Does Your Skincare 'Eat' Your Makeup?

MARCH TREND ISSUE: MAKEUP GRIPPERS
Each month, we break down one of the hottest trends in beauty. For March, we’re discussing innovative hybrid skincare/makeup primers taking the beauty industry by storm.

There’s an unexpected phrase that you often hear customers at Korean cosmetic stores ask: “Does this ‘eat’ make up well?” Translation: Will this moisturizer or cream help seamlessly absorb or ‘grip’ my makeup? This Korean phrase was the inspiration for us first coining the term ‘makeup gripper’ as far back as 2016.

The gold standard of moisturizers in Korea go beyond just treating the skin. Not only do they nourish and plump the skin, but they also smooth and blur pores to create a perfect canvas for makeup. It’s the skincare equivalent to a zamboni on ice, finishing off the skin surface for even, naturally glowy makeup application afterwards. It also actively ‘grips’ makeup so that it glides on, stays on all day, doesn’t get powdery, cakey, or streaky, and no amount of heat or humidity will make makeup slide off the face.

First and foremost, though, these ‘makeup grippers’ are incredible skincare products. Instead of having silicones or mineral oils as their primary ingredients, they’re packed with good-for-skin ingredients like antioxidants and nutrients. This obsession with skincare makeup is also why many of the OG makeup gripping moisturizers are from Korea. Find the right makeup gripper for your routine, below.

THE OG
The J.One Jelly Pack is a cult sensation developed by a Korean actress for instantly camera ready skin. Actives like hyaluronic acid and Nobel Prize winning fullerene are suspended in a gooey, jelly like formula nicknamed ‘foundation glue‘. At first application, it’s surprisingly tacky, but the trick is to gently pat it in to leave skin hydrated, protected and completely makeup ready. Take it from our editor friends at Byrdie:

“It looked so smooth. K-pop star–level smooth. Korean actress–level smooth. My foundation glided on as smoothly as Tara Lipinski’s skates on fresh ice. Surely, as with most slippery, hydrating primers, my skin would be an oil slick by midday (thanks to pore-clogging silicones). But no—I checked my complexion around 2 p.m., and it still looked as smooth, pore-less, and oil-free as it did in the morning”

MAKEUP GRIPPERS FOR DRY SKIN
For drier skin types, makeup often gets powdery and settles into fine lines as the day goes on. Instead of silicone-laden primers that can dry your skin out, it’s important to use a makeup gripping moisturizer that also deeply hydrates and plumps the skin. An example is Blithe’s InBetween Hydro Priming Cream , a unique memory-gel cream that’s specifically designed to go under makeup for a glowy, dewy look without the greasiness. Blithe’s entire InBetween line was created to work as skincare-makeup hybrids. In addition to working as a priming step, also creates a protective barrier to shield the skin from potential discoloration and irritation from heavy makeup use.

“My combination skin has been getting drier with age, particularly during the winter. This primer not only helps with the dryness, it helps with the foundation application as well! This product has been great for blending out high coverage foundations – it lends foundations a nice velvety texture. All you need is a pea-sized amount for the entire face.” —Jessica S. Glow Recipe Customer.

MAKEUP GRIPPERS FOR OILY SKIN
An alternative makeup gripper for oilier skin types is the J.One Red Jelly Pack. Packed with red algae, which has 6000x the antioxidant capacity of Vitamin C, this rosy version of the OG Jelly Pack is also formulated with powerhouse ingredients that help to hydrate, prime and balance the skin. (Fun fact: A diet of red algae is also why flamingos have a pink hue.) The Red Jelly Pack is also our Glow Gamechanger of the month of March.

“I prefer this over any other primer not only because it really keeps my make up looking great for a super long time but also because it’s really good for my skin. Double duty so can’t beat that. If I use it at night as a sleep mask I wake up with plump and moisturized skin.” —Dot, Glow Recipe customer

EXTRA CREDIT
Misting throughout the day is an absolute must for keeping skin hydrated and bouncy. We formulated the Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist with hibiscus flower AHA to help smooth your skin and prep it for makeup, and the fog mist technology actually helps enhance makeup without messing it up.

“I have very oily skin and have had a hard time finding a mist that works well over makeup, but this one does the trick! It gives the perfect glowy/dewy look without ever looking soaked or oily.” —Christina, Glow Recipe customer