By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS

Fashion may make a statement, but it is your face that leaves the most lasting impression.

Your eyes, lips and skin define your personality, mood and individuality.

Today’s cosmetics and beauty products are not coverups intended to conceal, but rather subtle tools to have enhance natural features and accentuate your overall appearance.

And whether you are going after a glam runaway style or soft, no-makeup look, the products you use can improve skin tone, combat premature signs of aging and protect your complexion from free radical erosion.

Beautifying Makeup

So what if there were a foundation makeup that not only covered up your skin’s imperfections, but actually helped to eliminate them?

Well, as it turns out, there is.

L’Oréal Paris has just launched a new version of its flawless True Match Super-Blendable Foundation enriched with the power of hyaluronic acid.

First introduced last year, L’Oréal’s True Match line is a hybrid cosmetic that breaks the barrier between skincare and makeup, providing a dewy, super-light coverage in more than 20 shades that perfectly replicate your natural skin tone.

And the new, upgraded version of True Match is enriched with fragmented hyaluronic acid particles (whole hyaluronic acid molecules are too big to penetrate skin) that work to deeply hydrate for up to 24 hours and dramatically improve skin quality in just two weeks of daily use.

Moreover, the silky soft formula won’t cake or flake, and lasts all day with no need touchups.

Best applied with a makeup sponge dabbed on rather than smoothed over the face, True Match’s ultra-fine pigments not only match your skin’s color and texture, but are also packed with vitamin E, vitamin B2 and pro-vitamin B5 to nourish and protect from outside elements.

Suitable for all skin types — including mature and sensitive skin — L’Oréal True Match is non-comedogenic and fragrance-free.

L’Oréal Paris has also just introduced a new, must-have mascara, Bambi Eye False Lash.

This waterproof, instant eye-opening mascara gives lashes unexpected volume and doe-like length with a single application.

The specially designed, wide-bristled brush is curved to coat and curl lash-by-lash from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye with absolutely no clumping.

And because the brush has a combination of both short and long bristles, it also provides lash separation and definition.

Bambi Eye False Lash lasts-all-day, black velvety formula can be removed easily with either soap and water or eye makeup remover, and will not smudge or flake.

L’Oréal Bambi Eye False Lash is ophthalmologist and allergy tested, and is suitable for use by both contact lens wearers and people with sensitive eyes.

Moisture Boost for Skin

No matter what type of skin you have, the secret to keeping it healthy and beautiful is a wholesome, twice-a-day cleansing routine and hydration, plenty of hydration.

Yes, even oily skin needs hydration, because without adequate moisture, your skin will produce more oils to compensate for dryness and your complexion will slip into a vicious cycle of greasy breakouts.

But, alas, not all hydration products are created equally.

The best moisturizers are those that shield and protect your skin’s natural hydration, acting as a barrier to outside elements like pollutants and irritants, and sealing in the rich, organic oils that Mother Nature (and your epidermis) produce.

And that is exactly what Uriage’s new Eau Thermale Water Serum does.

Enriched with the hydrating, regenerating and illuminating minerals of pure spring water from the French Alps, Uriage Eau Thermale Sérum d’Eau replenishes crucial micronutrients while creating a protective film and shielding against UVA, UVB and blue light rays (all of which can damage skin and lead to premature aging).

Especially developed for sensitive, dry skin, Uriage Eau thermal Water Serum revitalizes and restores luminosity by stimulating skin’s natural mechanisms on all levels through its unique blend of hydrothermal complexes and hyaluronic acid.

Part of Uriage’s broader Eau Thermale line, the serum penetrates to the epidermis to optimize hydration and stimulate skin to restore its own natural barrier to limit dehydration.

But a nourishing serum is not enough to prevent damage from sun and blue light.

To fully protect your face and other exposed areas of your body, you will have to apply an effective sunscreen several times a day.

Fortunately, Uriage has also just launched its new Bariésun 100 Extreme Protective Fluid with a super strong SPF 50-plus for ultra-sensitive skin.

The cutting-edge technology of this mineral-based sunscreen is non-irritating and absorbs quickly to leave no visible film or residue.

And it’s exclusive formula protects against UVA, UVB and blue light.

Suitable for children and people with extreme sun sensitivities, Bariésun 100 high-performance, photo-stable, regenerating complex is both waterproof and fragrance-free.

And like all Uriage products, this soft, luscious, non-greasy cream is enriched with alpine thermal water aquaspongines to hydrate while protecting against DNA damage.

Know Before You Go (Under the Knife)

Finally, if you are thinking of undergoing a cosmetic medical procedure (surgical or otherwise), be sure to first check out the new Spanish-language webpage BetterSelf, sponsored by the dermo-pharmaceutical giant Merz Aesthetics.

The page offers tips on everything from skincare treatments to Botox therapies, as well as a list of which doctors and clinics in Mexico are equipped and authorized to offer them.

The site, which bills itself as a digital platform for those who are ready to “take the next step” in their search for beauty, recommends only top authorized medical personnel

“Currently, about a million Mexicans undergo aesthetic medical or surgical procedures each year,” said Alejandra Betancourt, Merz business unit manager for medical devices, during a press conference to announce the new webpage.

“And if those procedures are conducted by nonmedical personnel or people who have not been professionally certified to carry them out, the results can be very negative, even leading to serious health problems.”

According to the Mexican Public Health Secretariat’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), there has in the last couple years been an exponential rise in the number of unregistered, illegal clinics nationwide, especially those offering aesthetic procedures.

The BetterSelf website is intended to be a public service platform offering reliable and science-based information orienting potential patients to reliable and safe treatment options.

All the information and articles on the page are written by medical experts in the respective fields and outline both the pros and cons of each procedure.