Liquid highlighters will give you luminous skin – quickly. Tap and blend on the bridge of your nose and the high points of your face, like your cheekbones. But avoid using them on the forehead, otherwise you will look greasy rather than glowy, especially in photographs. (Top tip, though: if you mix it in with your foundation, the results are sublime.) Solid highlighters are another option, but if you are new to this, they have disaster-waiting-to-happen written all over them. I once had a shimmering gold, solid highlighter smash in my bag. And yes, it was every inch as bad as it sounds.
1. Rare Beauty Luminizer Liquid Positive Light £24, spacenk.co.uk
2. Vieve Nova Glow Liquid Light £27, vievebeauty.com
3. Saie Glowy Super Gel £22, cultbeauty.co.uk
4. Dior Forever Glow Maximalist Highlighter £36, dior.com
5. Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter £42, sephora.co.uk
I can’t do without… A quick and easy face steamer that declogs pores
There is a small part of me that is cynical about the efficacy of a lot of the skincare gadgets around. Not to mention that the constant 24/7 manipulation of our faces cannot end well – there is only so much the face can withstand and still look normal. Also, there is a part of me that is really irritated by the labour of beauty – sacrilegious for a beauty editor, I know. Why do we have to work soooo hard and soooo constantly to make our faces ‘better’? For what? For who? But the more basic argument than all the above is, at heart, when it comes to beauty I can’t be bothered with anything that isn’t easy. That said, I will go to lengths to discover a good facial, and I am always open to trying new ones. It’s not with its perils – a recent not-so-good facial left my skin looking as clogged up as it did when I walked in. Happily, it coincided with me receiving the Sarah Chapman steamer. My easy saviour. You fill it up with water (a bit like you would an iron) and within seconds it emits steam that penetrates your pores, cleansing and declogging your skin. Using a mask afterwards will take the (Glowy! Clearer! Healthy looking!) results to the next level. It takes just five minutes (you can do it up to three times a week) and, honestly, I am obsessed. This is one gadget I can really get on board with. Sarah Chapman Pro Hydra Mist Steamer, £138, sarahchapman.com
On my radar… Brightening masks for skin that dazzles
The multitool Doubling up as an exfoliator as well as a dark-spot corrector, this mask will give your skin a smoother, clearer texture and make the rest of your skincare work much harder. Dr Idriss Major Fade Flash Mask, £50, dridriss.com
The equaliser Anyone battling dullness, dryness and hyperpigmentation should make a beeline for this lightly textured arbutin and niacinamide mask. Paula’s Choice Radiance Renewal Mask, £36, paulaschoice.co.uk
The reviver One by an A-lister facialist. You can expect great things from this brightening, dark-spot diminishing mask. Kate Sommerville Mega-C 30% Vitamin C Brightening Facial, £63, johnlewis.com
