture is pretty common and woman go to extreme lengths to keep their skin pale.
I admit that I do much the same. I am utterly obsessed with staying out of the sun. I look terrible tan. Absolutely terrible. And I go to the extreme myself to keep my skin as pale as humanly possible.
I guess I'm babbling a bit here and you're about ready to hear what I use to whiten my skin.
I don't normally share my secrets but since the Muse loves you so much she'll tell you exactly how to take your skin tone down a few notches. Since starting Musings and mentioning my "whitening agent" I get at least an e-mail a day asking about it. I know of at least six readers that actually went out and purchased the item that I am about to show you and have had good to great success using it (I hope they'll comment and let us know how they are doing with it!).
Lilac Base.
Huh? What's dat?
If you can find a cream base of lilac you can easily take your skin tone down a notch. Blended correctly it'll look flawless and very natural.
I've been using the same Lilac Base for Mmmmm about 12 years or so? Maybe a bit more. This may come as a shock but the Lilac cream base I use is from Signature Club A. Those of you here in the US are probably familiar with the line. It's sold via HSN. The entire collection is pretty much geared towards the mature lady and truly most of the items sold are utter crap but the lilac cream base is freaking outstanding.
A really, really long time ago a friend of my mother's had seen how into cosmetics I was and she had purchased me a kit from Signature Club A. Granted it was super nice of her to do so but at the time I couldn't help thinking, "what the hell am I going to do with this garbage?"
Turns out she did me a rather awesome favor because inside the kit was a color wheel palette which included several face primers ranging from beige, pale blue, lilac, pink, peach, and yellow. I ended up using three of the colors religiously in my everyday routine and to this day I still use them and repurchase them again and again and again.
Which colors and how do I use them?
- Lilac: Used as a pre-foundation base for lightening my skin.
- Light Blue: Used under my eyes prior to concealer to diminish dark circles COMPLETELY and brighten my eye area 100%!
- Yellow: Used under my eyes and sometimes on my face to calm any red spots.
The lowdown on Lilac:
You have to be very, very, very, very careful when using this cream. It's very pigmented and it reminds me of clown makeup. It's referred to in some reviews as stage makeup which is very correct. It's very emollient so it's great for anyone with dry skin. The potential for clogging your pores with this is a reality so to prevent that be sure to wash your face throughly after use. If you're prone to acne or your face is suffering from break outs now I'd avoid it as this could potentially make it worst. Is it breathable? Yes. It feels very natural on and it doesn't feel like you're wearing a mask of makeup.
Lilac Cream Base
This is not for using as a foundation. This is not for using on it's own. This is not for using all over your face.
You can't wear this alone because you'll look like a ghost. This is most effective when used in conjunction with your normal foundation. You can't use this all over your face. It'll make you look awful.
The best way to use this is prep and prime with your toner, moisturizer, and primer of choice. Apply the Lilac onto the sides of your nose and slowly blend it outwards. Apply to the sides of your mouth and above your lip area and blend. These are places that shadow on my skin so they are the areas I concentrate on brightening up. Use a little touch of the product to begin and slowly build it up but don't go overboard.
Now apply your foundation and concealer and you're done. Flawless and ready for your main point makeup!
The basics of Blue:
Light blue as a concealer could never work could it? Yes, it works perfectly. Tricia Sawyer knows that but failed to come out with a good enough product to perform the job. Signature Club A's version of the failed Tricia Sawyer Eye Slept is entitled Anchorwoman Blue. It's been around a whole lot longer than Tricia Sawyer's version. I've been using this for ages and I've never found a better product for totally vanishing my dark circles. This is a light baby blue color and I apply it prior to concealer. You can use it alone if you prefer but be sure to blend properly and not to go overboard. It's easy enough to apply. A few dots, a pat of your fingertip, and you're done. I normally apply a concealer on top as it gives a more natural look for me.
It does wonders for Dark Circles. I swear to you that it will erase any dark circles you may have. The Muse promises this product will change your life. Honest to god. I've been using it for over ten years for that reason!
What's Yellow do?
The final product I use is a Yellow Cream Base from Signature Club A and this basically conceals redness, blemishes, and other imperfections. I use this mostly as a prep for my upper eye area as it preps my eye area for shadow prior to applying my Primer Potion. I normally use Benefit Lemon Aid but I do reach for for this during the breakout days!
All these colors used to be included in a color wheel palette and I'm actually relieved they now sell them individually for a very inexpensive price of $14.50 USD each. You get a brush and a pot of the concealer color of your choice plus shipping which to me is a deal and a half. Strangely enough this post was inspired by the fact that I am running low on all three colors so I had re-order and decided to go ahead and do a post about it!
Happily the concealers are now only available in beige, yellow, lilac, and blue where in they used to be combined in a palette with pink and peach as well. I never really used the beige, pink, or the peach so it's nice that I can now buy the colors I need instead of being forced into buying a palette for a few colors (not that I mind as I'd kill for any of the three colors I mentioned to you).
So that's all folks. My article on how to take your skin tone down a notch, how to rid yourself of dark, icky circles, and how I achieve "false" flawlessness!
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Labels: Beauty Babblings, Beauty Secrets
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