Tried and tested: best picks for the party season
This is truly excellent highlighter - subtle, youthful and available in a range of flattering shades (if a highlighter has a shade range at all it’s usually just pink and champagne). It is also one of the most expensive I’ve tried and looks it, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t great options at lower price points. Whether you should invest depends on how great a role Illuminator plays in your makeup look.
This is one of those products that makes you wonder why Stila is marketed as cute and throwaway when they’re capable of pro quality. The shimmer comes with a brush applicator, which helps distribute the non-greasy fluid quickly and evenly. The formula dries quickly and leaves a natural glow rather than plastic shine.
This is a sheer, oil-free liquid created for use all over the face. It does really great work as an illuminating primer or regular highlighter. The formula is fragrance-free and contains nothing that will bother sensitive skin. All seven shades are wonderfully flattering, though the lilac-toned enhancer only suits the very fair-skinned.
This highlighter is easily blended and gives skin a pearly glow with a light wash of peach (Gleam) or light pink (Sunbeam). The texture is lightweight and the price is excellent for a product this good.
This is a high-quality, creamy pencil that dries to a matte finish without feeling tacky. The nib is very tapered and not easily blunted. It’s never quite as precise after sharpening, though the enclosed sharpener is a plus. The shade range is extensive and Lipstick Queen provides a handy online key of lipstick shades that each liner matches.
This is the best lip liner I’ve ever used. The formula is creamy, non-drying and irritant-free. It is easily manipulated but stays put once dry. There’s a sharpener in the lid that works as you twist it open, so the tip is always tapered. The shade range has something to blend with almost any colour and the finish is a perfect matte.
DuWop is most popular for its lip products but this liner isn’t fuelling that. The nib is thick, clear wax and doesn’t come in colour. The wax does a decent job of keeping lipstick in place but the clumsy tip makes it hard to draw neat lines. This product will cause dreadful feathering problems for mature skin. The formula cannot plump lips as DuWop promises.
This is a non-retractable lip pen with a creamy nib that creates a precise, super-smooth line. The formula is lightweight and won’t feather but if you like a sharp tip to define your Cupid’s bow this isn’t the liner for you.
This foundation is sold on its skincare benefits but I’m more impressed by its illusory properties. It’s something like a personal lighting team for your face, bottled. The formula is best suited to normal and dry skin. The shade range is extensive and all complexions are catered too. The price is excessive, especially if you cost per ml (€3.06). Still, if you ask for just one La Mer item this Christmas...
The name of this makeup celebrates the anti-aging properties of some of its ingredients. While these extracts are present and have independently-proven benefits, the quantities are too small to make a significant impact. The packaging won’t keep them stable. The brush applicator is messy, blending the makeup is time-consuming and several shades are far too orange.
A pretty good buy for dry and very dry skin. Fragrance and irritant-free. Shades are natural looking and price reasonable. However it takes more effort to blend evenly than a modern foundation should. The finish is very luminescent, which can make wrinkles look more pronounced.
Clinique claims this makeup has special powers, including time-release hydration and the ability to locate dry spots to moisturise and oily patches to avoid. They really don’t need to come up with these things. This is an excellent hydrating foundation for normal to very dry skin (including sensitive skin), and that should be the whole story. It does exactly the same thing whenever you apply it. The finish is not terribly luminous but flattering in a natural way.
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