This post is for the vain at heart. If the idea of leg makeup seems weird to you, then stop reading right now; this post will only force you to see flaws that may or may not exist.
But if you’re like me, leg makeup is just as much a part of your beauty routine as your FOTD (that’s face of the day), at least during the summertime. From self-tanning bronzers that reverse polar vortex-inflicted pastiness, to “photoshop” lotions (yes, that’s a thing now) that promise to airbrush imperfections, I’ve subjected my legs to more than just a handful of beauty products than I’d like to admit. And for a good reason – I bruise my knees with the same frequency as a kindergartner and suffer from mild keratosis pilaris. Not to mention, I don’t have the luxury to lay out on beach everyday. Besides, if we can justify wearing makeup on our face, why not the body?
But all of that aside, I think fellow body makeup advocates can agree with me when I say that leg makeup is best used inconspicuously, à la the no-makeup-makeup-look, which, as you probably know, still requires some makeup. There’s nothing worse than a greasy, orange finish that reeks of Jersey Shore. So, what’s a girl to do when most of the options do just that?
While other beauty bloggers seem to love Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, it’s not my favorite. Sure, it does a great job of concealing bumps, scars, and follicles but the formula creates that Jersey Shore effect I was talking about and is an orange shimmery mess that rubs off everywhere. The biggest deal breaker is that the makeup is too obvious; it contrasts too sharply with the rest of my skin tone, though it might be a good match for others. I really wanted to like Caudalie Divine Legs but the ‘tinted’ moisturizer was too streaky and orange, but since it’s
Lorac Tantalizer Luminizer did a better job of blending in with my skin despite also being shiny, though it functioned more as temporary bronzer than coverage makeup with the added nuisance of staining towels, sheets,and basically anything that touched my legs. Another red flag was the scent, which is bringing back memories as I type this. Ugh, next.
Recently, I got to try Jergens BB Cream as one of my Birchbox samples. Despite the fact that it sounded gimmicky, it fulfilled most of its promises including gradually brightening and evening out my skin tone. The consistency resembles a tinted moisturizer more than makeup and though it doesn’t provide coverage, it reduces blemishes and discoloration in just a few days. Sounds pretty much perfect, right? Except because it’s a self-tanner it contains toxic chemicals (in small doses) such as dihydroxyacetone and erythrulose, which is too bad because I could see using this product regularly as a primer and moisturizer.
That brings me to our finalist, which is a product that isn’t marketed as body makeup. Sometimes the best products are ones you’d least expect, stored away in your makeup cabinet, possibly collecting dust. That was sort of the case with Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation, a gifted sample I once considered too heavy for my face (I prefer BB and CC creams), but eventually discovered it to be the perfect match for my imperfect gams. The shade (and there are many to choose from), Buff Beige, blended evenly with my skin tone giving me a subtle glow without the mess of an artificial self-tanner. Because it’s a foundation it provides impeccable coverage for KP, and it doesn’t rub off or stain your clothes. Another reason it beats every other leg makeup in the market? It has broad spectrum SPF 20. That alone should be reason enough to rub some makeup on your legs.
