Blushers help radiate youthfulness. But go overboard and it can have the opposite – and sometimes comic – effect. The key is to get your Q&As right. That is Quality and Application. Quality of skin makes all the difference: if it’s hydrated, your blusher sits better. A quality blusher is also essential – it’ll make your application easier (use fingers to blend into apples of cheeks, or a brush for precision). The blushers here are light textures that are well pigmented, but not overly so. Meaning, hopefully, even the cack-handed won’t inadvertently end up putting too much on. Never a good look.
1. Bobbi Brown Brightening Blush £39.50, bobbibrown.co.uk 2. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand £29, charlottetilbury.com 3. Suqqu Melting Powder Blush £39, selfridges.com 4. Too Faced Cloud Crush Blusher £28, toofaced.com 5. Vieve Sunset Blush Balm £21, vieve.co.uk
I can’t do without... A matte lipstick with a magically soft finish to win you over
I find a lot of lipsticks disappointing. But, for the most part, it’s not the fault of the lipstick. It’s me. I am demanding. And specific. Generally, I prefer liquid lipsticks, which immediately cuts out all their bullet-shaped relatives. However, when I do seek out a traditional lipstick, there are criteria. The texture has to be really, really matte. But not so matte that it is chalky or drying and my lips resemble an ageing map. Reapplication (only acceptable many hours later) should not require taking off the first layer in order for the second to go on seamlessly. And the pigment needs to be strong, opaque and deliver the exact hue in the tube. See? Specific. Which is why many lipsticks fail the test. But this one by Morphe was a pleasant surprise. Many people have a preconceived notion that the quality of a beauty product is intrinsically linked to its price. Not necessarily. This lipstick is a case in point. The texture is beautiful. Yes it is matte, but the Vitamin E makes it moisturising. It is super light, so it glides on easily and layers even better. The vegan lipsticks, which come in five shades, have a rich long-lasting pigment but here’s the clincher – the end result, unusual for matte opaque lip colours, is not ‘hard’. Rather it delivers a soft, almost blurry, finish that immediately softens your features. It’s like magic. Which, ultimately, is what I expect any good lipstick to be. Morphe 2 Good Talk Blotted Matte Lipstick £8, uk.morphe.com
On my radar… Soften your skin and hair – and smell divine
Drink it in For parched skin that needs a moisturiser to boost hydration and strengthen the skin barrier – and doesn’t cost a fortune. The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Phyto Ceramides, £20, theordinary.com
Frizz out A soft creme pomade by fashion’s much-loved hair stylist Sam McKnight that keeps flyaways and frizz at bay, adding definition and shine instead. Sam McKnight Dressed To Kill, £26, sammcknight.com
Heaven scent This investment scent – a smoky floral, saffron, wood and leather concoction – is in the premier league of scents. Use sparingly. Tom Ford Private Blend Smoke Cherry, £265, tomford.co.uk
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