From The Straits Times    |

Quick show of hands, please: Have you ever swapped the sponge of your BB cushion in a bid to draw out the last dregs from your compact?

If you’re guilty as charged, you may want to double back and do an about-face, so to speak. Here’s why, starting from the obvious: You may not be able to put together what you’ve just taken apart. Take it from grooming guru Larry Yeo: “Detaching the cushion from the casing is never a good idea, because you may cause rips and tears in the material.”

Then there’s the matter of how you’re essentially massaging months-old gunk into your mien: “Flipping over the sponge means you’re embedding the ‘dirtier’ used side into the compact,” warns Larry. This build-up of germs and grime is plain gross, plus pimple-inducing to boot.

A quick aside on application: Be sure to sweep the puff away from the centre of your face, using soft strokes to skim towards the jaw and hairline. Sheering out the product this way lends a seamless finish, and “wastes” less liquid, too. This gentle graduation also softens any discernible demarcation between your face and decolletage; always a good thing!

Beauty bonus: If you want to make your makeup go the extra mile, Larry says your cushion can do double duty as a correcting concealer too. Pressing a stiff angled brush into the sponge, pick up a tiny bit of product using the tip of your brush, then dot onto offending spots and blend outwards to blur the boundary between blemish and surrounding skin. Easy-peasy.

That’s all well and good, but the real solution is to get a new BB cushion as soon as the puff starts to feel drier to the touch because hey, as Larry drily notes, “there’s only so much product you can eke out of your compact.” Duly noted!

Bottomline for penny-pinching people: You won’t be doing your face any favours if you’re flipping and flopping your BB cushion, so you might as well live a little and treat yourself to a new beauty buy!

Want more? Indulge in these exciting express home treatments for a quick brightening boost.