I recently found myself distracted by someone who had gone to town with a bad bronzer. Trump-level orange. This needn’t be your fate! Powders require a light touch, so if you’re a novice, or perhaps heavy handed, try a liquid/balm variety instead. They tend to go on like skincare and are more fail-safe. But your starting point makes a difference. You need a good-quality bronzer, which means spending a little bit more because cheaply made bronzer tends to look orange.
My top five
- Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF50 Super Glow Drops Bronzing £33, cultbeauty.co.uk
- Dior Forever Nude Bronze £48, dior.com
- Urban Decay Bronzing Luminizer £38, sephora.com
4. Benefit Hoola Wave Bronzing Balm £33, selfridges.com
- Merit Beauty Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer £26, sephora.com
I can’t do without… A velvety, soft-matte lip mousse that also hydrates
Vieve Poutder, £23, vieve-beauty.com
‘I think you’ll love it,’ said a fellow beauty editor, handing me Vieve’s new lip product. I try to be gracious when this kind of thing happens, but I’m also very sceptical. I can’t tell you how many times someone has said, ‘I think you’ll love this,’ and when I’ve looked at/eaten/read the recommended thing I have hated it. On this occasion however, the presumption was correct – this just might be the matte lip product I have been waiting for forever. I love a matte lip, but the actual matte-lip product tends to be a tricky beast. Many are still far too drying, often they’ll start flaking off before you’ve left home. Most of the best mattes are liquid, but they have a habit of getting all over your teeth and are not particularly pliable. Bullet alternatives tend to contain lots of moisturising ingredients to combat the dryness, leaving a slight shine, which defeats the point of a matte lip. But Vieve’s offering is a soft and velvety matte mousse that has the comfort of a balm – without stickiness and shine – and it stays put all day long. It also comes in four brilliant buildable shades (Ripple is my perfect nude), feels as weightless as air and leaves a powdery matte rather than dry finish. If I have any critique it’s that the word ‘Poutder’ doesn’t quite roll off my tongue, but I’ll happily forgive a difficult name if a product is extraordinary, which this most certainly is.
On my radar… Fresh finds, fixes and fragrances
Clean and serene There’s something really comforting about the smell of freshly washed laundry. So Byredo capturing the scent in a candle has proved to be irresistible. Byredo Coin Laundry Candle, £70, byredo.com
Ahead of the curve A full brow is something to be envied – especially if you are now left with the results of over-plucking in your youth. This serum will restore them to their former glory. BBB London Brow Boost, £55, bbb-london.com
Make light work For oilier skins, warmer climes and summer temperatures require a different approach to moisturiser – one that hydrates deeply without heaviness. Skin Rocks has just the thing. Skin Rocks, The Light Moisturiser, £58, libertylondon.com
Editor’s note: our recommendations are chosen independently by our journalists. The Observer may earn a small commission if a reader clicks a link and purchases a recommended product. This revenue helps support Observer journalism.
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