Hi John,
This is a great column, and I have followed so much advice given in it, thank you so much! I have very oily skin (I am 46) and enlarged pores, at the moment I use Laura Mercier primer (with a bit moisturiser before), Chanel Lift Lumiere or MAC Hypereal foundation which I love and a cream or powder (depending on occasion) blusher.  Sometimes I put Clinique Pore Minimiser on top of everything, and that helps a bit with the shine. What products would you suggest in order to stop my face looking like a perforated oily frying pan after a couple of hours? Could you suggest a moisturiser, primer and/or something else (the whole sequence) that would keep it matte and hopefully less porous, please?  I'd like to keep using MAC Hypereal foundation though. I know you have knowledge, please help!
Thanks a lot!
Aurora

Aurora,
So glad you enjoy the column, but the first thing I really need to ask you is if you really have an oily skin at age 46? A normal skin will get some shine on her nose and maybe the centre panel by lunchtime. If you are treating your skin as an oily one when it is not completely oily, your skin will make up for that miscommunicated message by enlarging the pores to let the oil production there is get to the entire face. See the cycle? There are a couple of excellent matte moisturisers, such as Bliss Spa Steep Clean Matte Moisture Lotion, Temple Spa Moisture Matte, and the Clarins Matte Range. And you can fill existing pores with products like the Clinique Pore Minimiser or Becca Pore and Line Corrector, or my favourite to get both done: Shiseido Men's Anti-Shine Refresher. But then the Lift Lumiere is a really moist finish foundation...and so is MAC Hypereal. All light diffusing magic particles. If you are looking to stay matte, try the Chanel Matte Lumiere instead, or the new Clarins Matte 15-Hour Foundation, or even one of the multitude of mineral powder foundations. There just seems to be a contradiction somewhere hidden just around the corner and I am afraid I would need to ask you a handful of questions to find out where it is. But look at the suggested products, as I know they will all aid and abet the symptoms!
Best,
John


Dear John,
Thanks for all the great advice you have posted on this site - I really enjoy reading it every week, and this has prompted me to write in with my own question about eye shadow. I am oriental and my upper eyelids have a deep fold, where the fold rests on the upper lid. This means that eye shadow tends to rub off really easily, and collects at the crease of the fold leaving a line across it. I have tried many shadows that claim to be creaseless, and tried using concealer and powder before applying the shadow and have tried Clinique's Touch Base, but I still get the same result. Is there any product or technique that you can recommend?
Many thanks.
Kay

Hi Kay,
This one is a real pain because the crease on your type of eye-shape is most likely due to the heat and perspiration generated in that little fold, rather than production of oil on the eyelids. You may indeed find it near to impossible to completely ensure a fresh creaseless look all day. I would feel inclined toward a long-lasting creamy shadow instead of all of the bases and layers. Bobbi Brown Creamy Eyeshadows work really well and you have a superb choice of colours. You can apply them with fingers, sponges, or brushes to get the finish you want. Lauder, Clinique, and Chanel all have different versions too, from creams, to sticks, to liquids. But they all replace both the base and the colour. You can also try to use one of the softer shades of any of the above listed as the base like you currently use the Clinique - but in truth: that is a really good one and it is not working for your eye shape... Light and gentle layers with a little bit of powder between is really the best bet. This may be a case of your physiology thwarting nearly any solution we can throw at is. Use little of whatever you use and see if that helps.
Regards,
John


Hi John,
I love reading your Q&A section and you have helped me solve a lot of problems in the past! Now I'm hoping you can help me with my own beauty dilemma. I'm 22 years old and as a teenager I used sun beds to try and clear up acne on my chest and back (something I severely regret). It only aggravated the problem, causing more oil production in my skin so I started taking Spironolactone a couple of years ago which has completely cleared my acne. My problem now results from the sun bed use; I have open pores on my chest which are prone to becoming inflamed if I use a product such as fake tan for example. My question is if you know anything (either prescription or cosmetic) which would either help diminish my open pores or improve the appearance of them at least!
Thank you in anticipation
Alina

Alina,
Oh flower, this is not going to be very good news, I am afraid. Enlarged pores are sort of a done deal. Regardless of how you managed to get them. And self-tanning products will notoriously sit in them. Crumbs. So if we are looking at a case of damage limitation, there are two products that both happen to be from Bliss Spa, so they are both affordable and they will both make an improvement in the appearance of the pores. Do you see how I carefully avoided saying it would improve the pores? If anyone promises you that, be immediately suspicious because that person should be rolling in mountains of money for finally doing the impossible! But the two products are the Steep Clean Pore Refining Toner Pads (£26), which you would use twice a day after cleansing - sort of like a jar of circular pre-moistened eye makeup removers pads with little micro-sponges to mattify and detract from the pores with light diffusers, and a product called Thinny Thin Chin (£32). This one is a gel throat moisturiser that is mainly cosmetic instead of treatment based. The gel smoothes onto the upper chest and décolletage and it contracts the skin to make it appear immediately smoother and more even. This is temporary effect, but over time, there will be more lasting benefits as well. And I don't even have to tell you to give up the sunbeds and the self-tanners, do I? If fake tan makes the problem more apparent, take the decision to be pale and interesting - and smoother looking to boot!
Thanks again,
John           

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