I Found a Thick Moisturizer That Doesn’t Ruin My Makeup
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As someone with perpetually dry skin, I’ve always had a tendency to reach for thicker moisturizers. When freezing temperatures come into play, my skin demands evenmorehydration (as evidenced by my complexion’s lack of glowiness and the sudden appearance of dry flakes around my nose). I used to inevitably face the same dilemma every winter: Lightweight gels that layered nicely under myfoundationcouldn’t shield my skin from cold air and my apartment’s radiator heat. But thicker, more emollient face creams that felt lush in the jar pilled under my everyday face makeup.
Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Creamgives me a noticeable glow, but it predates the “glazed doughnut” era. It was the first winter moisturizer that was rich enough to protect my skin and create a smooth base for my makeup. I’ll stand at my bathroom counter applying products all night long, but I’m only capable of so much at 7 a.m. My pre-coffee routine needs to be as streamlined as humanly possible. I’d tried about 120 moisturizers and, yes, they did that basic thing, but often my foundation (Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silkfor over a decade) couldn’t be layered on top. It would slip off my face and there were noticeable brushstrokes.
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The Dewy Skin Cream was exactly what my skin-care routine was missing, and I’ve interviewed enough makeup artists to know that the secret to its layerability lies in its formula. I attribute the bounciness that it gives my skin to known moisture boosters like squalane and hyaluronic acid, but a closer look at the label reveals that water and dimethicone are the first ingredients listed. Despite a recent reformulation that generated a lot of buzz among its longtime fans, both are still listed first on Luminous Silk’s ingredient list as well. Since it’s water-based, an oil-based moisturizer would never create the seamless finish I wanted. But the similarities in Tatcha and Armani Beauty’s formulations result in a base that looks healthy, silky, and just shiny enough to appear glowy rather than greasy. Whether I use a makeup brush or a sponge, there’s never a struggle to create a natural-looking blend.
It’s an undoubtedly pricey pairing, but a little goes a long way, and I’ve yet to find a more compatible duo than Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream and Armani’s Luminous Silk. The combination helps me look radiant even after my skin has been exposed to below-freezing wind-chill factors and makes it so hard to detect that I’m wearing foundation at all.
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