Has your midlife complexion become noticeably drier, thinner and a little bit dull? You can blame menopause, and the decrease in natural oils and collagen which it causes. As a result, your skin loses some of its ability to hold water. Hello dryness and dullness. (Insomnia doesn’t help!) Menopause-specific skincare regimes and tweakments are one way to combat this dullness. You can also bring some radiance back to your skin with make-up, particularly primers.
Primers create the ideal base for foundation and the rest of your make-up. Illuminating primers will take this one step further to give you a brighter, glowier base. Here are some of our favourites.
Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 30, £32
This primer from Supergoop! is ideal for midlife skin. Not only does its lightweight pearlescent formula give your skin a dewy, glowy finish but it also contains SPF 30 to shield your face from damaging, ageing UV rays. Meanwhile, a combination of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 gives an added boost of moisture.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, £34
There’s nothing Charlotte Tilbury loves more than a glowy, ‘lit-from-within’ complexion. So it’s not surprising that her beauty brand offers many different options to help you achieve luminous skin.
One of our favourites is Hollywood Flawless Filter, a hybrid primer and highlighter to wear under or instead of foundation. By brightening the skin, smoothing over fine lines and imparting a dewy finish, the product will leave you with an illuminated complexion.
Glossier Futuredew, £23
Designed to be the last step in your skincare routine, Glossier’s Futuredew is the perfect product if you are looking for radiant skin. It isn’t greasy and won’t cause you any breakouts.
With a vegan, non-sticky lightweight formula, Futuredew not only makes skin look brighter and fresher instantly, but it also works to improve your skin over time for long-lasting results.
Barry M Glowmance Soft Focus, £4.75
Barry M’s Glowmance primer is great if you are looking for glowing, radiant skin on a budget.
Smooth and non-greasy, Glowmance covers fine lines and imperfections to create an even, healthy glow. Jasmine extracts and vitamin E work to soothe and brighten the skin.
Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bader Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer, £140
On the other end of the spectrum is Victoria Beckham’s luxurious Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer created in collaboration with Augustinus Bader.
Full of powerhouse skincare ingredients, the priming moisturiser promotes cell turnover and helps minimise signs of ageing. It also creates a radiant, glowing base for make-up. The brand also recently came out with a ‘Golden’ version containing gold micro-pearls to give a bronzy glow.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Blur Primer, £32
Part of YSL’s iconic Touche Éclat range, this illuminating gel primer works to blur imperfections and boost radiance. The result is an ideal canvas for makeup to help it last all day.
Using the same technology as the concealer, the primer has the same brightening effect. It will smooth the texture of your skin whilst adding a slight shimmer as well.
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Illuminating Primer, £32
Laura Mercier has a whole range of primers to target specific concerns from hydration to blurring. This illuminating option is infused with a blend of micronised pearls which reflect light to give dull, tired skin a healthy glow. The water-based formula smooths skin’s texture and brightens the complexion creating a great base for make-up application.
