For me, the point of make-up is to help me look significantly less haggard as quickly as possible (five minutes, ideally).
The longer it takes, the rougher I obviously look, and that is just depressing. And, let’s face it, less is certainly more as we age — nothing makes you look a decade older more than a cakey face and heavy- handed kohl do.
So a clever make-up purveyor might furnish me with textures that plump, colours that brighten, powders that don’t sit in lines and coverage that glows.
Products that spruce, fast, and are dead easy to apply with just your fingers.
And the good news is that such dream beauty goods are now available, specifically targeting time‑poor grown-ups who want to look fresh with no fuss. Here are the brands worth trying . . .
Dream beauty goods are now available, specifically targeting time‑poor grown-ups who want to look fresh with no fuss. Stock image used
GLOW-GETTERS
Jones Road (jonesroad beauty.com)
This is Bobbi Brown 2.0, with the make-up artist distilling her decades of knowledge into a collection of multi-purpose must-haves.
The Miracle Balms — oil-based tinted face glosses that add shine, moisture and a hint of colour anywhere you like — are cult favourites. The peachy coral Miami Beach (£36) is the latest flattering shade.
The Face Pencils (£24) are chubby, pocketable concealers that melt into skin and can be blended anywhere to obliterate blotches and shadows.
And the Lip Tints (£26) are hydrating lipsticks sheer enough to apply in the dark. The fruity shades work wonders to perk up a dreary complexion.
MID-LIFE HEROES
Studio 10 (studio10 beauty.com)
Pitched as ‘mature skin make‑up’, every Studio 10 product has skincare benefits to comfort and hydrate, with most being double-ended or multi-purpose.
The Youth Lift Glow-plexion (£26) is a radiance-boosting primer, illuminator and highlighter that’s beautiful on its own or as an anchor for the Skin Repair Perfect Canvas SPF30 Foundation (£34).
The latter’s serum-cream formula comes in a compact that makes touch-ups a doddle.
I also like the 6-in-1 Perfect Lash Mascara (£25) which has a brush and a comb wand to get to every lash. It’s rich in conditioners to tackle brittleness, too.
GO BALMY
Merit (meritbeauty.com)
Amusingly designed for Millennials who want an ‘antidote to the oversaturated world of beauty’, this collection of understated, minimalist essentials is actually great for midlife faces, too.
The Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade (£26) tints, plumps and conditions brows with one swipe of the tiny wand, while the Flush Balms (£30) and Bronze Balms (£32) are domes of velvety colour that are lightweight and easily buildable.
GLEAM TEAM
Saie (cultbeauty.co.uk)
From a brand that majors on a lit-from-within gleam that mature skin can really do with, Saie’s Glowy Super Skin Foundation (£34) is a tour de force with a serum texture and 85 per cent skincare ingredients. Even the Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder (£20) eschews dullness, taking away shine but never your natural glow.
COLOUR BOOST
19/99 Beauty (spacenk.com)
Putting the punk into pared-down capsule ranges, this one is for those who aren’t concerned about ‘age-appropriate’ make-up. Its star products are the nine colourful Precision Colour Pencils (£19), which look like regular eye pencils but can be used as liners or blended into skin and lips.
Coming on April 28 are fat, fool-proof Cream Highlight Sticks (£28) that won’t settle into lines.
BESPOKE LIPSTICK
Code 8 (codeeight.com)
A little goes a long way with this brand, and its products melt into skin to look ultra-natural.
The Iconoclast Eyeshadow Palette (£47) comes in four colourways, while its in-store Make Your Own Lipstick service (from £80) allows you to recreate a beloved discontinued lipstick.
RACE YOU TO IT!
Two clinical trials with the University of Manchester found that the first-of-its-kind peptide formulation in No7’s Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum (£34.95 for 25ml, boots.com) improved multiple signs of ageing (think wrinkles, sun spots, dryness) in 97 per cent of women. Start queuing now for the launch on April 12.
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LIP ANTI-AGER TREATMENTS
skinceuticals.co.uk
Apply at night and this velvety formula will have you waking up to smooth, plump lips.
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boots.com
A balm gloss with plumping peptides that boost collagen production. It has a citrus scent, too.
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mortarandmilk.com
This feels and looks like a clear lipgloss but acts as a deephydration complex with age-defying antioxidants.
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uk.typology.com
Mandelic acid and pomegranate enzymes silk-ify lips.
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evenswiss.co.uk
Light as a lip oil, its peptide complex improves elasticity and surface smoothness for fewer lines.
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MY ICON OF THE WEEK
SIENNA MILLER
The 41-year-old actress Sienna Miller was flawless at the Oscars in Charlotte Tilbury make-up, including Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pillow Talk Pink Pop
Proving her party days have had no adverse effect on her looks, 41-year-old actress Sienna Miller was flawless at the Oscars in Charlotte Tilbury make-up, including Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pillow Talk Pink Pop (£30, charlottetilbury.com), Luxury Palette in Queen of Glow (£45) and Hot Lips Lipstick in Carina’s Love (£27).
COSMETIC CRAVING
Shower oils are (still) a rare thing. Light oils with mild cleansing agents that turn into a milk on the skin, they function as body washes that leave a fragrant, moisturising film — no lotion needed. Wildsmith Vitality Shower Oil (£40, wildsmithskin.com) — an energising ginger, black pepper and cedarwood concoction — is a favourite, steeped in Wildsmith’s feetin-the-soil, reconnect-with-nature ethos. The brand uses botanicals sourced from its Hampshire estate, Heckfield Place.
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