Miracle make-up

Foundation that can zap acne, concealer that fights wrinkles ... yes,they DO exist

Most women's beauty regime divides into skin care (the creams and lotions you use to tackle inherent skin problems from dryness and flakiness, to spots, pigmentation, fine lines and dark circles) and make-up (the coloured stuff that you slap on to hide those inherent problems). 

However, a new generation of make-up could change the traditional beauty regime for ever and do away with the need for separate skin care. 

From acne-zapping foundations, antiwrinkle powders, moisturising bronzers and concealers, the latest cosmetic products don't just temporarily make your skin look better, they offer long-term benefits, too. 

The latest cosmetic products don't just temporarily make your skin look better, they offer long-term benefits, too

The rise of mineral make-up  -  powdered minerals blended with pigments  -  can, in part, be credited with kick-starting this trend for make-up that does more.

Containing ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (the compounds used in sunscreens), this new form of make-up offers consumers foundation that won't block pores and comes with built-in sPF. 

But the claims being made go far beyond that of a simple sunblock  -  manufacturers say their make-up improves the skin. U.S. brand Priori maintains that its latest offering, Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals (£39, 0845 555 2121), is not only a foundation, but also 'provides enhanced skin moisturisation' and can 'firm, tighten and brighten skin and rid it of impurities'.

The rise of mineral make-up can, in part, be credited with kick-starting the trend for make-up that does more

It even claims 'your skin will appear younger each time' you use the product. They put this down to coffeeberry extract, a potent antioxidant found in the company's existing skin care range. 

In fact, the brand's founder, Joe Lewis, says these products are so good, he doesn't like to refer to them as cosmetics. 'this is not make-up, this is mineral skin care that doubles as make-up,' he insists. 

It's a bullish claim, but he's got the research to back it up. the company recently ran a clinical trial on its products where 21 women between the ages of 25 and 55 used the Coffeeberry concealer, foundation and finishing powder at least once a day. All either had sun-damaged skin or suffered from rosacea. 

The results after the seven-week trial were pretty impressive. they showed a 20 per cent decrease in brown pigmentation ( hyperpigmentation), a 23 per cent decrease in red pigmentation (rosacea), a 30 per cent decrease in fine lines/wrinkles, and a 39 per cent decrease in dryness of their skin. 

U.S. brand Priori's latest anti-aging offering, Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals

And Priori isn't the only one at it. Earlier this year, Clinique launched Anti-Blemish solutions Liquid Make-up (£20, clinique. co.uk). Scott Miselnicky, vice-president of product development at the company, explains: 'the first line of defence against blemishes is skin care, hence our extensive Anti-Blemish line of products. 

But it also makes sense to incorporate everything we know about treatment into our make-up products, which is why we created a foundation that helps to treat blemishes.' 

The foundation, available in eight shades, not only conceals blemishes and neutralises red tones but, alongside other anti-spot agents, also contains 0.5 per cent salicylic acid, a treatment for acne, and a sea algae extract which stops skin becoming oily. 

The average woman will spend more than £8,500 on cosmetics over six decades

However, U.S. beauty expert Paula Begoun says the active ingredients are at too low a concentration to make a difference.

While she agrees that the Clinique foundation is a good base for those with oily or breakout-prone skin, she also insists that it takes more than a token amount of an ingredient to create make-up that doubles as skin care.

'The amount of salicylic acid in the foundation is too low to be of much help,' she says. 'So you'll need to resort to other products to manage acne.' But while such products have their detractors, there are an increasing number on the market. 

Garnier's hugely successful Eye Roll-On product (£9.99, boots.com) has been reformulated in two tinted shades for use as a concealer; L'Oreal's latest lipstick, Color Riche Boosting Serum (£8.69, boots.com), claims to hydrate and plump lips with collagen and hyaluronic acid; and, in the U.S., you can buy a Bobbi Brown concealer that also helps even out skin tone and a Peter Thomas Roth pressed powder that claims to have a Botox-like effect. 

But dermatologists warn against ditching your skin care make-up. 'You need to consider make-up like this as a part of your beauty regime, rather than as an alternative to skin care,' says dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting.

'If you've got a condition, you're going to see quicker results from the sort of skin care a dermatologist can prescribe.