The Purple Primer for Pimples #michaeltoddusa

Press Sample.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Having oily, aging skin is the weirdest combination.  I don't have a lot of wrinkles, but I'm still getting pimples like a teenager.  A lot of the products for clear skin are designed for teens who have young, resilient skin, and can be too harsh for me.  But, every once in a while, I come across a product that seems *made* for my particular skin issues, like Michael Todd Mattifying Gel Corrector!

This product is both skincare and makeup.  It contains ingredients that control oil production, exfoliate. and moisturize, while leaving my skin with a satin finish that looks great on its own, or as a primer under makeup.

Ingredients:  Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Juice, Isopentyldiol, Lactic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Phytate, , Water (and) Tremella Fuciformis Sporocap Extract (and)  Betaine (and)  Glycerin [NS Phytomoist] , Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Maltodextrin (and) Syringa (Lilac) Extract (SEBULESS™), Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Water (and) Phopholipids (and)  Retinyl Palmitate (and) Tocopherol (and) Ascorbyl Palmitate (and) Beta-Carotene [Brookstone ACEBC™], Capryloyl Glycine, Sarcosine, Sclerotium Gum, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), , Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, SorbiC Acid.

Housed in my favorite kind of packaging - the opaque pump - this serum is very thin, mostly clear, and fragrance-free.  It takes only a moment to absorb, and it leaves a satin-look finish behind, which I really like.  Even though I have oily skin, I don't always want to look so very matte, which can be aging and flat.

Most of us with oily skin know that we need to control our oil, and how good exfoliation is for our skin.  This product has lactic acid for gentle exfoliation, and a patented ingredient with lilac extract to balance oil production.  What isn't always emphasized for us is the need to moisturize.  Oils provide a barrier on the skin to keep moisture in, but they don't always actually provide moisture - which every skin type needs to look young and healthy.  This serum contains Phytomoist to help moisturize the skin, and a blend of vitamins to nourish it.  

A little mattified purple nailart, inspired by this amazing mattifying primer.  I used L'Oreal Royalty Reinvented and a matte topcoat for the base, with a funky French tip of Sally Hansen Salon Plumtarius and a silver striper.

This is another product that I took with me when I traveled.  It performed beautifully under the stress of my trip.  Even with all the chaos, I never broke out, and my skin wasn't too dry or too oily under my powder foundation.  On my unusual, very long days, my foundation never broke, and my skin looked as good at the end of the day as it did when I put my makeup on in the morning.  This may have just become my HG primer!

If you'd like more information about Michael Todd Organics, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and on their website, where this Mattifying Gel Corrector currently retails for $37.