Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Our make-up, skincare and beauty guru solves all your beauty dilemmas

[image1] Hi,

I'm 19 years old and suffer from spots and lumps under my skin and blackheads all around my nose. I was wondering if there were any beauty products you could recommend to help clear this up?

Thanks

 

Hi to you too,

All of these problems are signs of congested skin. Sometimes this is associated with incorrect cleaning habits such as over cleansing. When you cleanse, your skin should feel completely comfortable when you finish. If there are signs of tightness - you have overdone it. If your skin is stripped of all of the natural oils, the surface and the pore openings become taut and immobile. The only defence your skin has is to produce more oil. But since the skin is too tight, that oil cannot get through the pore openings. That oil oxidizes and what you see is a blackhead. If it is in a place where the skin is thicker, the oils will continue to push out a lump - and then all it takes is a trigger like your period, stress, lifestyle excesses to turn the lump into a spot. A viscous cycle.

 

There are some terrific balm cleansers that will deep clean the skin and actually target congestion problems, but one of the problems is they tend to be quite costly. Eve Lom, Vaishally Patel, Temple Spa, Rodial, and Amanda Lacey all have them. If the only problem area is around your nose, then a good clay mask a regular scrub should help.

 

If we are looking to keep the products from breaking the bank, I have always been impressed with the Johnson's Clean and Clear products. The cleansers I have tried have felt pretty comfortable and the moisturisers will help treat breakout. Once again, if you have a little more cash to splash, Karin Herzog Vita-A-Kombi with oxygen, Natura Bisse Oxygen Cream, and Dr. Sebagh Breakout Cream will give a more clinical effect and are all in the £50 ballpark. I do hope that helps get your skin into the condition you would like.

Good luck, John

 

 
Hi John,

I'm 37 but my skin has probably prematurely aged, due to sun-exposure and smoking during my 20s.  I have an oily t-zone with enlarged pores, but the rest of my face is a little dry. Would Chanel Vita Lumiere or Pro Lumiere be better for my skin, or could you recommend a better alternative?

Thanks, Alison

 

Alison,

Between the two? Pro Lumiere - hands down. Vita Lumiere is a beautiful makeup, but the finish is satin and if you are concerned with an oilier t-zone, you may find it looks too shiny, no matter how much powder you apply.

The great thing with Pro Lumiere is that it will allow you to adjust what it does. A slightly less blended application will pull the pores tighter as it has sort of a "stretching" effect on the skin. And the shade range is pretty good too.

I also really love the Double Perfection Cream to Powder foundation. If they have your colour there, it may be worth trying that out too. I have always had really good luck with the consultants on Chanel being more than happy to apply a product for you to test or to come up with a sample for you to try at home.

Warmest regards, John

 

I have a serious problem with lipstick, lip-gloss and pretty much anything that goes on my mouth. Any time I start talking for any length of time I get this nasty white...slime at my lip line. I never see anyone else with this problem. Please tell me why this happens and how to stop it.

 

Hello whitey,

I have seen this on more than a few women in my time. Why does it happen? Could be acidity in your saliva with the formulation of the lip products. What I have successfully recommended to these women is to try one of the long-wear transfer-proof lip products. They are the ones that come in two stages: lipstick that goes on and sets, and then a clear oil-free gloss to make your lips comfortable.

Max Factor LipFinity, Revlon Colour Stay, or my favourite, Estee Lauder Double Wear, are a few. They take a bit of getting used to as they can feel a bit dry but for some reason it seems to get around the problem.

Another solution would be paler and slightly iridescent glosses. The paler shade would help to camouflage the white line and the gloss usually doesn't gum up as badly. Look for glosses that feel more oily than sticky. Anything sticky is likely to make the problem worse more quickly.

Lauder has a set of new limited edition glosses on counter soon called Ultra Light Gloss and there is a shade called Freshwater Pearl that might be just the ticket. Unbelievable texture. But as I said...limited. Plus it will depend on your age and colouring as to whether or not this would be a good shade for you. But the formula is definitely worth a look as there are several other great colours.

Helpful? John

 

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Please note, John's answers will be published on the site weekly as he cannot reply to emails personally.

 

 

 

 

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