WITH so many cosmetic products in the market claiming to provide skincare properties, it can be quite a chore separating the wheat from the chaff. Here are some of our favourites.

Face

As the skin's first line of defence against the harmful effects of the environment, it is unsurprising that foundations and makeup bases make up the bulk of the offerings within the 'skincare-fused makeup' category.

Luxury brands La Mer and La Prairie, for example, have some high performing gems on offer. The former's Skincolor Collection (ranges from $120-163) comes with treatment properties that makes it so good for your skin it is positioned as the 'last step to the skincare regime', and the latter a treatment foundation range that comes with nourishing skincare properties. In particular, La Prairie's Gold Illusion Line Filler ($255) - a luxurious gold-infused primer that not only gives you a golden glow, but also boosts cellular hydration; restores elasticity and protects the skin against free radicals - is a must try. Other products worth considering include SKII's Skin Signature Cream-in Foundation Compact ($31 for an empty compact/$96 for refill) that is said to improve the skin's overall radiance and translucency after use and Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Extreme ($66)that combines coverage with age-defying treatment technology.

Those looking for mineral makeup should look no further than bareMinerals' SPF 15 foundation ($42 for two grammes from Sephora) that has been clinically proven to help improve skin problems such as acne, sensitive and dehydrated skin over time; Jane Iredale's Dream Tint ($73.80 from Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic) that contains unique algae extracts to moisturise and soothe skin and provides a dewy glow at the same time and MAC's Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation Loose ($55) that contains a balance of zinc and micronised titanium dioxide for UVA/UVB protection. And finally, when it comes to the infamous BB creams, a personal favourite is the Ginseng BB Creme from French/Korean skincare label Erborian ($68 from Escentials), which tones, energises and moisturises the skin for a 'baby like' texture all day long.

Lips

Now, when it comes to luscious lips, the key is moisture. After all, dry, chapped lips have never rated highly on the sexy scale. To achieve those kissable lips, Clinique's Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour ($31) is a good product to start with. Formulated with ingredients such as Vitamin C; acai berry, pomegranate, shea butter and theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, this is one moisturising lip smoothie that can help reduce the appearance of lip lines caused by aging.

Another place that has a plethora of 'lip tonics' is Bobbi Brown. Its Creamy Lip Color ($33) claims to improve moisturisation and reduces lip lines by 28 per cent after six weeks of use, while its Lip Crayon ($33) is said to improve moisturisation after an average of four weeks use and 19 per cent reduction of lines. And over at Averine, its Sexy Lips collection ($39 from Leonard Drake Skincare & Health Spas) not only contains Monoi de Tahiti butter and Vitamin E to smoothen and condition lips, but is also free of D&C red, 'a colour pigment dye often found in lipsticks and rouges that may cause skin to become photo-sensitive, which can result in skin being overly sensitive to the sun', says Averine's trainer and makeup artist Jasmine Tham.

Eyes

Compared to products for the face and lips, skincare-infused eye makeup is less easy to find, but there are still some brands that have made it a point not to neglect this bit of the face. An easy place to begin looking would be Dr Hauschka that has a mineral makeup range that does not contain synthetic FD&C dyes, artificial fragrances or petro-chemicals. Its eyeshadows (roughly ranges from $34-90) contain natural mineral ingredients mica and diatomaceous earth to support the skin and bring vitality to the eye area, while silk powder offers pH balancing and protective qualities.

When it comes to eye brighteners/concealers, try Smashbox's Photo Op Under Eye Brightener ($32 from Sephora) and Too Faced's Mineral Water Eye Brightening Pencil ($34 from Sephora). The former contains skin-boosting ingredients such as vitamin E, red wine extract and marine collagen, as well as peptides to repair lines; the latter contains more than 35 per cent of mineral water and aloe leaf juice to hydrate, refresh and calm dull and/or tired skin.

Last but not least, for the eyeliner fanatics, the Calligraphy Liquid Eye Liner from Hourglass ($47 from Sephora) is a rare find that is antioxidant-rich with rosemary, chamomile and aloe to sooth and moisturise eyes.

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This article was first published in The Business Times.