Category Archives: beauty products

Smashbox’s Photo Finish Blemish Control Primer has been very swiftly promoted to my “hall of fame” level – or “holy grail” status, as I think the proper term might be these days. It’s outstanding, this primer, in that it addresses a concern that deeply affects many women but it does this without going in for any overblown marketing spiel or farfetched claims. It’s a skincare product (more than just a primer, as it modestly states on the tube) that helps to fight blemishes and blackheads and keep acne-prone skin under control as well as creating a beautifully smooth base for makeup application. The salicylic acid in the formula exfoliates the skin and keeps it clear, working away beneath whatever you decide to put on over the top, so you don’t have to go through that worrisome process of wondering which of your foundations might break you out. The rest of the ingredients help to hydrate (without adding oil) and prep the skin for foundation.

When I used to get my random blemish outbreaks, I would be absolutely petrified to put any makeup on. I went through whole phases of blaming certain products for my spots appearing, or at least convincing myself that they were making the situation worse when I applied them. And if you use lots of different things (as I did, and do) it’s really hard to know which makeup items – if any – are exacerbating the situation. How fabulous to find a makeup “first step” that is actually an effective BHA exfoliant as well as a great primer – it’s like a bit of skin insurance that makes you feel far more confident about getting on with the rest of your makeup routine. Spots and blackheads taken care of, box ticked, on with the rest of the day.

My adult acne…

I’ve tested this primer underneath makeup and as a standalone skincare product; it excels in both respects, though it has that silicone-slip that admittedly, for me at least, makes it far more suited to being a primer than a leave-on treatment. It leaves a really silky-smooth finish that’s matte enough to be a boon for oily skins, yet it doesn’t feel drying on the skin or at all tight. I’ve taken to using it every day during the dratted PMT/PMS week and can’t really find anything bad to say about it whatsoever.

Lots and lots of people write in asking for BHA exfoliant recommendations (BHAs are the types of acids that really do a deep-down job on the pores, so perfect for preventing and treating blackheads and spots) but I find good ones to be a little thin on the ground. I do love Effaclar Duo+ and it works amazingly on my skin at night or on makeup-free days, but this More Than Primer: Blemish Control is a top, top choice for daytime. I apply it straight after serum (though some might prefer a moisturiser in between) and before my foundation or tinted moisturiser.

Blemish Control Primer from Smashbox is £28 from Boots.com. When I reviewed this on Youtube, there were plenty of people with “better” primers that they urged me to take a look at; NONE of them had any ingredients that would fight blemishes and certainly no ass-kicking salicylic acid! I’d say that this is a pretty sturdy choice.

More skincare for blemish-prone skin…

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The beauty world seems to be overrun with samples and miniatures at the moment – beauty boxes, advent calendars and special gifts-with-purchases that just seem to be getting more and more swanky. It’s like battle of the travel sizes!

Many people are put off by the mystery element of these beauty boxes and calendars (though it’s pretty easy to find out the contents, some brands release different versions so that you’re not quite sure what you might get) and for them, the idea of a luxury “kit” might be slightly more appealing. You see exactly what you’re going to get, and the products are carefully curated so that there’s something for every stage of the beauty regime. Although for other people the mystery element is exactly why they buy in the first place – it’s a bit like product roulette.

So for those who want to sample brilliant brands without any risk-factor, there’s this: Net-a-Porter’s “Holiday Kit“. It contains fifteen gorgeously decadent beauty products from luxury brands including Oribe, Omorovicza and is pleasingly high-value. The £89 price-tag is covered by the shampoo and conditioner alone – the Oribe Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner together are worth over £90 (I’m expecting truly WONDROUS things from them, I don’t think I’ve ever used a £46 shampoo before!) – and there are  full-sizes of Burberry’s Fresh Glow highlighting pen (£25), Smith & Cult’s Lip Gloss (£20) and Joya’s “Foxglove” roll-on parfum (£20).

The rest of the products are the kind of size that is easy to disregard until you work out what they’re worth based on price per ml – 5ml of Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Overnight Facial, for example, is worth £15, and so is the moisturiser sample from Radical. And there’s loads more  – a half-size Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo treatment, a gorgeous little Baume de Rose from By Terry and one of my favourite bath oils, the Inner Strength from Aromatherapy Associates. The oil is beautifully presented in a Christmas star box, just in case you need to find someone a last-minute stocking filler on Christmas Eve. Not that I’d ever let mine go to someone else, I’m a non-sharer when it comes to my special oils…

You can find the Holiday Kit at Net-a-Porter here for £89 – if you regularly use the Oribe shampoo and conditioner (I’m guessing you also bathe in champagne! Leave me a comment below, I’m intrigued!) then this is a whacking nice bonus to receive with your stock-up. For everyone else, this is a great high-value taster kit – there’s not a single dud.

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Ah, it’s that time of year again – the sun peeps out and everyone panics because they don’t have any sunscreen because it’s all gone manky from the year before and the bottle is covered in sand and the formula has separated and anyway you shouldn’t use it because it’s old and WHAT THE HELL IS A GIRL TO DO?

Three new ones for you – a clever little mist, a lightweight beauty treat and Murad’s Luminous Shield, which is the sheerest, glowiest SPF I’ve ever tried. These are sunscreens you’ll want to wear, not just tolerate wearing because you have to.

Bioderma Hydrabio anti-UV Mist

Goodness me, this is a bit of a game-changer! Finally, sun protection that can be used over the top of your makeup, without disturbing “what lies beneath”. Simply spritz on this ultra-fine mist and you’re good to go. I wouldn’t personally use it as my main SPF (for example if I was heading out for a day on the beach) because it’s difficult to tell how much you’ve applied; but as a top-up and for re-application (mist liberally, please!) it’s simply brilliant. Brilliant. Small can, fits in your handbag for those impromptu al fresco lunches and after work drinks outside the local pub – I think this will be the new summer must-have. £9 at Escentual.com here.

Chanel UV Essentiel SPF 30

I’ve also tried this in a 50, but I usually find an SPF 30 to be more than adequate for my skin in the UK. Pack me off to Greece (yes please!) and I’ll ramp it all up to an SPF 50 and add in a sun hat and a beach brolly for good measure, but here in Britain, messing about in the back garden, 30 is my pal. I prefer the feel of the 30, in Chanel’s UV Essentiel; it’s incredibly fluid and almost undetectable on the skin. Yes there are far cheaper almost-undetectable SPF fluids around (try Anthelios, £16.50 here) but this does look and feel incredibly luxe if you’re after something smart to cart about in your Anya Hindmarch Take off and Touch Down travel case. (On my wishlist at the moment. Ridiculous, but true.) UV Essential launches this week, it’s £42.

Murad Luminous Shield SPF 50

If you’re looking for a sunscreen that will not only protect the skin but help to make it look far more even-toned then this should be on your to-try list. It could actually be mistaken for an illuminating primer or base, such is the dewy glow, so there’s that too. And then there’s the fact that it’s virtually weightless on the skin, yet manages to feel fresh and hydrating, that it contains a dose of glycolic to aid cell turnover and keep the skin looking clear and bright… It’s pricey, but I think worth every penny – many would pay the same price for a day cream without SPF, so think of this as an all-in-one. I don’t actually know whether this is even new to the market – it doesn’t seem to be widely available, though I can’t even begin to fathom why! It’s £55.

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