When you’re buying make-up and skincare, you often look at the price and your heart gives away a little. While there are several brands and products that don’t make your wallet weep, some of them are definitely worth those tears.
It’s not about the brand, it isn’t about the symbol of luxury they seem to come with it. It’s only about how good these products can make you look and feel.
So, from my kit to your dressing table, these are some of my recommendations.
Beautiful make-up always starts with beautiful skin. When you spend time perfecting your base, everything pretty much falls into place. The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is great for smoothing over pores and texture and giving your skin a smooth base for foundation.
The NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is a staple in my kit, as it photographs beautifully and looks very natural when on. Their shade range is extensive, and the coverage is a buildable medium which covers without looking like make-up.
For more mature skin, Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua, Vitalumiere Moisture-Rich Radiance and By Terry’s Densiliss Foundations look absolutely beautiful. They don’t emphasise lines or wrinkles and give the skin a radiant and healthy glow.
BobbiBrown’s Correctors are one of the best for colour-correcting under the eye, while the BobbiBrown Tinted Eye Brightener is a miracle worker for mature skin.
I love using cream products, as they tend to blend into the skin and look more natural — after you’ve blended them in, dusting your face with loose powder helps lock it all in place.
Chanel’s Bronze Universal is a great cream bronzer that warms up the skin, adding a lovely hint of healthy sun-kissed glow to the face. Once again, this product also lends itself to mature skin.
Aerin’s (brand under Estee Lauder’s) cream lip and cheek stain is another must-have blush/lip colour for that natural flush.
Personally, I’ve always been a big fan of loose powder, as it can be dusted in light layers. However, Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powders can look magical when dusted loosely over the skin. They have very fine shimmer running through them, and manage to mattify the face without making the skin look very matte and one-dimensional.
For eyeshadows, I love brands such as Natasha Denona for her shimmer and metallic eyeshadows and Viseart for their mattes. For mature skin, matte eyeshadows with a hint of shimmer in the inner corners look lovely, as they give you colour without emphasising texture.
And lastly, for lips, Charlotte Tilbury makes the most beautiful luxurious lipsticks. They are long-wearing and an easy formula to work with. She has a nude for almost every skin tone.
While good make-up should not always come with a hefty price, some products are worth that price. So next time you’re on Net-A-Porter or BeautyBay.com, try out some of these products and see for yourself.
