I guess it’s sort of ironic that as soon as I started really playing with makeup, Covid hit. For a while, I kept doing a full face every day, even when I was just home or completely masked. Cystic acne around my jawline kept getting worse, so I would keep wearing makeup. The cycle continues.
Luckily, my friend Kaytee suggested to me what has become my holy grail of makeup/skincare: Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30. It’s hard to say that this was the product that totally fixed me, because I was also playing around with Vitamin C and Retinol serums – they take some time to actually start working because your skin goes through a purge phase – but Cicapair was the most different of the new products that I was using.
Think of it like a tinted moisturizer. It starts as a mint green color, with a light, fresh scent. I rub it together with the tips of my fingers then apply it like I would any other moisturizer. For me, it blends perfectly while lightly covering some discoloration I have, especially around the nose. Full disclosure, one of the girls in my group chat said it looked orange on her, but I haven’t experienced this. It just gives me a dewy, natural look. Definitely not full coverage, if that’s what you’re looking for.
I also read that liquid blush works better on top of Cicapair than powder blush. I’m so so on Glossier’s Cloud Paint (I mean it’s fine) and was totally underwhelmed by e.l.f.’s Monochromatic Multi Stick (very little color payoff, more like a highlighter). My favorite by far is Lano Baby Rose Gold 101 Ointment Balm & Tint. I read some reviews that said it was too bright, but I’ve found that if I used a pea-sized amount, dab it on my cheeks, use the extra as lip balm, and blend with a blush brush, I just look naturally flushed. Add some brow gel (here, Glossier excels!), waterproof mascara, and I’m good to go.
Skin concern-wise, even my typical hormonal cystic acne is all but gone. I have the occasional chin incident that goes away in a matter of days with First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma BHA Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid. I’m still wearing a mask on the bus, through my office building, and anywhere else that asks me to, but my maskne is virtually no more.
I still wear a full face when I go out, but catch me for the rest of the summer (or forever) in a more natural state.
Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30||Lano Baby Rose Gold 101 Ointment Balm & Tint||Boy Brow grooming pomade||L’Oreal Paris Bambi Eye Waterproof Mascara
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