Daily Mail - 12.08.2019

Page 44 Daily Mail, Monday, August 12, 2019

THIS IS

WHAT

52

LOOKS

LIKE

SPF MAKE-UP DUO

I HAD a skin cancer scare in my 30s and,

since then, I’ve used SPF religiously. I

love Colorescience Calming

Perfector Face Primer SPF 20 (£35,

colorescienceuk.com). It’s silky, so

makes a great base for my make-up. I

layer its Tint du Soleil UV Protective

Foundation SPF 30 (£38.95) on top — it is

super light, so doesn’t sit in fine lines.

HARDCORE HYDRATION

I’VE always looked after my skin with

regular facials, and the most effective

one I’ve tried is a HydraFacial (£125,

healthandaesthetics.co.uk). A special

suction device clears out any

impurities, then nourishing serums are

applied to plump the skin. I finish with

20 minutes under a red LED to stimulate

collagen production. Afterwards, my

face is glowing and I feel relaxed. I get

it done every six weeks.

TECH-SAVVY FITNESS

I’M OBSESSED with my Apple Watch

(from £399, apple.com), which I use to

track my step count: my aim is 12,000

steps per day. It helps me to monitor

my sleep, too, which has been disrupted

since hitting the menopause. I also use

a free app called Down Dog to do yoga

at home (downdogapp.com). The best

part is that you get a new routine every

time, so you don’t get bored.

BOTOX ALTERNATIVE

I PREFER a natural look, so haven’t had

Botox or fillers. However, in January, I

tried Viscoderm with Dr Rekha Tailor

(£350). It’s a new injectable treatment

that uses hyaluronic acid to rehydrate

the skin and smooth wrinkles around

the eyes, brows and lips. I noticed such

a difference. It’s also pain-free, with no

downtime, and lasts a year. But do your

research and pick someone you trust.

ROMANTIC MINI-BREAKS

IT’S so important to spend quality time

with your partner. My husband works

long hours as a company director, so

we try to go on mini-breaks every few

months — without the children. Over

the past few years, we’ve been to Ibiza,

France, Cornwall, Barcelona, Venice and

Boston. Travelling keeps me young.

By FLORENCE SCORDOULIS

O Do you look good for your age?

Reveal your secrets to inspire@

dailymail.co.uk

Melanie Jackson lives in

Hampshire with her husband, alan.

They have two children, emilia, 21,

and Matthew, 19. she is a receptionist.

G

lowing skin is

harder to maintain in

midlife, so let’s give

thanks to the beauty

gods for the gift of

jelly make-up.

This new breed of cosmetics in

wobbly, gelatinous form is a joy if you

find your favourite powder foundation,

blush and eyeshadow now settle in —

and consequently emphasise — every

crease and line.

Jelly-textured products — first

developed by leading Asian cosmetics

companies — are hydrating, long-

lasting and deliciously easy to use.

They’re light and sheer on the skin,

don’t sink into your wrinkles and give

you a natural-looking boost.

‘The finest jelly cosmetics are like a

hybrid of a cream and a gel, and so can

address the issues you might find with

standard make-up textures,’ says

international make-up artist Ariane

Poole, who has worked with a host of

stars, including Catherine Zeta-Jones

and Christy Turlington, and has her

own line of cosmetics.

‘For example, creamy products tend

to slip off the skin, powders can sit on

the surface, emphasising fine lines

and wrinkles, and gels can be

drying and difficult to blend.’

However, with jelly-textured

products, ‘you get the dewy

radiance and blendability

of a cream, as well as the

lightweight sheerness

and staying power of a

gel — a pigmented

glow with longevity’,

Ariane adds.

‘They’re fun, buil-

dable in terms of

coverage and

colour, and work

well with pretty

much all skin types.’

Surely it’s time to

add some jiggle to your

beauty regime and treat yourself to

some jelly? Here, ANNA MAXTED

tests six of the best.

CREASE-FREE

EYELID GLOSS

Butter london Glazen eye

Gloss in oil slick, £10.98,

amazon.co.uk

irideSCenT

and glittery —

this eye gloss

is quite beau-

tiful. And, as it

isn’t a powder,

i don’t get any in my eyes.

even though it’s gel-based, it

feels curiously dry to the touch

— but i press my fingertips to

my eyelids and it transfers as

slick as oil.

i’m cautious of eyeshadow, as

any powder highlights my

droopy eyelid folds, making me

look like deputy dawg. However,

this stays crease-free all day.

The sparkly purplish hue is

pretty and almost subtle if

used sparingly — and there are

lighter shades available for the

fainter hearted.

