I’ve never seen anyone leave the gym looking anything other than sweaty and exhausted. And yet we’ve been sold (and now covet the lie) called the “post-gym glow”. You can however, as seen at Prabal Gurung SS19, turn the myth into reality. A good facial – try IS Clinical’s Fire Ice – and some vitamin C skincare will help boost your luminosity no end. A few drops of liquid highlighter mixed in with your foundation, a hint of blush and hydrated lips, and boom: post-gym glow with not so much as a treadmill in sight.
Get the look
1. MAC Hyper Real Glow highlighter palette in Shimmy Peach £35, maccosmetics.co.uk
2. Pixi Vitamin C Lotion £24, pixibeauty.co.uk
3. Chanel Joues Contraste powder blush in Rouge Profond £35, chanel.com
4. Glossier Play Niteshine highlighter concentrate in Deep Copper £17, glossier.com
5. Perricone No Lipstick lipstick £25, cultbeauty.co.uk
I can’t do without… A grown-up lip balm that hydrates and looks great
Nars Afterglow Lip Balm, £23 narscosmetic.co.uk Lip balms and hand creams are two of the most basic beauty requirements, yet for the lack of efficacy you get, you may as well flush your money down the loo. There are those that languish superficially, leaving you with an antisocial greasy film, so you can’t kiss or shake hands. The others are totally counterproductive because, oddly, your lips-slash-hands become even drier than they were in the first place. What I have discovered, however, is that the best hand creams tend to be cheaper. I love the basic stuff gardeners use – totally unsexy, but they work. With lip balms it’s worth spending a bit more. I’m currently championing Nars’s iteration. It comes in six universally flattering shades (I like Bang Bang, an orange coral) all infused with a monoï oil complex and antioxidants. It moisturises your lips for hours, so the texture no longer rivals a tree bark. The balm is a ‘balm’ in the true sense; it is a kind of matt hydration – not greasy, not glossy, not sticky… Think smoother lips with a hint of colour. And it is incredibly light, so you don’t feel like you’ve just slathered your lips with lard. On a shallower note, traditional multi-coloured lip balm tubes always look like they belong among the other totally useless stuff in a five-year-old’s party bag, but not these – hurrah for grown-up, elegant packaging.
On my radar… For skin that feels, looks and smells good
Scent of the season A secret garden in Venice inspired the latest fragrance by world-renowned nose Christine Nagel. With magnolia and madonna lily, it’s the perfect scent to kick off spring. Hermès Un Jardin Sur La Lagune, £89 (100ml), johnlewis.com
Build a better base Estée Lauder’s Double Wear, UK’s bestselling foundation, has 60+ options, but if you struggle to find your shade, this personalised system creates a foundation just for you. At exactly the price for an off-the-peg base. Estée Lauder custom match service, £33.50, esteelauder.co.uk/book-appointment
No-fuss cleanser Squalane, an oil used to moisturise and improve suppleness, is found in many new launches. This balm-to-oil Squalane Cleanser is a dream for those who can’t be bothered to remove makeup and cleanse in separate steps. £5.50, theordinary.com
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