Despite all of the skin care designed to give you brighter skin, sometimes you just need to turn to a cosmetic for the quick fix. I’ve chosen three of my all-time favorite skin brightening cosmetics to help give you a glow for your next special occasion:
1. Best Brightening Concealer: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat has all the old school luxe value of Yves Saint Laurent, yet the newfound technology wouldn’t have been in existence more than ten years ago. The secret is its micronized light-reflecting particles, which simultaneously cover (like a concealer) and reflect (like a highlighter). This product truly has me – and many other TotalBeauty network-affiliated beauty bloggers – absolutely hooked. One note: Be sure that you either match the shade to your skin tone or go no more than one shade lighter; if you go too light, this thick, reflective formula will leave you with half-moons under your eyes.
Ingredients: AQUA (WATER) . CYCLOMETHICONE . GLYCERIN . TALC . PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM (MINERAL OIL) . PEG/ PPG-18/18 DIMETHICONE . MAGNESIUM SULFATE . TRIDECETH-3 . METHICONE . METHYLPARABEN . SQUALANE . [+/- MAY CONTAIN : CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) . CI 77019 (MICA) . CI 77492 (IRON OXIDE) . CI 77491 (IRON OXIDE) . CI 77499 (IRON OXIDE) . CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) . CI 77510 (FERRIC FERROCYANIDE) . CI 77742 (MANGANESE VIOLET) . CI 75470 (CARMINE) . “NF8897” .
2. Best Brightening Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation is a powder-in-liquid formulation that feels like a serum as it glides across the skin and dries with a subtle sheen of light-reflective particles on the skin, making it appear more natural. I swear, despite all of my skin care products, I never was able to achieve that beautiful “finished” look from a cosmetic until I tried Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation!
The secret to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation is its high concentration of methyl trimethicone and dimethicone. Many foundations developed over the past decade contain high amounts of cyclopentosiloxane, but methyl trimethicone and dimethicone are different, with a significantly faster drying time than cyclopentosiloxane. Methyl trimethicone and dimethicone also offer an improved skin feel, spreadability, emolliency, and likability amongst clients (Shin Etsu Silicones, 2011).
Perhaps the only fallback to the fact that Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation has a low cyclopentosiloxane content is the fact that it will not disguise fine lines and wrinkles as well as formulas with the silicone. The reason for this is that cyclopentosiloxane is more viscous than the other silicones, so it is able to temporarily “fill in” minor creases within the skin. Even though the other silicones in Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation will build when additional layers are applied, I’m not too enthusiastic about taking the time to apply numerous layers to wrinkled skin when other light-reflective formulas that are heavier, such as Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, will do the trick in no time flat with one simple coat. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is not quite as luminous as Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, but makes up in coverage what it lacks in light-reflecting capability.
3. Best Light-Reflective Powder (for Highlighting): Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
I love Laura Mercier products. A couple of years ago, I was on vacation in Hawaii, and a salesperson at the Laura Mercier counter was incredibly kind. She had absolutely no idea I was a beauty blogger, and I never told her, but the service was unbelievable – I swear, she tried every primer and concealer imaginable on me to find the perfect formula and shade! At any rate, Laura Mercier Brightening Powder also does not fail to deliver. Unlike the other products, Laura Mercier Brightening Powder is not designed for use all over your face: rather, dust a very small amount onto an eyeshadow brush and gently apply. When I have tried Laura Mercier Brightening Powder, I mix a tiny bit of it with concealer on a brush first. Silicones make Laura Mercier Brightening Powder soft and silky, gliding well across the skin, and a little goes a very long way! One warning: if you have deep eye wrinkles, this may have more of a highlighting effect for the lines than a brightening effect for your eyes.