Double-duty beauty products that inject skin-enhancing qualities into makeup are primed to be the next big thing in your daytime routine.

With longer days and jam-packed schedules, carving out a few minutes for some skin TLC might seem impossible. A number of beauty brands are addressing the issue with products that do double duty, adding beneficial skincare to their makeup formulas.

This intermix debuted about five years ago with the Asian import of multitasking BB creams (beauty balm) that cover, treat, hydrate and correct. The success of these do-gooders is expanding, spilling into every skew in the makeup aisle.

“Whether you’re someone who travels a lot for work or has a busy family life, we’re finding that everyone wants more value from their makeup,” says Maryse Miller, Education Director, Estée Lauder Canada. “Customers are choosing multiuse, multi-benefit items because they want fewer products that can do more.”

Estée Lauder’s just-released makeup and skin-care line, Estée Edit, includes hyaluronic acid and primrose oil in the condensed cosmetics range. And other high-profile brands, from Bite Beauty to Vita Liberata, are adding good-for-you fixings, including resveratrol and peptides that treat and protect your skin.

A key difference with this new breed of makeup-with-benefits is that they deliver visible results. “You’ll get instant gratification seeing skin transform and glow,” says Miller. Alternatively, with some formulas, you’ll see results gradually as they work to treat and nourish behind the scenes. Another bonus: these timesavers simplify your morning routine, eliminating extra layers of product from your face and additional costs from your beauty bag.

All of which speaks to today’s knowledgeable consumer. “People have a proactive approach to anti-aging and want to know what they’re putting on their face,” says Miller. Her tip? When choosing a colour hybrid that has skin-enhancing qualities, err on the side of skincare. “The Edit line is 25% treatment-based and 75% on colour, and vice versa for complexion products with colour.” This blend creates a product that is more comfortable on the skin and easy to wear. “A great complexion is 80% of the look,” says Miller, “then everything else is icing.”

Get your makeup and skin-care fix with these tips and brands:

FOUNDATION
Look for: Hyaluronic acid (HA), a moisture magnet that holds one thousand times its weight in water, is a key ingredient for complexion makeup.







Charlotte Tilbury
This “hyper-intelligent” anti-aging foundation not only provides full coverage, but it also tightens pores, reduces sebum production and age spots.
Magic foundation, $49, charlottetilbury.com. 

Estée Lauder Edit
A blend of shea butter and primrose oil moisturizes and hydrates for glowing skin.
Estée Lauder Edit Skin glowing balm, $42, sephora.com.

Beautycounter
Christy Coleman, Head of innovation at Beautycounter, a company that focuses on high-performing, safe products, spent three years developing this tinted foundation, specifically adding HA to give the entire face an extra boost of hydration.
Beautycounter Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation, $51, beautycounter.com.

CONCEALER
Look for: “Products with salicylic acid help kill bacteria and decongest breakouts,” says Cooper. “Look for cross-linked hyaluronic acid to optimize moisture levels in the skin.”



Dermalogica
Shave off time layering products by adding a moisture-rich concealer that evens out skin colour.
Sheer Tint, $60, dermalogica.ca. 

LIPS
Look for: Hydration and built-in SPF are great for protecting lips. Antioxidant-rich ingredients such as resveratrol are a bonus.



Bite Beauty
The only lip line that delivers a potent punch of resveratrol, an antioxidant that is typically found in red wine. Each lipstick delivers saturated colour and a cocktail of vitamins and omega oils such as avocado, coconut and sweet almond.
Bite Amuse Bouche, $30, sephora.ca. 

Fresh
This tinted lip balm with built-in SPF blocks harmful rays. The infusion of vitamins A, C, and E protect lips from wrinkle-causing free radicals.
Fresh Sugar lip treatment, $28, sephora.com. 

CHEEKS
Look for: Products that highlight. If the skin tone is naturally flushed or extremely sensitive, look for ingredients with anti-inflammatories, such as red hogweed root extract and avena sativa (oat) to help to turn down the redness rapidly,” says Cooper.



Josie Maran
Known for her argan oil-infused line, Maran included this hydrating agent into her lip and cheek products.
Josie Maran Infinity Cheek and Lip Creamy Oil, $21, sephora.ca. 

SELF-TANNER
Look for: Hydration with peptides that help restore natural radiance and plump and smooth the skin.



Vita Liberata
It provides a natural-looking tan with intense anti-aging extracts that plump and firm skin.
Vita Liberata Self Tanning Anti Age Serum, $55, sephora.ca. 

SUNSCREEN
Look for: Tinted formulas with added moisture or antioxidants.



Avéne
Uses a powerful antioxidant that catches free radicals and protects the skin. The thermal water provides a soothing, anti-irritant finish.
Avéne High Protection Body Lotion SPF 50+, $29, shoppersdrugmart.ca. 

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