Tried and Tested: Setting spray, finishing powder, peach blush
This mist is sold as a setting product but is even better at reviving skin, thanks to its antioxidant-rich formula.
It can’t smooth or otherwise minimise flaws, though it is useful for dampening areas where makeup needs fixing so you don’t have to start from scratch.
It sets makeup very lightly as it has no film-forming ingredients though, as mentioned above, these aren’t great for skin. Fix + can also be used as a soothing toner.
The formula is very high in alcohol and perfume. Gerard Cosmetics claims it has oil-controlling properties but these irritants are the most drying thing about it.
Castor oil, which may actually emphasise shine, is among the key ingredients.
The alcohol and film-forming ingredients have a setting effect but may dehydrate and sensitive skin over time.
The brand also includes a number of great antioxidants but the quantities are smaller.
Another alcohol-heavy spray, though this one is only mildly fragranced. There are an awful lot of film-forming polymers (stuff that helps mascara cling to lashes) in the formula, so it will stay on your face all day. Their effect is anti-fade, even if they don’t quite prevent caking.
Maybelline is owned by L’Oréal and this formula is very similar to the above. There is no particular benefit in choosing the more expensive spray.
The instructions advise closing your eyes during application but I would recommend keeping such an alcohol-rich product away from the eye area altogether.
MAC is at heart a brand for the pros and products promoting long wear are among their best. Why go to the trouble of creating an elaborate look if it doesn’t last the night?
This powder is talc-free and silicone rich, so goes on silky-smooth and feels filmy, no matter how much you layer on.
There is also a lot of kaolin in the compact and while this is ideal for balancing very oily skin without irritation, it can leave normal-to-try skin looking chalky.
The powder’s tint is also noticeable, so do colour-match carefully before buying.
Longevity is the key selling point of Kat Von D’s complexion makeup and boy does she deliver. This powder has a velvety finish that looks skin-like and lasts for hours.
The mild sheen keeps its oil-controlling properties from making you look dull or chalky. The formula best suits normal to slightly oily skin and won’t irritate sensitive types.
Stay Matte is a super-fine powder with a classic true-matte finish. It creates a smooth look without tinting and does not grow chalky when layered. This isn’t the most innovative of formulas but eminently reliable if you want to hide an oily t-zone all day.
This powder’s colour fragments remind me of Bobbi Brown’s Brightening Finishing Powder, €56, in ‘Porcelain Pearl’ and colour-correcting effect is similar on fair-to-medium complexions. If you like the look - as well as a flaw-blurring finish - it is more affordable and requires fewer reapplications.
The ingredients list is irritant-free and includes a number of antioxidants the brand cites as selling points.
Powders lack penetration enhancers and are an extremely inefficient means of delivering reparative extracts to skin, so don’t skip any skincare steps in its favour.
This is reportedly one of Gisele’s favourite blushes and its glamorous glow certainly dovetails with her profile. The price is too high for blush but the pigments to provide strong colour with a very light application.
The fibers are super-fine, silky and very easily blended. Every shade in the range shimmers to some degree but none glitter or highlight large pores. The formula suits all skin types.
Peach is not a shade that mimics a natural flush. Applying it high on the cheeks, just above the apples, is most flattering.
Skin Illusion is an adorable Valentine’s-themed blush collection from Clarins. Part cheek colour, part skin-perfecting powder, each imparts a semi-sheer shade with radiant pigments.
The rounded sponge-applicator makes blending a cinch, though if you choose the coral blush an angled brush is better at creating the precise placement described above.
‘Papa Don’t Peach’ is part of Too Faced’s spring collection and very cutely packaged. The fibers are mildly fragranced and impart a universally-flattering shade of apricot.
The added shimmer is not as finely milled as I’d like and creates a glittery, frosty finish. This is not ideal if your skin is oily or your cheeks have large pores.
This is a fantastic cream blush. The formula is rich in fats that supports skin’s natural moisture barrier without clogging pores. It also contains reparative antioxidants and radian pigments.
The colour is subtle and dewy. Cream blushes are always handy when time is short but this one is especially quick to blend.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
