John,

Can you please settle an argument I have had for ages with my flatmate? Is water good or bad for your skin? I was always told to keep water off of your face and she splashes around the bathroom like a duck! You can cast the deciding vote and we will let it go.

Thanks,

Deborah

Deborah,

Deciding vote? What if you are both right? Who wins then? There is no right or wrong in this one - personal preference decides whether you use water or not. Myself? I don't ever feel clean until I use water. I have tried using cleansers that wipe away and I always end up splashing in the end. Often the preference can depend on whether your skin is more dry or oily. Drier skins sometimes feel that that water leaves them feeling tight and uncomfortable. However, there are cleansers that use water that won't - Shu Uemura Oils, LaPrairie or Steven Victor Foams, balms like Vaishally Patel, Temple Spa, and Organic Pharmacy Carrot Cleansing Balm. Likewise, there are cleansers that don't use water that will leave you feeling clean like the Sage Cleansing Milk from Sisley, Clarins Gentian Milk, Darphin Purifying Cleanser, or This Works Clean Skin. It just depends on you. What I will say is that you don't want to allow the water to naturally evaporate. THAT will leave you feeling dry. As the water evaporates, your natural moisture will evaporate as well. You will also need to use a toner after the water to rebalance the pH. Very few cleansers will allow for cleansing with water and NOT need a toner - Steven Victor, Shiseido The Skincare Foam, Dr. Sebagh Foam, and the new cleansers from Elizabeth's Daughter are a few. So you are both right. Shake hands and let this one rest!

All the best,

John

Dear John,

In many of your video clips and writings you talk about warm and cool skin. This will seem a silly question but I have no idea which I am. How do I know? I have pale skin but can tan, my hair is brunette, and my eyes are blue/grey. I always find the advice here on handbag to be really useful but whenever it gets to recommendations involving warm and cool...I am lost.

Help please,

Denise

Denise,

This really isn't a silly question at all, and I am glad it has come up again. As a general rule, you can tell a lot about warm and cool by the nationality/ethnicity of the person. This is not a hard fast rule, but can serve pretty well as a guide. Cool - Icelandic, Celtic, Irish, English Rose, Scottish, Scandinavian, some German and American. Warmer - Italian, French, Asian, Indian, most Black (some are dark cool blue/black Nigerian skins), American, Mediterranean, and Greek. The difficulty is when they start breeding and get mixed! LOL. Another "tell" can be whether or not you tan and what colour you tan to. If you tan easily and/or go a nice golden colour - you are most likely warm. If you burn easily, rarely tan, and if you do...it is a mucky brown - you are probably cool. From what you described to me in your question, I would venture a guess that you are a warmer skin. So for you, warmer colours like gold, copper, brown, sage, peach, cream, and bronzes will be more natural, while cooler shades like grey, taupe, pink, violet, and blues will sit more naturally. Not a better or worse: just more natural or more dramatic. If you are still having a hard time, go to a Prescriptives counter where they do a quick and free test called a Colourprint that will show you the undertone of your skin.

Take care,

John

John,

My favourite piece of make is mascara. It is my desert island product and I can't imagine leaving the front door without having it on. My question to you is: does it make that big a difference whether I spend a lot of money on mascara? Some of them are getting extortionate and I usually can't tell much difference between them and the cheap ones? I have the money to buy them of you tell me it is worth it, but if I can slide by on a budget one...I would rather spend the money on something else. Thanks in advance.

Carole

Carole,

This is really a tough one because every woman has a perfect product in mind and the one that works for her may not work for her best friend. And vice versa. What you are usually paying for in a premium mascara is state-of-the-art technology and patented brushes. It is the marriage of the brush and the formula that give the mascara the desired performance. I have recently used a bog cheap mascara on an event and I absolutely loved it! Likewise, my current favourite mascara is £23 a tube. Can I tell the difference? Yes...but that is probably due to the fact that it is my job to know the difference. But if you find a less expensive product that gives you the effect you want and is not bad for your lashes? Then I would agree with you - spend the money elsewhere.

Take care,

John

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