Ace Of Base

Ace of Base..

Is it just me, or is Lisa Snowdon a shining example of why Clarins products are so darn gorgeous? It seems the British beauty can barely do an interview, or present an award without extolling the virtues of Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.

We all have iconic products that hold pride of place in our bathroom cabinets and dressing tables. The old faithfuls we turn to in times of crisis. For Lisa Snowdon, model, presenter, glamorous ex of George Clooney and all round girl next door, her go-to product in times of beauty crisis is none other than Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. That miracle of miracles that all but erases signs of fatigue. The eight hours of beauty sleep in a squeezable tube that models, A-List stars (and in-the-know beauty journalists) swear by. Snowdon recommends using this miraculous formula as a foundation primer, applied after serum and moisturiser, but before foundation. Simply massage into skin and let the algae, witch hazel, bisabolol and rice starch tighten, boost radiance, revitalise, soothe, soften and purify the skin.

The market has been awash with the next generation of sheer foundations. Claiming to mimic the appearance of glowing, dewy skin, a flawless complexion is essential to the success of this "no make-up" make-up look. The new Skin Illusion foundation from Clarins does not disappoint. With a soft-as-silk texture and sheer-to-medium coverage, this heavenly scented wonder is truly the "ace of base".

Why not follow in luscious Lisa's footsteps and smooth a layer the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm over your skin prior to applying this foundation. Packed with skin-friendly botanicals such as super-antioxidant algae and white tea extract, this foundation protects the skin from environmental aggressors, while the SPF 10 minimises photo damage from sun exposure. The majority of skin experts are indicating that an SPF of 15-20 is the desired level of protection for day-to-day use. If you require further protection, using one of the many light-as-a-feather SPF foundation primers in conjunction with this foundation would be the easiest option. For those of you who love a subtle, dewy shimmer in your base, there's no need to mix a shimmering cream highlighter in with this foundation, as the crushed pink opal provides all the light-diffusing radiance a guy or girl could wish for.

Beauty Flash Balm - £27.06

Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation - £24

www.clarins.com

A Life Less Ordinary

A Life Less Ordinary..

While we're all familiar with amnesties on everything from firearms to weapons and used syringes, amnesties on make-up are as far as I'm aware, previously uncharted territory within the world of contemporary beauty. Granted, it's unlikely that the use of every-day cosmetics could lead to fatalities in the same way as the aforementioned weapons or drugs paraphernalia (with extreme allergies being a notable exception). On the contrary - we've come a long way since the ancient Egyptians applied mercury-derived powder to their faces. Furthermore, the fashion for arsenic face powder (thankfully) died with the Elizabethans. So with all this in mind, who would want to call for an amnesty on make-up and for what purpose? Illamasqua, the cutting-edge contemporary make-up brand "for your alter ego" is about to send seismic waves through the beauty world with their inspired "Make-Up Amnesty". Running from the 17th-31st July 2010, the brand are calling on all beauty consumers to "ditch the make-up drudgery and embrace the extraordinary". Take your old make-up products to any of the participating Illamasqua counters and invest in some of their signature densely pigmented products, available in shades and textures as vivid as the wildest of imaginations. It doesn't matter whether your old mascara has dried up, or if your blusher compact is crumbling beyond recognition - take your make-up "mistakes" to the participating Illamasqua counters and their artists will not only assist you in replacing them with superior (and infinitely more exciting) products, but you'll also receive a complimentary 25% discount on your new purchases. So whether you want to trade in your lackluster "beauty don'ts" for dramatic false lashes, a photo-perfect foundation, a cult liquid metal, vibrant nail colour or hyper-pigmented product for the eyes, lips or face, now is your chance to clear out those make-up bags of all things dull and invest in the products that will help to unleash the "real you". So whether your alter ego is a goth, vamp, rock star, punk, cyborg or fairy, start trading in the dull and invest in something daring. After all, who dares wins.

The Illamasqua Make-Up Amnesty runs from 17th-31st July 2010 and is available at:

Selfridges Oxford Street, Trafford Centre, Birmingham Bullring, Fenwick Newcastle, BT2 Grafton Street Dublin, Debenhams Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff.

(This amnesty does not apply to the Illamasqua online shop)

www.illamasqua.com