I had no idea that Milk of Magnesia was the primer that I needed in my life.
As much as I have had a makeup artist do my makeup, it was my last makeup artist, BeautewithaBeat, who did my slay for my FOX45 fashion segment that put me onto this super seriously cheap and efficient beauty hack. I have oily skin, which I don’t mind cause oily skin means that you age slower, so this black ain’t cracking, boo. But with my work schedule, at the end of the day, I be wayyyyyy too shiny.
When BeautewithaBeat used Milk of Magnesia when she did my makeup for my news segment, I went from under the super white hot lights on set at 9am to catching a flight to New York, and then dinner with a friend, and at the end of the day, I wasn’t shiny at all. (I love the saying, “at the end of the day.” It’s so annoyingly fitting.)
Apparently, using Milk of Magnesia is mad O.G. and by that I mean, many major makeup artists use it in favor of professional mattifying primers on celebrity clientele. Milk of Magnesia creates a layer between the foundation and the face to ensure that it doesn't sink into the skin on stage or a movie set.
The Pepto-Bismol-like fluid (it's white, not pink) is really, really great for oily skin as it sops up excess grease, controls shine, and tightens pores—kind of like a clay mask. In fact, if you don't use it as a primer, you can use it as a mask or spot treatment, leaving it on as long as you like, and washing it off for a smooth, fresh canvas.
"A lot of the water-based primers on the market just feel like another moisturizer and the silicone-based primers feel waxy or, while they'll matte you down, they still don't stick," makeup artist Julianne Kaye, who works with everyone from Brooke Shields to Britney Spears, tells the Daily Mail. "When you put milk of magnesia on your face you can actually feel that veil over the skin."
To use Milk of Magnesia as a primer, shake the bottle well, then apply a thin layer (you never want it to real chalky) all over your face, rubbing it in until you can't see it. Wait until it's completely dry before you apply your foundation. You can also concentrate it to your most oil-prone areas, like the T-zone or chin.
Also, stay away from the flavored ones. I went to Walmart to grab a bottle and saw they only had the cherry flavored one. I texted BeautewithaBeat to see if the flavored one would work the same and she told me to stay away from it. She said people with sensitive skin said the flavored ones break them out. I’m not with the breakouts so I went to another Walmart to grab the original flavor.
Fly Girl Tip: I don’t have sensitive skin but I treat my skin like it’s sensitive. It changes the game. Don’t use harsh products on your face.
Who knew a laxative would be the wave? #youcanthankmenow