Product watch: All hours foundation and 'The Overachiever' Concealer
James Kaliardos, the newly-honoured InStyle Makeup Artist of the Year, often does Hillary Clinton’s makeup for media appearances, including those she did promoting What Happened.
In this 2016 campaign memoir, Ms Clinton both praises the people who do her makeup and gripes a little about the time she must spend in their chairs (though the perfectly-full pink lip Kaliardos created for The Rachel Maddow Show in September using NARS Audacious Lipstick, was surely worth it). “Time is the coin of your life. Spend it wisely, “ she paraphrases Carl Sandbergh, and if you work in beauty or Instagram selfies like it’s your job, maybe there is wisdom in spending hours applying densely layered eye-looks and transformative masks. If your regime is merely a ‘must-do’ rather than a ‘want-to-do,’ however, these time-saving launches can make life that bit easier.
YSL’s twist-up makeup wand grants you enduring complexion perfection in less time than you spend finding your keys. Stick foundations tend to offer more value-per-wear than serums or creams as you lose so little product to brushes, sponges, leaking pumps, etc. They are also a cinch to streak on and blend in, ensuring you won’t look overdone unless you’re trying. It’s important to note All Hours’ strong shine-control properties, which will highlight dryness. The finish is “natural matte” which in makeup-speak means brightening without shimmer-pigment. Like its liquid’s counterpart, the stick creates a super-fine layer of flaw-blurring colour but the formula is alcohol-free and less fuss to touch up. A shade that perfectly matches your skin can also be layered on as concealer, while deeper tones chisel your cheekbones like a natural-looking bronzer. YSL’s clearest intent for this makeup is longevity and they really have made some remains fade-proof all day, even if you’re caught in the rain.
The Inkey List is similar to cult skincare brand The Ordinary in its aim to cut time and dross from an effective skincare regime. The new brand also makes luxury ingredients available at supermarket prices. Created by two former Boots product-developers, the 15-product range is dedicated to simplifying the complex. Each item focuses on a single ‘hero’ ingredient but includes others that enhance the hero’s powers. The budget pricing means you can experiment with, say, an alpha hydroxy acid you’ve been curious about without breaking the bank. For pure dry skin comfort this winter, it will be hard to beat this moisturiser. Named for an anti-inflammatory spice, it counteracts redness and encourages skin-cell turnover. It also contains plenty of ccmforting squalene and vitamin E. It suits all skin-types and is of particular benefit to those suffering from rosacea. Oat kernal-oil, commonly used in natural eczema-relief formulas, fights irritation. It is also quick to absorb and a great base for makeup.
On the subject of delectable humectants, I have been critical of Boots own-brand YourGoodSkin before but their lip balm is a great buy. The brand’s blended a pretty standard balm (paraffin wax, carnauba wax, etc.) with potent extracts green tea, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. With no fragrance and plenty of emollience, the mix is both protective and replenishing.
This concealer’s name could describe Huda Kattan herself. The makeup artist and Kardashian look-a-like has a brand packed with hit products and an Instagram following almost ten times the population of Dubai, her current base. This concealer shows she can do a complexion product just as fabulous as her false lashes and liquid lip-colours. It was created to work tout suite.
“I wanted a product that would instantly hide my dark circles, spots, hyperpigmentation, and any redness. We packed the concealer with as much pigment as we could, and added light-reflecting spheres that have a soft, blemish-blurring effect,” she shares with followers.
The liquid formula really does deliver, blending seamlessly and drying to a demi-matte. The coverage is camera-ready opaque. There are some soothing, anti-redness ingredients — green tea, silk tree-extract and a probiotic — which should together be seen as a mere cherry on the cake as they are present in relatively minor amounts. Colour-matching is vital and while some of the medium shades have orange-y undertones (e.g. ‘Peanut Butter’) that don’t look like they match anyone’s complexion but the rest are great (e.g. ‘Whipped Cream’ is perfectly porcelain).
This gentle wash takes care of your face, body and hair and is even easy on the planet. Rich in sustainably-sourced aloe vera and hand-harvested soap tree extract, the wash is formulated with 95 per cent naturally derived and 100 per cent biodegradable ingredients. The packaging is made with 100 per cent post-consumer recycled materials. The wash has a pleasant gelée texture, suits all skin types and is safe for children aged three and up.
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