5 ways to radiant skin

If I was to envy young women for one thing, it would definitely be their skin: firm and peachy with no hint of wrinkles, shadows or pigmentation marks. As you get older, it becomes harder to replicate that gorgeous radiance. I have five key products I use when I'm looking less than radiant.

1. Apply the right face mask

It takes a bit of trial and error to find a mask which gives you a glow, doesn't make your skin red or irritated, and creates a fantastic base for make-up,

I've found the Peter Thomas Roth collection to be pretty invincible. I love the Rose Stem Cell: Bio-Repair Gel Mask which has a lovely scent and leaves my skin soft and lifted. It costs £29.95 from Look Fantastic.

I'm also a great fan of Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask, £48 from Cult Beauty. It's great for a super charged boost after a late night or when your skin is looking a bit tired, dull or hyper pigmented. And it only takes 10 minutes.

If I haven't got time for a mask, I'll reach for a face oil. If my skin feels dry I like Darphin's 8-Flower Nectar. If my skin is looking red and frazzled, Décleor's neroli oil is wonderfully calming.

2. Apply a great moisturizer 

Charlotte Tilbury created her own formula a few years ago and it became known by the models who benefited from it as "Charlotte's magic cream." I'll vouch for this cream - it's the one I always come back to. This rich, fast-acting treatment delivers a serious hit of hydration thanks to its hyaluronic acid booster: sodium hyaluronate to attract and retain much-needed moisture, alongside a patented bionymph peptide complex which helps turn back the clock. It's not cheap at £70, but boy does it deliver.

3. Smooth on primer

You're an artist preparing a canvas: primer creates a smooth finish, a bit like an undercoat, ready for your foundation. I like primers by Smashbox or Laura Mercier. 

4. My revelatory product:  an all-in-one concealer and foundation

Yes I know: most make-up artists insist you don't need foundation, or if you do, to apply just a little in one or two places.  But today's formulations are so light and airy, and filled with silicone goodness, that you'd be foolish not to give yourself perfect skin by applying it all over.  I didn't believe that Clinique's Beyond Perfecting foundation and concealer would actually perform both functions but it really does. Place  a few dots on your face and then blend with a brush. I use the Sigma Beauty round kabuki brush, £18.75 from Cult Beauty.  Perfectly blended, I now have a flawless base and if you don't apply it too thickly, it doesn't look like foundation. 

5. The final touch

You now need just a little pink blusher on the apples of your cheeks to give you a healthy, glowing look. Normally I only use cream blusher as this is more flattering on the more mature woman, but I discovered Hourglass Ambient Light and I haven't looked back since.  This is no ordinary blusher: it gives depth and dimension, unlike the flat colour of a normal blusher. It's almost transparent and looks very  natural, yet delivers a good hit of blusher. 

What are your go-to products for creating a perfect complexion?
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