Don’t we all get so excited when we hear how something that’s just lying in our kitchen cupboards gathering dust could be the answer to all our beauty problems? There are so many out there - beer or mayonnaise will give you shiny hair (and maybe a dodgy tummy), olive oil will soften skin and pineapple can work as a natural enzyme-based exfoliant.
So we here at Beaut.ie HQ have decided that it is our mission to put these magical potions and lotions to the test. Think of us like your crack commando unit, a cross between the A Team and Myth Busters, leaping out of vans in really cool uniforms. The first one I decided to tackle is something that's been doing the beauty rumour rounds recently. And any product that promises to cure two absolute banes of my life (my dodgy stomach and my oily t- zone) sounds good to me.
Step up, Milk of Magnesia.
Known for its stomach settling ingredients, Milk of Magnesia is a light syrup that has been around for years and always in the back of my kitchen cupboard. And it has gained popularity recently in the beauty world, with some makeup artists referring to it as the most amazing primer known to man.
And no better woman than my oily skinned self to put any primer promises to the test.
And so in the name of research and against my natural inclinations, I popped it on instead of my usual primer before my foundation. It’s very milky so you almost have to just dab it on with either your fingers or a sponge, and be warned, this stuff dries quite quickly.
After a few minutes it had kind of set on my face and had formed a faint chalk-like veil. It made my skin feel really tight when it dried fully, almost as if I had applied a mud mask. But I ploughed on bravely and applied my foundation with great fear, thinking, what in the name of God have I started here?
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Now to be fair, it didn’t disrupt my foundation so I went off to work with excitement that my makeup could probably last FOREVER.
I continuously checked the mirror throughout the day. But had the magic milk made any difference?
Usually my matte foundation goes glowy by mid day and shiny by 2pm. And this day was no different, and as that the slippy hour approached, I had to top up with powder.
But I do not give up easily, especially when it comes to private investigation for our readers. Oh no. So I gave the Milk of Magnesia a second chance. The next day I thought I would actually give it more than a fighting chance by using Estée Lauder's double wear foundation (well, it is a Beautie Award winner)…….but once again no major difference.
So with a broken cosmetic part of my heart, I had to admit that it had not been the little hidden miracle I had so longingly hoped for. I sat down to do a bit of research and realised that maybe I should have done this before I slathered it on my face.
According to some research, the ingredients in Milk of Magnesia can, in the long run, disturb the natural ph balance of the skin. Now I wasn’t planning on using it long-term but if you are fan of the milky slather, it might be something worth checking out.
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Sometimes I really let my passion for cosmetics take over. I'm putting my makeup magnifying glass away for this week but if you have any other tales you'd like me to investigate, just give your case details to Watson on the way out (or just, you know, leave them in the comments).
Have you uncovered any hidden beauty myths? Do you swear by any home- made beauty rituals?
