For many women, there’s a wide variety of comfort levels when it comes to makeup and skin care. Some choose to wear no makeup, some wear the bare minimum, while others spend a significant amount of time on makeup application. And while most of us are not professional makeup artists, we all want to feel beautiful in our skin, regardless of what that looks like to each individual.
For this Beauty Beat column, Jmore readers posed a flurry of questions to beauty expert Ariel Lewis. Based on your questions, it turns out that when it comes to beauty, most of us believe it’s best to get back to the basics.
Q: What are the best products for sensitive skin?
In general, anything noncomedogenic and plant-based will be better for sensitive skin. Fragrance is the number one enemy for anyone with sensitive skin because it’s an irritant. That means fragrance-free products that don’t have a ton of talc will be your best friend. Plant-based products do tend to be more expensive because the ingredients are higher quality, but it’s worth it to avoid breakouts. Also, remember the less you put on your face the better. Unless you have large pores, stay away from extra primers and layers. If you have really sensitive skin, I would suggest going to a dermatologist to see what ingredients you should stay away from. That way you don’t need to be a guinea pig for products. A dermatologist can tell you what products are best.
Ariel’s Top Product Choice: Juice Beauty: The Organic Solution
Q: How do you decide what under eye concealer to use?
The most important thing is to have a liquid consistency; anything that comes in wand form, which has a lip gloss-like tip, is best. Liquid concealer is buildable and doesn’t crease under the eyes. Avoid using anything that is creamier or comes in stick form. Some people use the mistake of using foundation sticks as concealer, however that’s too thick and tends to crease because of the beeswax ingredient. As for coloring, those with red undertones in the face should go with a pink based concealer and those with yellow undertones or dark circles should go with a yellow or peach-based one. When it comes to application, my biggest tip is to use a beauty blender because it will give consistently clean results.
Ariel’s Top Product Choice: Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Long Wear Wand Concealer
Q: What’s the difference between a tinted moisturizer and a foundation?
A foundation provides full coverage and lasts longer. It’s best for people who want more of a matte look, have dark spots that need really good coverage or need a long-lasting product. Tinted moisturizer, BB Cream and CC cream are all the same; moister-based SPF induced products. A tinted moisturizer provides lighter coverage and a dewier look. Most women like to wear a tinted moisturizer to work or when running errands. But if you have a special event, such as a wedding, I would step it up to a foundation.
Ariel’s Top Product Choice: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer
Q: Do you prefer a powder or cream highlighter?
A powder highlighter is easier to work with for non-makeup artists. I like to use it along the upper cheek bones and down the bridge of the nose. Gold or bronze colored highlighters will compliment warm olive skin tones and a more luminous pearl or pink will look better on fair skin tones.
Ariel’s Product Choices: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
Conceived by Columbia resident Benjamin Kintisch, "Life Review: The Hospice Musical" offers a thought-provoking and occasionally amusing perspective on mortality.
Steve Hofstetter, who will perform at Soundstage next week, recently made headlines for his social media post ridiculing some fans' warnings about Charm City's safety.
Israeli-Americans Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin talked about the pain of losing their 23-year-old son, who was kidnapped and later murdered in the Oct. 7th tragedy.
Rabbi David Wolpe looks at the recent interest in Hollywood productions about King David and why the story is resonating now.