Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic

Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk  Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned.  To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.

January 31st, 2010: Concealers

Q Could you please advise me on the best concealer that covers spots without caking to them, and also what daily foundation do you rate??

A There’s a big range of concealers to choose from, for camouflaging all sorts of blemishes  from broken veins to dark circles, small scars and hyperpigmentation (brown patches) – to spots.  For covering zits, our ten-women tester panels especially mentioned Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, £25, which gained an average score of 8.15/10.   

This concealer palette – a favourite of make-up artists - has two shades so you can custom-blend, and comes in a range of combinations for differents skin tones.  Blend it on the back of your hand, then apply with a fine small brush (a little paint brush is a great option).  The trick is to apply it very lightly, and build up the layers rather than ladelling it on.  Do practise applying concealer ‘til you get it perfect – it really is worth the time and trouble. 

Green beauties will like Jane Iredale Disappear Concealer with Green Tea Extract, £20.68, which has an angled foam-tipped applicator.  The green tea is said to help zap acne bacteria.    

You may find it helps to ‘set’ concealer with a fine translucent powder, such as L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder, £7.99, in ‘neutral’ – the pressed powder which gained the highest score in the Tried & Testeds for our latest book, Beauty Bible Beauty Steals. 

For readers looking for help with dark circles, our highest-scoring product in this category continues to be the legendary Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch) by Yves Saint Laurent, £24.  This gold, pump-action wand is in the kit of virtually every celebrity and make-up artist worldwide.  Dab it on to fine lines and the light-reflective technology helps them disappear, one tester found it particularly good for nose to mouth lines.  Another said: ‘Most amazing! Covered dark circles under eyes that nothing else has been able to do; truly a miracle.’ 

As far as daily foundation goes, we think you might like to try one of our favourite new discoveries, Barbara Daly make-up Face Lift Foundation, £8.75, from Tesco stores nationwide.  This is what Sarah says about it in her We love column on www.beautybible.com 

‘As a fully paid-up member of the Face Lift fan club (the moisturiser/primer, simply called Face Lift, is one of my great raves), I couldn’t wait to get my paws on this – and get it on my pores!  I have to warn you that when I first saw the shade Honey in the jar, I nearly didn’t try it because it looked much too dark and dirty.  It was actually perfect colour-wise, and the finish is so light and fresh that it looks more as if you’re wearing a tinted moisturiser.  But it does cover little blemishes and give a more polished look.  And it’s a real beauty steal.’ 

We . . . Avon Mega Impact Lipstick, £8.  Nothing wakes a face up faster than a slick of lipstick – and this is not only packed with pigments (for instant impact), but it’s as glamorously bevelled and faceted as any three times the price.  Our favourite shade is suits-all-skintones Really Rosy, but there are bright reds and deep plummy wines, too.  And it just gets better:  a useful SPF15 helps to shield lip skin, while the intense shades keep lips tinted through several cups of tea (in our experience), even after the shine itself has worn off. 

Where to Find Products 

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, £25, is available to purchase online from www.spacenk.co.uk 

Jane Iredale Disappear Concealer with Green Tea Extract, £20.68, is available to purchase online from www.jiproducts.co.uk 

L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder, £7.99, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com 

Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch) by Yves Saint Laurent, £24, is available to purchase online from www.boots.com 

Barbara Daly make-up Face Lift Foundation, £8.75, from Tesco stores nationwide 

Avon Mega Impact Lipstick, £8, is available to purchase online from www.avonshop.co.uk 

Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive

January 24th 2010 - Primers
January 17th 2010 - Choosing skincare products
January 10th 2010 - Parabens free make-up
January 3rd 2010 - Cosmetic Dentistry

Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive 2009