Painted Ladies

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Breaking Down Beauty: Using Milk of Magnesia To Prime Your Face

By Sheila Arkee

Some of the best things in life are free … or nearly so. It’s a true saying and never more so in the case of this nifty little cosmetic industry secret. Although I’ve heard about this tip discussed amongst beauty junkies for many years I never tried it out for myself until recently. Curiosity killed the cat and I made a trip to the dollar store to find out if Milk of Magnesia would work wonders on my normal-to-oily skin.

Here’s my lifestyle – busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, sit down for 2 seconds, run, run, run, run, run. I rarely get a chance to touch up my face so anything that keeps makeup on my face is a huge plus.

Available at your local dollar store, Milk of Magnesia is most often used for tummy trouble. However, a dab of it under your makeup can work wonders – just the smallest amount is necessary.

I recommend decanting a bit of MoM into a smaller container so its not so cumbersome to work with. Apply over sunscreen and let set for a minute or so before you apply your foundation.  Milk of Magnesia can be drying, so stick to applying over your T-zone if you have dry skin issues.

The proof is in the pudding, so here’s photographic evidence of how Milk of Magnesia works for me when used as a primer. Let’s start off with a photo of me at the end of a typical day without any makeup, just my sunscreen.Yes, I do love you all that much!

Here’s my face right after I’ve applied my makeup and used Milk of Magnesia as a primer.

And, finally, here’s how I look at the end of the day after using Milk of Magnesia as a primer.

There’s some oil breakthrough, but check out how well the blush and bronzer withstood the test of time. I’m impressed and will consider this a win!

*Medical disclaimer.

Comments

  9. Dear Sheila,
    You are one beautiful lady! You have gorgeous skin. I’ve been applying Milk of Magnesia for a while now…my make up stays matte for a few hours but then it starts to become oily and cakes up. I want to you to know how I apply MOM before I put on make up and I want you to tell me if the procedure is correct.
    1. I wash my face with with a oil-free face wash.
    2. I apply the MOM and wait for it to dry.
    3. Then I put on an anti-aging day-time cream.
    4. After that I put on a MAC face primer.
    5. Then I put on MAC Studio Fix Powder foundation.
    6. After blending in my foundation with my finger tips, I put on my L’OREAL Sheer Powder Blush.
    Please let me know if all these steps I follow are okay.
    Thanks,
    Shaonlee

  10. You are so sweet Shaonlee! I would try your technique without the anti-aging daytime cream – that’s most likely what’s making your skin get oily during the day!