The best makeup with skincare benefits

You might think of a skincare routine as a morning ritual before you apply make-up, or an evening one to remove it. But what if make-up itself was infused with skincare ingredients? Well, hybrid products that blur the line between the two are on the rise, and the beauty industry is increasingly adopting skincare terminology to reinforce a message of wellbeing. Here are some of my favourite products…

Foundation

La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation, £105 for 33ml

On the days when you need coverage but don’t want foundation to weigh on the skin or clog the pores, La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation with SPF20 delivers a natural-looking finish. At its heart lies La Mer’s patented Miracle Broth: a secret blend of sustainably harvested giant sea kelp, velvet algae, minerals and nutrients that undergoes a three- to four-month fermentation process. The results are radiance-enhancing. 

Highlighters

Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded is a highlighter charged with antioxidant-rich avocado seed oil for hydration, and vitamin C to neutralise rogue free radicals and even out tone. The non-oily glide comes from Tsubaki oil, rich in Omega-9 and polyphenols. “I noticed a gap in the market where traditional make-up often neglected the health of the skin,” founder Gucci Westman tells me. “Make-up should be an extension of skincare, working to nourish and protect the skin while providing a flawless finish.”

Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, £40 for 50ml

Likewise, Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum is another highlighter and primer with the benefits of a serum. Wear before moisturising, even on days when you feel like going make-up-free. The split viscous serum allows you to freshly mix a cocktail of two per cent brightening niacinamide, four types of hyaluronic acids and caffeine-rich cacao in the palm of your hand. The results create a light-reflecting dewy finish.

Primer

Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions Beauty Balm, $87 for 55ml

Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions Beauty Balm is a brilliant four-in-one primer, moisturiser, oil controller and SPF35 broad-spectrum sunscreen. What gives this formula its gravitas is the palmitoyl tripeptide-5, an amino acid-signalling peptide that acts on skin receptors to stimulate collagen production. The in-the-moment result is a polished complexion, with regular use leading to enhanced firmness and smoothing of deep, static wrinkles. 

Liquid Bronzer

Dr Hauschka Translucent Bronzing Tint is a sustainable, clean mix of medicinal anthyllis, witch hazel leaves and pressed seed oils. Wearing make-up and bronzers on hot days may cause sensitivity and pore congestion, but this feather-light nourishing tint allows the skin to breathe and appear flawless. (Blended with a moisturiser it can also mimic a sun-soaked holiday glow on a wintry day.) 

Cream Blush 

Chanel No 1 de Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm, £38 for 6.5g

Pigment-loaded make-up can suffocate the pores. Switch your powder-based blusher to a cream-based option such as Chanel No 1 de Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm. Its key ingredient is red camellia, a botanical that’s rich in antioxidant protocatechuic acid (PCA). PCA’s antioxidant and cell-senescence-inhibiting effects (that is, it stops cells dying and lingering) mean it is great for smoothing wrinkles and slowing skin ageing, so your healthy glow is no fake.

Lip Plumper

U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound, $68 for 15ml

U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound’s combination of palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (a wrinkle-reducing protein fragment) and ceramides (essentially fatty acids) work together to maintain the structure of your skin and boost hydration, creating needle-free pillow lips. “Make-up is a means of enhancing the face – not a tool for changing natural features or covering up the skin,” believes OG fashion blogger-turned-U Beauty founder Tina Chen Craig.

Tinted Sunscreen

ILIA C Beyond Triple Serum SPF40, $64 for 30ml

ILIA C Beyond Triple Serum SPF40 amplifies the benefits of SPF40 with a clever blend of 10 per cent vitamin C, two per cent niacinamide and allantoin – in three tinted shades. I have often emphasised the harmonious coupling of vitamin C and SPF: they bring out the best in each other, as antioxidants, photodamage reversers and skin shields. 

Lastly, remember that while moisturisers and foundations may boast SPF credentials, make-up with sunscreen is added insurance, rather than the main form of protection, as you may not use enough foundation or reapply frequently enough to achieve the SPF listed on the bottle. So always apply an additional layer of SPF, and reapply every two hours. 

@adeelacrown