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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Funmi Fetto

The new liquid blushers make beauty into art

Woman wearing makeup
Rise and shine: liquid blushers are light and easy to wear when the temperature rises. Photograph: Matteo Valle/Launchmetrics.com

Unlike powder blushers that can easily go down the 80s soap star route, liquid blushers leave a natural flush that blurs the lines between the blush and your skin. A soft, subtle effect – like a Turner watercolour. Back in the day, however, liquid blushers didn’t work on darker skin tones – I remember seeing my liquid blusher disappear into nothingness on my skin. Now they are better formulated, and many have skincare benefits. A perfect way to wear blush in the heat.

1. Hourglass cosmetics Unreal Liquid Blush £38, hourglasscosmetics.co.uk
2. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush £22, spacenk.com
3. Vieve Sunset Blush Balm £21, vievebeauty.com
4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Blurring Serum Blush £30, cultbeauty.com
5. Glossier Blush Cloud Paint £22, sephora.co.uk

I can’t do without… An oil cleanser that brings new life to lacklustre skin

I constantly remind people (myself included) that skin is a living, breathing organ that shifts and changes – for better or worse – depending on what is happening externally and internally. So what’s your cleanser like? Because that is the foundation of skincare. Can a good cleanser totally erase the impact of external and internal factors? No. Can it play a key role in how everything plays out on your skin? Absolutely. During a recent busy spell, I noticed my skin was lacklustre. I kept using my cleanser, one I had long been very happy with, and my skin still looked grey and dead. So I shifted to Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Oil Cleanser. Created with super facialist Melanie Grant, it combines olive fruit oil with antioxidants and fatty acids to break down dirt, makeup and sunscreen and give the skin a gentle but thorough cleanse. The difference to my skin was immediate. The grey tinge disappeared and suddenly my skin was smoother (the brand’s lactic acid exfoliating cleanser is also great). Many deem oil cleansers greasy. This isn’t. All the best oil cleansers are made in Asia (this was made in Japan). Cleansing oils are also great for massaging the face. It’s a ritual that stimulates blood flow, reduces puffiness, releases tension and gives your skin a wake-up call. Which is exactly what this excellent cleanser did. Victoria Beckham Beauty Daily Oil Cleanser, £60, victoriabeckhambeauty.com

On my radar… Beauty tips and products from southeast Asia

Turn up the volume Fine and thinning hair will benefit from this Indian-inspired fenugreek and black seed conditioner, which repairs damage and increases hair volume. Fable & Mane Volumizing Conditioner, £30, fableandmane.com

Healing powers This facial massage tool incorporates Kansa, a metal alloy that has long been used in Ayurvedic practices and is believed to have healing powers, to lift, sculpt, decongest and smooth the skin. Mauli Double Sides Dome, £63, maulirituals.com

Essential reading When a beauty director with decades of experience writes a book on beauty, you pay attention. This one covers skincare, makeup and tricks and tips for South Asian skin. South Asian Beauty by Sonia Haria, £25, waterstones.com

Follow Funmi on X @FunmiFetto

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