Fact: Shiny faces don't look good in photographs. There's a certain science to photography, and light bouncing off the shine in your face detracts from your real beauty. Even if you're not being photographed for that once-in-a-lifetime moment, shine still gets in the way of a perfectly made up face. So, what is the solution to this perennial problem? It's quite simple - get rid of the shine.
A good cleansing and toning routine can reduce the excess oil which is often the cause of unwanted shine. Some women skip the toning stage in the mistaken belief that cleansing is enough but toning is a bit like rinsing the dishes after you've washed them - just like rinsing your dishes gets rid of soap, toning will remove the cleanser from your face.
Toners will also mop up surface oil or sebum from the skin and some moisturisers can also help to reduce shine. For example the OligoPur Shine Control Moisturizing Fluid (£20.50/50ml) from Phytomer boosts cell renewal and controls the shine on your face.
Make-up artist Delita Tintos from Fashion Fair agrees that a good cleansing, toning and moisturising routine can help reduce shine. She recommends using a light, preferably oil-free moisturising lotion. From the Fashion Fair range, she suggests using the Hidden Beauty Pore Minimiser (£27), which can be applied to areas most affected by shine. Water-based foundations such as the Fashion Fair Cream to Powder compact (£20) or the new True Finish liquid make-up (£18) can also help to give your skin a matte finish.
For touch ups during the day look out for oil-control powders such as the Fashion Fair oil control loose powder (£20) or compact (£21).
Becca Fine Pressed Powder (£30) which gives you a smooth 'demi-matt' finish can also help to remove shine and keep your make-up fresh. The powders are available in 12 shades and are best applied with a powder puff for touch ups or a brush for a sheer application. You could also try the Matte Silk Foundation (£28) from Giorgio Armani which comes in 10 shades.
Prevention and cure
You can prevent or reduce shine by 'matifying' your face before or even after applying your make-up. Or you can 'cure' it by getting rid of it once it surfaces.
Dead Sea specialists AHAVA, offer help at the prevention stage with their matifying products. The Purifying Gel (£12.90/125ml) for oily skin helps to prevent the excretion of excess sebum and can be used with the Matifying Toner (£12.90/250ml) and Matifying Moisturiser (£17.50/50ml) to keep skin shine free.
The Cleansing Purifying Foam (£13.50) for oil-prone skin from Mary Cohr also helps to reduce shine by deep cleansing the skin. This can be used with the Mary Cohr Shine Control Toning Lotion (£13.50/200ml), which is a treatment toner for balancing oil production and controlling shine.
Another approach is to focus on the area of the face where shine seems to be the most annoying - the T-zone. Origins' Zero Oil (£10/18ml) has been developed to control shine in the T-zone area where oil not only tends to accumulate but can also lead to breakouts. The Zero Oil can be used under or over make-up and will give you an instant matte finish. Clinique's Pore Minimiser Thermal-active Skin refiner (£11/15ml) also helps reduce and control excessive shine in the T-zone area. It minimises the appearance of pores and can be worn over make-up or alone.
If in spite of your best efforts, you still end up with shiny areas on your face, the next best thing is to attack the problem via a different route. The OligoPur Shine Control Purifying Mask from Phytomer (£19.25/50ml) absorbs excess oil without leaving the skin feeling stripped and leaves it with a matte finish. The mask should be used twice a week for 10 minutes and provides oil-regulating benefits thanks to the addition of green clay (which cleans, absorbs and tighten pores), white clay (to purify, soften and decongest), jojoba oil to nourish, and pheohydrane to moisturise.
As mentioned previously, pressed powders and compacts are 'must haves' that you need to carry around with you for those awkward moments when the shine seeps though. Another technique is to try controlling the shine with specially designed blotting powders and papers.
MAC have developed a blot powder which is designed to lift and disperse oils and without leaving a powder trace. It provides a sheer, matte, velvety coverage and is available in shades suitable for dark skins. The powder is also available in a loose (£15) or pressed format (£14).
For maximum shine control, you could also try the MAC Blot Film (£10) which comes in a small box of sheets that blot out the shine without removing your make-up in the process. It's also worth checking out Clinique's Pore Minimiser oil-blotting sheets (£7.50) which can help blot out breakthrough oil and shine even if it breaks through your make-up.
