CHENNAI : Would you call me crazy if I told you that I dunked my entire face into a bowl of ice cold water in the name of research? By entire face, I mean an entire face of makeup. Well, you see, I’ve tried a lot of seemingly questionable “hacks” in my time as a beauty writer, and this is definitely one of my most memorable ones. The Korean beauty trick called Jamsu — which involves a 30-second dive into a casserole dish of ice cubes and water, is meant to set your makeup, matteify your skin and give you that super flawless finish.
I will admit that most of the reason I tried this is because Bella Hadid apparently swears by it, and well… if it’s okay for Bella, it’s okay for me. So in my forever-quest to become more supermodel-like, I covered my face with translucent powder, after my prime-foundation-conceal-contour routine. It’s a lot like baking your makeup, except on your entire face. Pack on the powder liberally, so you look like one of Pablo Escobar’s warehouses, and prepare yourself to take the plunge. Make sure to move your head from side to side so you cover all the crevices, and try keeping your eyes closed through the entire ordeal.
I decided not to wipe off the water, instead letting it air-dry and dabbing excess water off very gently. Here’s the stitch: there was a lot of dried white powder residue (I proceeded to brush off after), which made my face look whiter than usual. While it wasn’t quite Geisha-like yet, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it either. Nothing a little bronzer can’t fix though!
The good part? My face looked super matte, cheeks felt softer than a baby’s bottom, and pore-less. I took my face out to a ‘busy day’ of babysitting my niece and going to the arcade to check if Jamsu will extend the wear of my makeup. It is important to note that I usually look like a McDonald’s-inspired oily mess by the end of a day like this, and was pleasantly surprised for the most part. While the technique definitely made my skin look fresher and really stay super matte, it also accentuated a few concealer creases under my eyes.
Avoid dunking your face for over 30 seconds, as anything beyond that will make your skin extremely dry. I would also save Jamsu for a special occasion, because it clogs your pores by creating an additional layer over your makeup which makes it close to impossible for things like sweat and sebum to be released. This is exactly how your face stays uber matte through the day. Be sure to double cleanse at the end of it, and trust that all in all — this hack is definitely one to keep.