It’s the oldest joke in the world that we spend so much time looking makeup that makes you look like you’re not wearing any, but that’s exactly what Dr. Perricone is going for with the new Perricone MD No Makeup Makeup collection. The brand makes a very compelling argument: When you’re older than 29 (ahem), wearing makeup is less about creating drama and more about hiding any weird broken blood vessels or sun spots. Not that any of us here know about such things.
[Note: this post has been edited to add more information about other products in the line]
Now let me say right off the bat, wow, these are expensive products. Must have something to do with all those neuropeptides, the mineral SPF, and the fancy wrinkle-reducing ingredients. And that’s why I want to pare it down for you to the two Perricone MD No Makeup makeup products that do the job very well.
I know that for plenty of us, it’s hard to justify spending more than a ten spot on a lipstick, but Perricone’s No Lipstick Lipstick might be my new favorite. It only comes in a single color, but they somehow got it to be the perfect pinky/flesh-toned shade that I always wish my lips looked like naturally. Still, it’s more than just a lipstick; they call it a solid-to-serum formula, and it works on those fine lines and helps restore your lips to the suppleness of your misspent youth. You can even add your own favorite color over top if you want more oomph.
At $30, it’s obviously way more than drugstore brands, but still less than designer brands like YSL or Chanel which tend to run $35 and up. Even so, it’s taken the place of every lip color I wear both day and night and I couldn’t be more pleased.
The other standout from the collection is the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum ($55). I dislike wearing foundation and usually stick to tinted moisturizers instead. But Dr. Perricone’s new SPF 30 formula, which is more like an oil, truly melts into the skin and makes it look pretty darned flawless. It blends in like a serum and really goes the distance; I found I can wear it all day and it really does stay put.
As for the other products in the No Makeup Makeup line, the foundation had a little too much coverage for me, and with only two color choices, I found neither was a great match for my skin. The blush is a liquid formulation and I had trouble rubbing it in correctly. I looked like an old lady who had over-applied her rouge. Especially for the prices, I think there are far better products out there to do the same job.
However if you’re starting to think about aging skin and you’re the type willing to spend more on your cosmetics, the lipstick and foundation serum are luxurious multi-taskers.
The new Perricone MD No Makeup Makeup and Skincare collection is available from their website or exclusively at our affiliate Sephora.com
