Top Tip : Flawless Make-up

As we age, our skin tends to become drier which can result in make-up looking cracked.

As part of your morning routine, we suggest that you apply a moisturiser as normal, but afterwards use a drop of our Evening Elixir and massage into your face and neck - this will add extra moisture. Using too much oil, could leave your skin feeling 'wet' as this will take a while for all the product to be absorbed. Follow on, by applying foundation... you will be left with a dewy finish, and your make-up won't cling onto the dry patches as much!

Have you tried this little tip?

Apply perfect make up with your hands?

A make-up artist gets hands-on backstage at Alexander Wang  

For years, beauty experts have extolled brushes as the only way to achieve a flawless finish. But with s/s 2013 comes a new dawn in make-up application - make-up artists use their hands to buff, pat, tap and smear. But surely this defiant act can only result in misplaced, daubs in all the wrong places?

Instead, by warming it between their fingers, make-up literally melted into the skin, creating a lit-fromwithin radiance. At Alexander Wang, DKNY and Valentino, lips were stained, eyes shining and cheeks flushed with the kind of glow usually provided by 90 minutes of Bikram yoga. Luckily, Stylist Magazine is here to give us all the tips on how to get handsy.

DOWN TOOLS

Get hands on to create a fresh, natural daytime look. Feel your face as you read this...    

INDEX FINGER: This finger is directly linked to the brain and the most responsive to temperature changes (according to Melita Ryan, hand specialist in the neuro-physiologist department at the London Brain Centre). It heats up fast — good for blending — and exerts the most strength. Smudge Double-Wear Pencil, £16, Estée Lauder, into the lash line or press on eyeshadow (minimising the ‘pigment drop’ on cheeks that brushes can cause).  

THUMB: The fleshy part of the thumb is perfect for applying blusher, as it’s exactly the same size as the cheek area you want to cover with blush. After foundation, press the pad of the thumb into a cream blush (try Crème Cheek Colour in Rosebud, £20.50, Laura Mercier) and gently pat onto the cheekbone.  

HEEL OF THE HAND: Use the chubby part that hinges with the thumb (a bit like a chicken fillet shape) to contour. Apply Shade & Illuminate, £55, Tom Ford, into the hollow of your cheeks, then push and roll, ‘smooshing’ it to smooth out any visible lines.  

PALM: For the perfect face primer rub Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir, £85, between your palms to warm the product and sweep from the middle of the face outwards, working into the skin. Follow the same technique with a foundation.

MIDDLE FINGER: This long digit is perfect for dabbing on a lipstick stain without the others smudging it. Use also to pat liquid or cream highlighters like Face Sculpting Palette in Kick Start, £12.50, Topshop Make-Up, onto cheekbones, brow bones and the bridge of the nose. This motion helps reflective particles lie flat.  

LITTLE FINGER: The pinky works with creams or powders. “Use it to dab pale shadow into the inner corner,” says Andrew Gallimore. “I call it a fingerprint of eyeshadow.” Try Color Tattoo 24Hr in Eternal Gold, £4.99, Maybelline New York.  

RING FINGER: This finger has the softest touch — ideal for this delicate eye area. Charlotte Tilbury advises tapping around the eyes and temples “in a pitterpatter motion” to stimulate blood flow, plumping up the skin for an airbrushed effect. Try Hydra Life BB Eye Crème, £29, Dior.  

Let me know if you tried it and what you think. Are you sticking to your brush collection?

Can you holiday-proof your face?

Image by Michael David Adams

Hot summer holiday sun and heat is not always kind to your favourite make-up. Your holiday beauty bag needs to be like a capsule wardrobe for your face and hair - multi-tasking products that make the most of your sun-kissed skin and ocean-swept hair.   

So here is my checklist of base products you need to stay beach-beautiful throughout your summer holiday. Let me know if you have a favourite that you simply don't jet off without.

Base Tech

So for beautful beach-ready morning skin I start from the night before by applying the Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir, £85, - just the right amount of natural oils to retain the much-needed moisture in your skin and smooth imperfections. 

If going barefaced is more of a concern than braving a bikini, pack your daily skin perfectors alongside your beach cover-ups. Keeping your face in place is tricky enough in an office environment, let alone a sweaty, sunny one.

Bobbie Brown's Long Wear Even Finish compact foundation, £32, has combined technology that will last for 12 hours, so you'll no longer have to watch your perfect base slip away throughout the day. And it's not just foundation - LA brand Hourglass has created Superficial, £30 - a waterproof bronzer for those who can't bear to go without a bit of colour. The formula is also tough enough to withstand tropical and humid climates! Blusher, too, has had a makeover. Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush, £23, has been formulated to work hard all day.

  

Finally, avoid dodgy streaks and flaking by using a setting spray to fix your make up in place. Our Collagen Spritz, £39, is perfect for this job - light and refreshing, it's a favourite among our holiday shoppers and always good to keep in your bag at all times! (psst.. we're giving 2 away on our Twitter page too!)

And now it's time to enjoy the sun sipping on a cocktail or two by the pool... perfection!