For many of us Winter means stodgy food, not much exercise and perhaps, if we’re honest, too much booze. Couple that with environmental challengers such as freezing temperatures, blustery winds and central heating, and it’s no wonder that our skin complains!
We may be back at the gym again, and eating more healthily after Christmas, but it’s going to take time for these lifestyle changes to filter through and benefit our skin. So, it’s at this time of year, perhaps more than any other, that I rely on liquid face shimmers to help me out.
These can give skin an instant hit of radiance, a luminosity at a time when it is perhaps looking (and feeling) anything but glowy - February may be just around the corner but we’re still very much in the thick of Winter.
I like the liquid formats because they are so adaptable - you can blend them with your foundation, apply underneath for a ‘glow from within’, or dab on top as a highlighter. My two current favourites are *Nourish’s Golden Glow Illuminating Face Shimmer and Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector.
Nourish Golden Glow Illuminating Face Shimmer
A pearly white illuminator with a golden shimmer that melts into the skin. It contains tonka bean extract to emit light and golden mineral powders to add shimmer.
This really does give skin a most gorgeous iridescent sparkle. If you swatch it on the back of your hand and cast under a light you’ll get a good view of the golden flecks – they’re nicely subtle, not overly glittery.
I use this all three ways: sometimes under foundation, at other times mixed into it, and – when I can dare to sport a more natural look – applied over just moisturiser.
Nourish has packed some of my favourite anti-ageing ingredients in to this formula – soothing aloe vera and skin plumping hyaluronic acid. It also has the most gorgeous slightly nutty aroma - I’m guessing it’s the argan oil (yes, it has that too). Plus at £16 (30ml) it’s a good price. Nourish's Golden Glow Illuminating Face Shimmer is available here.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector
A sheer water-based illuminator that creates an instant light-defusing glow, is how Australian beauty brand Becca describes this. I can’t argue with that. The light reflecting particles bring light to darkened areas and help to even out skin tone.
It’s available in 5 shades from light (pearl) to dark (rose gold). The colour swatched is Opal. I got this particular sample as part of a Space NK gift with purchase offer, and as it’s a peachy colour I prefer to mix it in with my BB cream and apply as one (though you could wear it alone as it does blend down). I then use a finishing powder (currently By Terry’s Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, reviewed here) to set.
It contains antioxidant vitamins A, B, D and E, plus broad spectrum 20SPF, making it ideal for daytime if you don’t want to apply a separate sunscreen (it’s just as important to sun protect skin in Winter as it is in Summer).
Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector costs £33 (50ml) and is available from Space NK here.
* PR sample
