Practically Perfect

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 28th February 2011

Mineral make-up is many things to many people – for some people it’s a tool to cover up a serious medical skin condition, for others it’s ideal to apply post procedure to conceal any redness without risk of infection, and for some it’s a lifestyle choice, taking them from pared down daytime beauty to full on evening glamour and caring for their skin at the same time. Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetics Guide speaks to two women devoted to the glominerals range for very different reasons...

The Professional Dancer

Kristina Rihanoff is a ballroom dancing champion and is best known for her performances as one of the professional dancers on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing

What was it that first converted you to mineral make-up?

About a year ago, I went for a facial and afterwards my skin was quite red. I didn’t have any make-up with me and my beautician suggested I try some glominerals products to cover it up.

I’d never used mineral makeup before, so I was amazed at how well it covered the redness. Because I’m on stage all the time dancing, I sweat a lot, so for me good make-up means everything – I have to look good, but also look after my skin at the same time and it’s rare to get both in one product.

When I’m on tour, we’re dancing every night in full makeup, and before it’s always taken months for my skin to recover. This year I only used glo and I haven’t had any breakouts or irritation.

Being on TV a lot, do you worry how your skin will appear in close-up shots?

Yes, definitely, and that’s really my main problem because when you’re dancing under hot lights it is difficult to find make-up that stays in place. With mineral make-up, you can wear as many layers as you want, so it stays put but doesn’t feel heavy.

But it’s not just glominerals that has helped me. I used to suffer from quite severe discolouration, and I tried many different products and treatments to get rid of it, but nothing worked. When I learned that glo also produces a skincare range, glotherapeutics, I thought it might be worth a try. I’ve been on a strict regime of peels and homeuse serums and it's completely cleared my skin up.

You obviously use glominerals a lot for shows, but do you use it in your everyday life?

Absolutely. I can’t be without it – I ran out of my pressed base the other day and, although I had some old foundations lying around, I don’t want to use anything else now, so I had to drive straight to Wigmore Pharmacy and buy some more!

In the daytime I just use the concealer under my eyes, then I apply the pressed base in golden dark, a bit of mascara and some lip gloss and I’m done.

Which glo products couldn’t you live without?

I suppose number one would be the pressed base, but also the glotherapeutics serums, which got rid of my discolouration and help keep my skin glowing.

Glo have also got an amazing range of colours for lips and eyes: my absolute favourite is the smoky eyes kit. It’s just a little box with all the colours and tools you need and a little instruction sheet. I use it on stage and for events – I’ve nearly run out of it now, because it’s so good.

The Aesthetician

Mary White is a registered nurse and clinical director of the Outline Skincare clinic in Solihull, which offers a range of laser and injectable treatments, as well as selling a wide range of cosmeceutical and skincare products both in clinic and through their online shop

How did you first come across glominerals?

We stock a lot of different products in the clinic and Wigmore Medical, UK distributors of glominerals, are one of our biggest suppliers. I had been chatting with Lorna Bowes of Wigmore, and she told me about glominerals and suggested I try a makeover when I was next in London.

I was born with a large facial port wine stain, and although I have had successful laser treatment over the years and it has very much faded, it does still require camouflaging. I have tried many brands of camouflage make-up over the years, but most leave you with the feeling of being heavily caked in foundation, which I don’t like, and traditional make-up doesn’t have the covering ability.

I went down to London and had a professional makeover with glo products and I was so impressed with how well they covered the stain – I haven’t looked back since.

Were you more interested in the range from a personal standpoint or to stock in the clinic?

Originally I was interested in stocking it in the clinic, although since my makeover I do use it every day myself. We offer a wide range of non-surgical procedures at Outline, some of which do cause redness and bruising afterwards, and stocking glominerals means we can offer patients the facility to apply concealer after their treatments, without the risk of infection.

Some people are sceptical about the benefits of mineral make-up – how have your clients reacted to the glominerals range?

I have a great 'before and after' photo of myself next to the range and patients really can’t believe that a mineral brand is capable of the coverage until they see me.

We also keep lots of testers, and like to offer our patients a touch-up after treatment as part of the service, so they don’t feel self-conscious when leaving the clinic. This means they’ve been able to experience the benefits of the range for themselves, so the products are flying off the shelves!

As a practitioner, what are the benefits of stocking glominerals, as opposed to some of the other mineral brands?

I really like the versatility of the range – you can use it to cover a facial blemish, like I do, or just as part of your daily makeup routine – and the fact that it has everything you need, from foundations and concealers to mascaras, eye shadows and lipsticks. I absolutely love the camouflage, but our best seller has to be the pressed base, which is another personal favourite of mine, as it’s easy to apply and goes a long way, so it’s cost-effective too.

CS&AG