Face Savers: Our top products for putting back the sparkle

Late night? Woke up much too early? Feeling a few degrees under and – aaaargh! – looking it? Despair not. We have the products to have you looking pretty damned good, pretty damned quickly. 

If you have nearly no time at all, you need these top four products to hand. An hour or so? Scroll down and discover our other favourites.

1. Skin Doctors Instant Facelift /£30.99 for 30ml (see picture above)

Anti-wrinkle serum, instant primer, simply genius!

2. Farm Girl Icy Globes /£44.99 (above)

We totally treasure these pretty glass globes, which de-puff and soothe tired eyes, tighten facial muscles, soothe any redness or breakouts and are brilliant for an aching forehead or sinus tension. Keep them in the fridge and use them am/pm and for emergencies. Apply serum (see above) or facial oil first then get rolling…

3. HudaBeauty GloWish Multi Dew Skin Tint /£32 for 40ml (above)

In 13 shades from very fair to very dark, this sheer tint with light-reflective pearly pigments is instantly brightening and pore-blurring. Use on its own for ‘no make-up’ radiance or blend with a blob of foundation for instantly flawless, radiant skin. Dullness – what’s that?

4. Fix your hair! When your hair’s swooshy and glossy it lifts your face. It’s A 10 is SO the biz on quick fix gorgeousness for barnets. Keep these to hand in case of emergencies.

It's a 10 Miracle Blow Dry Hair Refresher /£17.50 for 190ml - lightweight dry conditioning spray that puts back bounce and shine, and gives a ‘just-washed’ scent.

Glossing Leave In /£20 for 120ml - just time to wash and condition your mop? Spritz this on before you blow dry – or just let it air-dry and marvel at the shine.

5. Lisa Franklin Rose Quartz Protect + Illuminate Gift Set /£99 (above)

Prepping for a night out? Use Lisa Franklin’s gorgeous rose quartz gua sha tool and facial oil and make like an A-lister.

6. Meder Hydra-Fill Deep Moisturising Mask /£61 (above)

Carey Mulligan’s favourite mask for transforming your face in 20 minutes – quite simply the best for plumping and smoothing tired skin.

7. Algenist ALIVE Prebiotic Mask /£38 for 50ml (above)

This mousse-like mask gained a joint Gold Award 2021 from our testers in the Brightening Masks category (you can find it here) - and Team Beauty Bible are big fans too, loving the way it morphs in colour while plumping and brightening.

8. Sarah Chapman Skinesis PEP8 Microfacial /£85

Need a ‘lunchtime lift in London? Book in to A-list facialist Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Clinic here just off Sloane Square for this 45-minute and come out glowing. You can opt to add in LED for extra oomph (helps the products penetrate and work their magic), taking the time up to 60 minutes and the price to £130. (Just a thought but if your hair needs a blow-dry, you could book into Salon Sloane opposite for a quick zhoosh afterwards.)

9. Last but never least Guerlain Midnight Secret Late Night Recovery Treatment /£26 for 15ml (above)

We’ve relied on this for more years than we care to count and it’s never let us (well, our faces…) down.

10. delilah Pure Light Illuminating Powder /£36 (above)

We recently raved about delilah’s illuminating powder as our Fab Find of the Week – here – but can’t recommend a swoosh of this too highly, for adding a touch of radiant glow on top of your make-up (cheekbones, forehead, etc.) Jo’s been wearing the Lustre shade over her blusher, but we also like the Aura shade, which immediately creates the effect of candlelit skin.