VERDICT: Surprisingly flattering:

youthful, but not muttony. 4/5

A RADIANT (BUT

SHINY) FACE FIX

chanel les Beiges Healthy

Glow Gel Touch Foundation,

£43, johnlewis.com

SinCe i’ve hit

my half-century,

powder founda-

tion is no longer

my friend as it

sticks in every

crevice, so the

concept of a gel-

based foundation

is exciting.

in a compact, the foundation

is released sparingly through a

fabric screen and you dab it on

with a dainty sponge.

After applying it, i’m aghast to

see that my nose looks as shiny

as polished oak, and that specks

of foundation are visible on every

oily pore. Still, the drier skin on

my chin looks evenly toned.

in fairness, it promises a dewy

look on cleansed skin — not on

hot, sweaty, just-got-off-the-

Tube skin. Those with an oily

complexion (and my T-zone

is having a moment) are

recommended to combine this

with a sheer powder, but this

would coat every fine hair, giving

me face powder fur.

i reapply it when i’m less hot

and bothered. Alas, still shiny.

VERDICT: evens out my skin tone,

but leaves me shiny. 3/5

PLEASING POUT

PROTECTOR

eos crystal Melon Blossom

lip Balm, now £5, boots.com

THiS dome of clear

jelly sitting in a little

pink pod is ridicu-

lously pleasing

to the eye.

Solid enough

to swipe on to

your lips, the jelly

contains five natural oils — shea,

coconut, avocado, castor seed

and sunflower seed — but,

unlike traditional lip balms, is

beeswax-free.

it’s only now that i realise wax

is what makes other lip balms

feel greasy and gluey and leave

an ugly residue on the edge of

my glass. To add insult to injury,

days later, my lips would feel

dry. eos’s lip balm, by contrast,

is smooth, non-sticky and

slides on thinly and cleanly.

VERDICT: Understated, but feels

hydrating — impressive. 5/5

CHEER UP YOUR

CHEEKBONES

inc.redible you Glow Girl

Highlighter in cosmic Blur,

£10, feelunique.com

‘Very girl’s

world,’ remarks

my husband as

i gleefully tap

the white, pear-

lescent gel on

my cheekbones

with my fingertips,

relishing the cool,

bouncy texture.

The tiniest touch

imparts a sleek

shimmer the colour of a

fairy’s wing. (Another shade,

Flocking Fabulous — bubblegum

pink but non-sparkly — might be

a wiser choice for work, but i’m

pleased to add this to my beauty

arsenal for special occasions.)

VERDICT: Playful, with glints of

ultraviolet — yet sheer enough

that you look radiant. 4/5

SPOON ON THIS

PERFECT PRIMER

illamasqua Hydra Veil

Primer, £34, illamasqua.com

THiS is a cult product and

deservedly so. My skin was

parched and stubbornly

resistant to even my favourite

moisturiser, then Hydra Veil

Primer arrived like a jelly

godmother in a smart black pot,

complete with tiny spoon.

i scoop up a tiny amount of

this clear, unctuous jelly

(impossible to do this without

an ‘ooh!’) and apply it. it feels

calming and refreshing, and my

thirsty skin drinks it in. There’s

a slight tackiness

when i press my

hands to my

cheeks, but it

fades within

ten minutes.

This brilliant

primer is rich in

microalgae, vitamins

C and B3, to help maintain your

skin’s hydration levels, and

sodium hyaluronate, which gives

another moisturising boost.

it creates an impressive

tightening effect. i can actually

feel it smoothing the canvas. My

face appears brighter and feels

softer. ‘Mmm,’ i say, admiring

Hydra Veil’s work. ‘i see what

you did there.’

VERDICT: Creates a thrillingly

even base for my foundation,

but, frankly, i’m so glowing and

peachy-faced, i feel there’s no

need to add it. 5/5

BLUSH THAT BLENDS

LIKE A DREAM

Rimmel Jelly Blush in Melon

Madness, £7.99, boots.com

THiS dusky

pink shade

looks hum-

drum and

dowdy on

the shelf,

but turns out

to be rather

gorgeous once it’s on my face.

it comes in a little pot like a

lip balm, and is more liquid

than jelly, but actually its

light consistency makes it hard

to over-apply.

i’m suspicious of wild

promises, but i dab this on

with my finger and it blends in

so smoothly it bestows an

‘instant wash of dewy colour’,

just as described.

its juiciness is in happy

contrast to the powder blushes

i usually use, which i now find

to be dustily ageing.

VERDICT: My cheeks look

charmingly flushed and the

blush appears to lessen my

skin’s imperfections. 4/5

by Anna

Maxted

Gel formulas are the hot new

make-up trend — and claim to

be perfect for older skin, but...

ready

Are you

for this

jelly?

Picture: GETTY /

ISTOCKPHOTO