Tried and tested
A primer with broad-spectrum SPF is the best way to get that all-important daytime protection while instantly improving the look of your makeup. Some SPF moisturisers can alter the colour of foundation and few will create a perfectly smooth base. Laura Mercier’s primer has a lot going for it, including gentle sunscreen ingredients, a silky texture and a radiant-matte finish. The formula is also fragrance and alcohol free.
This primer provides good sun protection and has plenty of slip. I am not convinced this deserves to be called Age Smart. The silicone-rich formula will blur lines and imperfections but the anti-ageing skincare ingredients are too scant to make this a good substitute for your favourite antioxidant serum. The formula also contains potentially-irritating fragrant extracts.
This moisturiser-sunscreen-primer combo is great for all but dry skin types. Clinique is generous with antioxidants, reparative extracts and gentle, effective sun protection. City Block keeps skin shine-proof and safe.
MAC released this reformulated version of their only SPF primer last year and it is so much better! Moisturising as well as makeup-improving, this is a great option for all but the very oily skinned. The formula includes strong sun protection and several skin-improving ingredients. It is also irritant free and has a radiant finish.
This lightweight gel contains enough of the exfoliant salicylic acid to help unblock pores. Unfortunately, the formula has far too much denatured alcohol (enough that it smells boozy) and fragrance to recommend. The irritation that alcohol and scent promotes can exacerbate excess oil production and inflame and sensitise the skin over time.
We have a winner! Clinique minimises shine and calms skin with soothing extracts like green tea and acetyl glucosamine. The formula also contains an effective amount of benzoyl peroxide, a topical disinfectant that kills acne-causing bacteria.
Like almost all Darphin products, this serum is beautifully packaged and contains perfume. The formula employs a lot of silicones that will keep skin matte for a bit but do not control excess oil. The added slip agents and thickeners can actually make oily skin look greasier.
Like MAC’s Blemish Control Gel, this is a light lotion with a useful amount of salicylic acid. The rest of the formula contains some great skin-repairing ingredients but also lots of potentially irritating fragrant extracts. I understand why beauty companies think we want products to smell nice but using aromas where they could include ingredients proven to quell irritation and benefit skin implies a stronger interest in selling than helping.
Many facial oils are single-ingredient, which strikes me as a waste of a spot in your skincare regime that could host a cocktail of proven, effective complexion-enhancers. Hence my focus on multi-ingredient oils this month. High Performance Booster Oil is the gold standard. The fragrance-free formula is packed with proven antioxidants, ceramides and soothing extracts.
This super-rich oil blend is almost entirely comprised of antioxidant and fatty-acid packed extracts. Jojoba, sunflower, safflower, evening primrose...Moisture Renewal has a dream ingredients list for soothing dry skin and eczema. Normal and combination types should use a few drops to boost their favourite moisturiser.
The Elixir is surprisingly non-greasy and contains several proven antioxidants. The brand claims it can lift sagging skin but no topical product can do that. Some ingredients tighten skin temporarily (a Pyrrhic victory, given that the irritation they cause encourages collagen breakdown), but they are not in this oil. The formula is heavily fragranced.
The newest addition to Estée Lauder’s Resilience Lift line cannot physically lift or tighten your skin. The formula deserves recommendation for its great range of anti-ageing ingredients, most of which are independently proven to encourage skin cell turnover and collagen development. Again, it would be great if fragrance had been left out of the mix but here isn’t a huge amount in this oil.
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