If you follow my Bustle experiments, you know that I've done my fair share of trying weird makeup hacks, especially when it comes to Korean beauty. From puppy liner to straight eyebrows, Korean beauty trends are so intriguing, and I can't not give them a whirl to see what all the hype is about. Not only are they pretty to look at or extremely useful to know, but they’re also just damn fascinating. It was definitely a no-brainer what my next experiment was going to be when I heard about the new Korean beauty trend called Jamsu.
So what exactly is Jamsu? According to Vogue, it translates to "diving" or "submerging" and was originally introduced by a Japanese blogger. The technique involves applying a generous amount of baby powder to your face and actually submerging it into a sink filled with water for at least 30 seconds. The result? It's supposed to create a matte effect to avoid makeup smudge throughout the day.
I have to admit, at first, when I stumbled on the trend, I was a little thrown off. I mean, putting baby powder on your face and then sinking it into a basin filled with water?! How is that supposed to work? While I was fairly skeptical, I was also intrigued. The Korean beauty world has yet to lead me astray, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Johnson's Baby Powder, $9, Amazon
Here’s what happened:
1. I Cleansed & Moisturized My Face
Before applying any baby powder, I made sure to cleanse and moisturize my face as suggested.
2. I Put My Primer, Foundation, & Concealer On Like Normal
I then put my regular face makeup on.
3. I Applied The Baby Powder Generously
So this part was a little tricky. I definitely recommend taking out your contacts before applying the powder on. As it can get a little chunky, make sure to spread the powder onto your face evenly rather than in big portions.
4. I Submerged My Face In Water For 20 Seconds
Although Vogue writer Monica Kim noted that she dipped her face in water for 15 seconds, I could hardly last 10. I don't think my nose did too well dipping my face into the water, so I would definitely try to mist the water on next time.
5. I Dried Off My Face With A Towel
After submerging my face into water, I lightly dried off my face with a towel and applied a little more water to the spots that still had powder residue on it. I could definitely feel the matte effect on my skin already.
6. I Put The Rest Of My Makeup On
I continued on to put eyeliner and contoured my cheekbones. To my surprise, my eyeliner actually didn't smear on my lids and all my other powdered makeup seemed to blend into my skin flawlessly.
The Results
Overall, I'd say that the baby powder made my skin super soft and successfully gave my makeup a more matte effect. Since I like my makeup dewy, however, I don't necessarily know if I would do this technique again, but I can vouch that it works and leaves your skin feeling really nice and matte!
Although the powder residue was a little tricky to get on and off my skin, the powder definitely did its job in making sure my makeup didn't smear. This experiment also got quite messy so it's probably better to try this when you have time and aren't in a rush. However, I'm super glad I got to try this technique for myself and find out if it really worked, because it totally did!
To all matte-makeup lovers out there, baby powder might be the missing ingredient in your beauty regimen!
Images: Courtesy of Brands; Danelle Sandoval
