This is a great product to have on hand in the summer time when no one really wants a full-face of foundation. This product lies somewhere between a concealer and foundation in the sense that it's highly pigmented but blends very well into the skin for seamless coverage. For girls with relatively good skin, this and a dusting of powder may be all you need.Sadly, I don't fall into that category, but i find I can get away with a lot less mineral foundation when using this product,
The trick is nailing a shade that blends perfectly into your skintone. With five shades available, that might be easier said than done. Still, although Shade 02 is a tad pink for me, it works well as a concealer with the help of a colour-correcting yellow powder dusted over to set.
It was a dark day in my household when I discovered I'd lost my beloved Touche Eclat. Fumbling around in the depths of my makeup draw I unearthed this little beauty, the Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer. I have a confession to make as well: I may never go back to YSL! This cream glides on easily with a sponge applicator, perfect for blending on the brush, or with your fingers and has a lovely creamy consistency. It's £15 from Estee Lauder, and creates a really flawless look. It's more mattifying than Touch Eclat , and I like the lack of shine on my face. I love the Double Wear range, as it used to be a staple of my makeup bag when I was younger and this long lasting concealer reminds me why I loved it.
Judging by the comments, loads of you have been intrigued by the 'Dainty Doll' range by Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts. As a pale skinned redhead, Nicola wanted to create a range that worked for people with really fair skin like hers, and her quest to create the brand was documented in 'The Passions of Girls Aloud'...
Now I'm a big fan of Benefit, as I seriously love their High Beam and Get Even products, but I've always been a bit so so about their foundations. I know a lot of people love You Rebel, the tinted foundation style moisturiser that is meant to work for all skin colours, but I've always found it a bit dark for my complexion. Soo, they've now brought it out in a Light version, that will hopefully suit skin that is fair. It has all the coverage of the regular You Rebel, and an SPF15. It contains soothing aloe, antioxidant vitamin E and vitamin A for soft, supple skin, and is available for £19.50 at House of Fraser.
Pop Beauty are famous for their cakes, and although this one isn't that tasty looking, it sure is good for you. Mineral powders are fantastic for concealing, especially for spots - use a small brush and build up coverage as you need it. Pop have built upon this idea by creating a medley of correcting shades which you can either use all over for a general complexion boost or by selecting certain shades dependent on your skin needs. The mineral powder in this compact is pressed for ease of use, and includes peach (minimizes darkness), yellow powder (minimizes redness), translucent (works well as an eye cake primer), nude (neutral concealer), and tan (good for neutral contouring).
You can find Pop Beauty at www.popbeauty.co.uk or head to Top Shop Oxford Circus.
It's official. My YSL Touche Eclat has been replaced. I never thought I'd cast it aside for another, but I have, and it's Clinique Airbrush that is my new concealer beau.
Unlike Touche Eclat, which is more of a highlighter than a concealer, this actually conceals. And for someone who once listed foundation as my desert-island beauty product, the fact that I can conceal with this and wear no foundation is a Very Big Deal...
I've tried a lot of beauty products, and the one thing I've learnt is that 95% of the time, you don't have to spend a lot of money to look good. The problem being, you might have to spend a lot of money finding the products that really work. With the aim of saving you a bit of wonga, I've put together my ultimate budget beauty kit, and later this week, we'll be starting a new set of polls (like the Kiss and Makeup holiday suitcase) to find your best loved budget beauty products. Until then, here's my picks...
Moisturiser:Olay - This actually beat higher priced moisturisers in independent tests and contains SPF 15 (a must have for wrinkle-defying). Foundation:Max Factor Colour Adapt (or Max Factor Age Renew for older skins). The former evens skin tone without looking like there's anything there, the latter gives a lit-by-candle-light soft focus to skin.