I’m with Team Gleam. Are you?

Thu, 15 March 2012 9:48AM

I know that you’re not meant to cover your entire face in shimmer cream. A zillion makeup artists have told me this. And I get the logic in this particular beauty rule … That the glimmery particles can sink and settle into crevices and magnify lines, making them look like wrinkles before their time. Or that they can make you look all high-beam-high-shine oily. Or like a walking mirror ball.

And I understand the theory behind the subtle and strategic placement of illuminiser (along the upper cheekbones, down the middle of the nose, over the cupid’s bow, etc), in order to visually manipulate the planes and angles of the face. But, honestly, whenever a sheeny shiny new face lotion hits my desk, I just can’t resist the temptation to smother my entire complexion in it, in search of that holy-grail glow, à la the glossy likes of the Olsen girls…

Heck, I’d probably slather shimmer on from head-to-toe if the tube was ever big enough.

My obsession with face gleam creams began way back with Revlon’s Skinlights shimmer lotions (remember those? Sigh …). Every time I wore one – either on its own, or mixed into my foundation – I would invariably be told by a friend or colleague (or even, randomly enough, a barista or cab driver) how healthy or fresh I was looking. And, as every girl knows, when you receive such a compliment, you become addicted to seeking one out again and again. It’s positive makeup reinforcement. So, you see, this explains my obsession with such complexion-enhancers to this day.

Since Skinlights (R.I.P) went to makeup heaven, I have been on a mission to find a substitute. Granted, Revlon did make amends by launching the Age Defying Spa Face Illuminator, $29.95; all three shades (Bare Light, Pink Light and Gold Light) are stunners and have been known to grace my entire face at various points in my life. Nars Illuminators, $58 each, also deserve a shout-out, too. But my face illuminiser quest is an ongoing one. In true addict style, I just can’t get enough of the stuff.

The latest glimmer lotion I’ve tried is the new limited-edition Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in shade Au, $65 (which is part of the Human Fundamentalism colour collection, pictured below). Au is the chemical symbol for gold, and this is a seriously gilt-speckled, bronze-hued shade of Skin Base (Skin Base, if you don’t know, is their new-ish foundation, which is inspired by BB creams, and basically designed to make your skin look like yours, just better; I’d contend, however, that it actually makes you look like you’re wearing foundation, but in a great way – if you’ve taken the time to apply it well – i.e, with a quality brush – it looks like just about the best damn foundation you’ve ever known). Au is meant to be worn on its own, or mixed into other Skin Bases. The release I received told me it ‘gives a subtle glow’. Hmmm. I’m not so sure about the subtlety aspect. While the bronze tint does indeed give you a lovely, healthy-look colour, the golden flecks are quite visible and might irk some of you. Having said that, they don’t bother me one iota. I – in all my face-illuminiser-obsessing ways – happily splash it all over. And you know what, when I last wore it, a few days ago (after a particularly sleep-poor night), at least three people told me how great my skin looked. My verdict: it’s a keeper.

One other shimmery new number worth a mention is Essence My Base Illuminating Make-up Base, $7.50…

Yes, you read right: $7.50. Crazy, huh? Look, when prices are this low, you usually have to lower your expectations, too. And sure, this one can’t compete with, say, Nars, and it doesn’t try to. But boy, it’s not bad at all. With a smattering of silicones, it does a quite-good job at keeping foundation in place. But what’s more appealing to we glow-loving girls is the pearlescent sheen it pretties up skin with. While Illuminating Make-Up Base claims to suit all skins, this iridescent-pale-pink lotion is in reality best left to ye fair maidens among us (olive and darker types are much better complemented by a lustrous golden sheen, like Illamasqua’s Au).

So, what about you, Primpettes? Are you an all-over face-illuminiser addict, too? If so, which ones do you rate?

Or do you have another face-glossing secret you can share?

Or are you Team Matte all the way?

Kat x

Posted by: Katrina Lawrence

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Tags: ashley olsen, BB cream, budget, budget beauty, cult beauty products, essence, glow, glowing skin, illamasqua, illuminator, illuminisers, luminiser, mary kate olsen, mary-kate and ashley, matte, nars, revlon