I recently wrote a post about the HEV light emitted from our electronic devices and it's horrific potential to speed the effects of aging. Despite the lack of empirical scientific data to back up the claims, the more research I did the more it sounded like a modern horror story and the more paranoid I became. I mean seriously...my entire house it outfitted in LED Hue bulbs and I write about beauty on a laptop for a living. If HEV ages skin, my skin is in need of some serious help.
In my research I came across a number of products that protect the skin against HEV, much like sunscreens block the rays from the sun. MAKE Beauty, a brand conceived amid the artsy culture of SoHo and produced in Long Island, just so happens to offer a line of products devoted to protecting and repairing the skin from HEV's insidious grasp.
A black primer? A serum that repairs neck lines? Yes, please!
Naturally I ordered them before I could blink.
the products
Moonlight Moisturizing Primer, $55
“This advanced, innovative primer is designed for contemporary technology-driven life and helps shield against the skin damage caused by High Energy Visible (HEV) and Infrared (IR) Light while also aiding in Vitamin D synthesis. HEV – light emitted from electronic devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers – can lead to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Contains an edible marine algae extract that helps protect against environmental aggressors.”
“A targeted pro-aging treatment for the neck and décolleté to address technology-induced premature wrinkling caused by repetitive phone, tablet and laptop viewing. The Vetiver-infused lightweight gel acts as a hydrating “mesh” to help restore skin elasticity while reducing the appearance of neck lines. Kigelia Extract and Acacia Gum help firm, lift and tighten the skin while providing potent anti-oxidant, anti-aging benefits. Sodium Hyaluronate delivers added volume and plumpness.”
Okay...I know the wording in the descriptions are a little bizarre and confusing. The Moonlight Moisturizing Primer talks about Vitamin D synthesis like it's an added bonus, but what it really means is that it does not contain SPF. Chilling.
The Moonlight Neck Repair uses terms like “pro-aging” and “hydrating ”mesh””. Your guess is as good as mine on those...I don't understand how pro-aging is a good thing an anti-aging product, but we'll let this slide for now.
I find it humorous that “Gluten Free” is noted on the packaging of the Moonlight Neck Repair...you know...in case you decide to eat it.
Despite the odd usage of words, these products have some pretty serious cutting-edge claims. Though there are a few brands that now offer products that protect from HEV light, MAKE comes across as a modern breath of fresh air that knows exactly where to hit your wallet.
Fancy descriptions are all well and good, but do the products live up to their claims?
the packaging
Aah...I lovelovelove MAKE's packaging. I do. I can't help it. It's just so good. It's modern, it's sleek, and it's inventive.
The products come in minimalist black and white boxes, their logo big and bold. It certainly makes an impression even before opening them.
The black Moonlight primer sits within a frosted glass bottle, complete with pump and cap. You really can't appreciate a black primer until you're holding it in your hands. It's a thing of beauty and mystery.
The Moonlight Neck Repair has one of the most interesting dispense mechanisms I've ever seen in a skincare product. Get this...under the cap there is a rubber spatula that you rotate on and off. In the on position the serum is dispensed through a slit in the spatula. The directions say to flip the top to on, squeeze the serum from the tube, rotate back to off and then use the spatula to apply to the neck and literally paint on the serum with the spatula.
Here's the thing...I like the concept, but it's actually a little difficult to do. The serum does have a runny consistency, so if you're squeezing serum from the tube and then need to rotate the spatula to the off position (so you're controlling the amount of serum used), it's a race against the drip.
Personally I prefer to just squeeze the serum into the palm of my hand. It makes it a lot less complicated but I give them a very solid A+ for effort in ingenuity.
As a whole, I love the entire look of the products and the packaging is worthy of their price tag.
the good stuff
First, let's talk about the Moonlight Primer. This silicone-free primer is a dark charcoal black gel that does not have any discernible scent. The primer lightens to a transparent gray as you sheer it out and apply it. It completely disappears into the skin and does not in any way leave any trace of its color behind. In fact, it actually makes my skin look brighter after applying it!
It was honestly love at first use with this primer. The way it absorbs and the way it makes your skin feel is IN-SANE. My skin feels moisturized but yet it looks matte, smooth and bright. It makes my skin feel like butter after I've applied it.
You know that matte, soft-touch texture on packaging, brush handles, or flat irons? It makes your skin feel like that. How it can do this without the use of silicone is ridiculously impressive. It is incredible.
I love the fact that it has a dry down and does not leave the skin slick or sticky, nor does it feel heavy or suffocating.
Whether it effectively protects from HEV or not remains to be seen, and since this aspect is immeasurable we just have to take their word for it. It is unfortunate considering HEV protection is this primer's main selling point but there is no way to tell if it's actually doing it's job. However, as just a primer? It is bomb.
It prolongs the wear of my foundation for a good 12ish hours. No joke. This primer means serious business and gives more well-known brands and higher priced primers a run for their money. It is my new favorite thing on the planet...well, almost.
The Moonlight Neck Repair serum might contain some kind of witchcraft because it is the single most effective product I have ever used to diminish the look of those pesky neck rings, and I don't say that lightly.
This lightweight serum feels a lot like a gel moisturizer as you apply it. It absorbs rather quickly as you work it into your neck and decollete but it does leave an initial tackiness behind. Though, within 5 minutes the tackiness is replaced with just a soft, matte, moisturized feel. It does not have the same feel as the primer and it most definitely feels like a serum, but the dry down does not leave your skin feeling greasy, oily, or slick in any way.
I've applied this serum every evening since I received it, and within a week of use I noticed a visible difference in the lines around my neck and in the tautness of the skin under my chin. So much so in fact that I did not even realize how much I needed this product before I had it.
The results were almost too good to be true, tbh. I thought it was in my head at first, almost like some sort of placebo...but the more that I used it, the more of a difference I was indeed seeing in my neck. At this point it has softened the look of lines and creases by half.
final thoughts
HEV protection may or may not be gimmicky, and it may or may not be a real concern in regards to the aging process, but these two products by MAKE have left me spellbound. I wasn't expecting earth-shattering results when I ordered the Moonlight Primer and Moonlight Neck Repair, but these two products have become my new bffs and must-haves. You can be certain that I'll be repurchasing both.
Frankly, I'm slightly salty MAKE managed to slip past my radar for so long. MAKE is the type of brand I make it my business to notice. From their ethos in formulating unconventional, cutting-edge, multi-use, unisex products for the contemporary individual, to the fact that MAKE donates 10% of every purchase to the We See Beauty Foundation, which supports the empowerment and skill-sets of community-based women entrepreneurs and their importance in community economic growth, MAKE is most certainly the caliber of brand the beauty industry so desperately needs.
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