From The Straits Times    |

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Suffering from dull skin that’s also slick as a frying pan? No fear, it’s multiple masks to the rescue!

Here’s the only “rule” you should memorise, mask-wise: Always apply a rinse-off product, regardless of what its purported benefits, before your clay or mud masks.

Why is that? Well, if you apply a thinner textured product after a thick mud mask, it’ll never be able to properly penetrate the paste. (FWIW, this is also why I always top off my mud masks with toner to remove residual clay from your face.)

Ready? Try this neat mattifying-plus-brightening trick from my beauty repertoire that’s worked wonders for me:

STEP 1

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First, reanimate lifeless skin with an intensive brightening balm. What to look out for? Dr Calvin Chan, medical director at Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic, says you should zero in on concoctions containing kojic acid or vitamin C like Ren’s Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial ($74); both ingredients aid the elimination of existing dark spots as well as the formation of future freckles.

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if your skin is super-sensitive, gun for a gentler soother like Estee Lauder’s Micro Essence Infusion Mask ($98 for a box of six sheets, available from June 2015). Formulated with ferments said to regenerate and rejuvenate, I love how luxurious this cottony sheet feels when draped onto my facial contours. Talk about a skin treat!

STEP 2

Got your go-to brightening mask on? Good. Relax, remove, then slap on a clarifying clay mask to sop up sebum.

My money’s on Estee Lauder’s Clear Difference Purifying Exfoliating Mask ($76) which boasts a naturally occurring white clay blend said to alleviate acne and purify pores. Top tip: I like stirring in a dollop of pimple-clearing ceramide cream into the mix for a turbo-charged custom concoction.

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This is just one of the myriad mask medleys you can try your hand at, with the sole proviso being that you reserve the clay-type product for application last. Want another option? Try this one-two punch for addressing acne and dry skin. Have fun mixing and matching your masks, and good luck!

Photography: Vernon Wong; Art direction: Eugene Quek and Sabrina Tiong; Styling: Hong Xinying; Makeup: Beno Lim, Senior Artist, M.A.C Cosmetics, using M.A.C Cosmetics; Hairstyling: Patcharin; Model: Zhao Meijuan/Nu Models; Top: Cool-find K-Style

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