Do you look in the mirror (or indeed at your Zoom reflection) and think your skin looks a bit ‘meh’. ‘Meh’ skin is that lacklustre, slightly grey, somewhat dry visage that needs a blast of life. Luckily, Senior PRO artist, Warren Dowdall, knows exactly how to combat it and basically give your face a wake-up call.
When I asked him why my skin was looked so ‘meh’ right now, he explained it’s all to do with stress, too much screentime and blue light. “Most of us are working from home, stuck to our screens and find it hard to ‘switch off’ from work mode,” he says. “This paired with an extra element of stress can disrupt sleep patterns which mean a dull complexion, drier skin and dark circles, which can impact your skin’s ability to repair and produce collagen, meaning a slacker, less taut look over time. Not what anyone wants!” Hear hear.
Being stuck inside is really wreaking havoc with our complexions and although being indoors means less exposure to daily pollutants and damaging UV rays, it’s not the ideal situation, according to Warren.
“Because we are constantly on our phones, laptops and tablets, our skin is exposed to more and more High Energy Visible Light, also known as Blue Light. This can potentially cause hyperpigmentation along with the breakdown of collagen and elastin proteins in the skin.” Oh, and that penchant for late-night Deliveroo and Pinot Noir isn’t helping either. “We tend to be less active and more prone to treating ourselves to that extra glass of wine or sweet treat, which can give us breakouts, redness and flare up certain skin conditions like eczema. We are also in near constant central heating, which can exacerbate surface dehydration and dryness.”
It’s all going to sh** for our skin, isn’t it? So what can we do about it? Here are Warren’s top tips for waking up your face…
Massage
First, take a minute or two to massage the skin to stimulate the circulation using Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil. Start at the jawline and massage outwards and upwards working your way up your face and with gentle circular movements around the eyes. This will help de-puff the face and restore a fresher look.
Exfoliate
Next, use a quick exfoliating mask to buff away any surface dead skin cells for a brighter looking, more even-toned complexion. To negate the dehydration caused by central heating, apply a hyaluronic acid serum on slightly damp skin to instantly plump and support your skin, giving it a youthful glow.
Brighten the eyes
To instantly brighten the undereye area, use a corrector before concealer to neutralise any darkness. If you see a blue/purple darkness, choose a bisque tone, whereas if you see a more brown or green darkness, choose a peach tone.
For a more natural look, follow with a skin tone correct concealer or, If you love a super bright look, follow with a concealer one shade lighter than your skintone. The golden ratio is 2/3 corrector to 1/3 concealer so keep your application light handed.
Smooth skin
Choose a hydrating foundation formula that reflects light and diffuses signs of dryness or dehydration on the skin. This will look really flattering and enhance the complexion without looking heavy. Remember that we want our foundation to look like healthy, glowing skin so apply with a dense brush where more coverage is needed first in the centre panel and sheer as you go towards the edges of the face.
Use the Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF40which will instantly recharge the skin’s appearance with its silky bi-phase serum. It’s lightweight, so the skin will still be able to breathe and feel comfortable and acts as a great multi purpose product, with the skincare benefits of an SPF serum with the complexion and lightweight formula of a foundation. The active ingredients are great at plumping the skin, and this combined with prepping skin with the moisture balm will ensure the serum formula doesn’t crease of gather around and within the fine lines. Apply with a face brush for an instant luminous and natural looking finish on the skin.
Blush and highlight
Cream blush is a great way to add a pop of colour to instantly brighten the complexion. Apply with fingers on the apple of the cheek for a sheer second-skin flush of colour. If you prefer more pay off, apply with a paddle style foundation brush and blend.
Highlighting powder will give the skin instant dimension and glow. The trick to keeping it modern is to avoid highlighter with a frosted finish-we want a watery glow as opposed to little girl glitter. Apply with a dense fan brush on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and above the Cupid’s bow. I love pressing a little right in the inner corner of the eye to instantly look more awake and bright.
Lip service
Colour choice for eyes and lips can transform your look. Choosing your perfect nudes will make your look cohesive, polished and fresh- simply look at the tones that exist in your skin and work with them.
If you have a cooler skin tone, look at mink browns, pinks and mauves. If you have a warmer undertone, look at shades of warm pink, peaches, chocolates, and bronzes.
It’s all in the eyes
For a universally flattering everyday eyeliner technique, tight lining is the way forward. This will help the eye look awake without looking heavy. Simply pull up the upper eye lid and push Longwear Gel Liner into the lashline, creating a fuller looking lashline and a more open eye. Follow with a dense black mascara on top and bottom lashes to add definition.”