The in-thing for skin (From Living Northeast)

The in-thing for skin

11:17am Tuesday 29th December 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Minerals has become a bit of a buzzword in the world of make-up. Jenny Laue tries out a new range that does the job – without containing any nasty chemicals.

THE magazines are full of must-have products, especially make-up, and a lot of them sound pretty gimmicky. Mineral cosmetics, however, have risen quietly but steadily to the top of every make-up expert’s list of essentials and minerals has become a bit of a buzzword.

Now Saks, which knows a thing or two about hair and beauty, is selling cosmetics, too, and the company has chosen products based on minerals from Youngblood, an American company little known in the UK.

Don’t be fooled by the name. Youngblood is not one of those uber-trendy ranges aimed at teenage girls, with green block-colour lipstick or orange eye shadow. It takes its name from founder Pauline Youngblood Soli, who developed her own products after being told never to wear make-up again after a severe case of acne.

Pauline worked in the Beverly Hills offices of dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons as a licensed Medical Aesthetician and determined to find products women could use on their skins after particularly harsh facial treatments, such as chemical peels.

Pop princess and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole is said to swear by Youngblood make-up, so I went along to Saks in Ripon, the only salon in the North to have the range in stock so far, to see what all the fuss is about.

I count myself lucky that I have pretty normal skin. I do have the dreaded T-zone, but break-outs are rare and very few products cause irritation.

But since finding out I am expecting my first baby, I have noticed light brown patches of discolouration on my fair skin – a normal but rather annoying effect of the pregnancy hormones. So make-up artist Vicky Parker has her job cut out if she wants to convince me that something as light as powder foundation will not only cover up my pores, but also those horrid patches.

Vicky puts on the pearl loose powder foundation she has chosen to match my skin tone on the left half of my face only, I can see a massive difference. Everything is more even, brighter and smoother and she’s achieved this with a few specks of powder and one… two… three sweeps with a brush (or kabuki). It takes Vicky only two minutes tops to apply foundation to my whole face.

Next come the colours. Like the mineral foundation I am now wearing, all Youngblood’s blushers, eye shadows, mascaras, lipsticks and liners are free of perfumes, alcohol, parabens, talc or petroleum dyes, which is reassuring to know as I am worried about how many potentially harmful chemicals my unborn baby and I absorb through my skin.

To my surprise, Vicky applies a bronzer in a figure of three to my cheeks, chin and forehead, as well as crushed mineral blusher in a colour called tulip. I would never have dared to put it on myself, but the combination of bronzer and blusher does bring a healthy glow to my face and brightens my eyes.

Then, with colours such as spice, mink and chestnut, Vicky applies my eye make-up in a small V-shape, which creates a smoky effect, but because the colours are kept neutral it’s suitable for day wear.

Last, but not least, Vicky fills in my lips with a lipliner with a lick of rose-coloured lip gloss on top. Even after eating a post-lunch toffee apple, the colour stayed put and best of all, being totally perfume free, it really didn’t taste or smell of anything at all, something which has put me off lipstick in the past.

The finished result is absolutely brilliant – fresh, radiant, but at the same time natural. And, best of all, all the Youngblood products used are so light, it feels like I’m not wearing any make-up at all. I am definitely a convert.

■ Saks Hair and Beauty, 23 High Skellgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1BD. Tel: 01765-690125; ybskin.com or dermapure.eu