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On average we waste £75 every year on impulse beauty purchases, according to a survey carried out by Crème de la Mer. Knowing which fundamental beauty essentials you need is key to saving the pennies (and helps you avoid a hoard of unloved beauty buys). Here are ELLEs 12 skin care and make-up basics...
Your day cream doesn’t need to cost the earth - just remember, keeping skin hydrated and protected throughout the day is the most important part. ELLE loves Benefit’s new Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15, £19.50 – it’s oil free and contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate and vitamin E for an antioxidant boost. If protection is your main concern, you can also try Boots No 7 Brightening Day Cream SPF 30, £19.50 - it contains Mulberry, Ginseng and Vitamin C to protect skin and also even out pigmentation. If you already love your existing face cream but it doesn’t include an SPF, layer one over the top. Crème de la Mer’s SPF 30 UV Protecting Lotion, £52, protects skin and works as a primer for your make-up.
Radiant by Benefit Skincare launches in Debenhams, Benefit Boutiques and benefitcosmetics.co.uk from 2 April. To buy Boots No 7 Brightening Day Cream,
At night your skin repairs itself, so what you put on your face before bedtime is crucial to enhancing that process. Clarins new Vital Light Night cream, £60.26, is a new weightless version of Vital Light Night that is currently the 9th best selling product in the UK. The lighter version suits all skin types and uses plant extracts - Cochlearia officinalis, rich in vitamin C to prevent against oxidisation that can age skin; Spergularia, to fight pigmentation and Waltheriato that stimulates collagen production. We also love Nivea’s Rich Regenerating Night Cream, £4.19, with almond oil and calendula oil to moisturise and calm, while Pro Vitamin B5 aids your skin’s regeneration process; great for night cream first timers.
You don’t need to spend loads on a cleanser, but it does need to get the job done. There’s no point washing your face if you don’t remove every last trace of dirt, otherwise your pores can get blocked, your moisturiser won’t work as efficiently and your complexion will become dull. If you use a wash-off cleanser (foaming, oil or milk), try using a muslin cloth for gentle exfoliation (and so you can see all the dirt coming away), Liz Earle’s iconic Cleanse & Polish, £13.25 comes with a cloth. Otherwise, use a cleansing water with cotton wool, you’ll be able to see once your face is crystal clear because there’ll be no more dirt on the pads.
Wipes are brilliant for taking on holiday, removing make-up after a night out or tackling last traces of stubborn eye make-up, but you shouldn’t rely on them. ELLE loves Ole Henriksen’s Truth To Go wipes, £15, they’re not cheap which will prevent you using them everyday. They’re gentle enough to use on the eye area and contain impressive skincare ingredients - vitamin C to brighten, green tea to calm and essential fatty acids to nourish.
There are so many eye creams out there, so it’s important to look for a multi-tasker that does everything. It should fight fine lines, brighten dark circles and reduce puffiness. Caudalie’s Premier Cru Eye Cream, £49, does just that, plus it works on all skin types and can be used morning and night. It’s a winner.
When ELLE spoke to Dr Nick Lowe about his skincare line a while back we asked whether he would be including a body lotion. He replied with a resounding ‘no’, because he thinks Vaseline’s body lotions do everything you need them to and at a reasonable price.
Try Vaseline Essential Moisture Daily Body Lotion, £4.59 at Boots.
Unless your skin is flawless, you should have a foundation in your arsenal. Find the right formula (liquid, powder or cream) and then the perfect shade. Most beauty counters will offer you a sample that should last a few days, so you can try before you buy. Wearing a foundation in daylight (rather than under department store strip lighting) will also help you see if it’s the perfect colour match; if you’re not sure, it should blend in so it evens out your complexion to look like a second, more perfect, skin - if you notice a pale or dark line where it meets your neck it’s not right. If you want something super sheer, then opt for a tinted moisturiser instead Clinique's new Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15, £21, leaves skin super dewy and with a sort of soft focus finish, great for the summer.
Concealer is a must, you can use it to cover blemishes and even skin tone so you don’t always need to slap on the foundation (especially on lazy Sundays). Concealers come in two textures: liquid and cream. Liquid is ideal for covering pigmentation, dark circles and redness. Creamy textured foundations in pan sticks or compacts are more suited to hiding spots, as it’s less sheer. ELLE loves Laura Mercier’s award winning Secret Camouflage, £26, it conceals pretty much every flaw. For a liquid concealer, ELLE are hooked on Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Concealer, £18.50, coverage is great but it doesn’t feel heavy and it lasts all day.
In a recent ELLE beauty poll, 33% of you said that mascara is the one product you can’t live without (and the most picked product). Mascara is very much about personal preference - whether you choose black or brown, waterproof or not. With mascara, the formula doesn’t make too much difference – it’s the brush that counts. Combs separate, leaving you with long, delicate lashes, whereas brushes are better for building up volume if your lashes are quite fine.
For a full-volume look try Lancome's curved brush mascara, Hypnose Drama Noirs Perles in Absolute Black, £20.50. If it's a natural, seperated, longer look you're after try Clinique's High Lengths mascara with its comb wand, £15. For the best of both worlds Smashbox's Hyperlash Mascara, £20.50 has a brush on one side of the wand and a comb on the other.
Lip balm is a must. You don’t need anything too fancy; we rate Carmex, £2.54 (superdrug.com), and Lucas Paw Paw, from £4 (pawpawshop.co.uk), which can be used on cracked cuticles, dry patches and for highlighting cheekbones too.If that sounds too basic, look for a tinted balm that will add a pretty, natural hue to lips, try MAC’s Tinted Lip Conditioner with SPF 15, £11, it comes in a pink, peach and fuchsia.
In our poll only 4% of you said you can’t live without blush, but it really can knock 10 years off and take you from looking tired to revitalised without 8 hours sleep. Creamy formulas are really easy to blend and can look more youthful than powder blushers. A pink shade can really make a tanned complexion pop, while peach suits most skin tones. ELLE loves Urban Decay’s new Afterglow Glide-on Cheek Tints, £18 each. Alternatively, snap up a blonzer (bronzer and blusher in one) Topshop’s Cheek Duo, £12, in desert sun is half bronzer, half pretty pink blush - perfect.
You may think an eyeshadow palette isn’t exactly essential, but find the right one and it will work for any occasion - work, drinks, weddings, weekends away and parties. Hayley De Beers, Urban Retreats Head Make-up Artist, loves Dior 5 Couleurs All-in-One Artistry Palette, £40, ‘they are fantastic and great for going from day to night’. Each one includes a base shade, colour, shade (for contouring), shiny shadow and a liner, plus brushes. The Amber and Smoky shades are most versatile.
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