How to get a real-life filtered finish
We live life through a lens and the scrutiny on our skin and make up causes us all to feel overexposed in real life. With countless apps, filters and editing suites to blur, augment and alter (“Some puppy ears, please!”), the cold light of day can feel only too chilly. It’s true that these hyper-real standards of beauty are causing us all to feel ‘less’ when we ought to feel brave and emboldened, but even the most resolute cannot help but compare and contrast with the influx of images seemingly meant to unsettle our own self-esteem.
However, the fact that we find this ‘soft focus’ effect so compelling is proof that smooth, luminous, blemish-free skin is symbolic of health, wealth and ‘status’. Polished to perfection with an otherworldly gleam, we crave a glow that looks like someone flicked a switch behind our skin. But without the assistance of ‘Gingham’ or warmth of ‘Valencia’, here’s how to channel that ‘wellness’ effect without filters…
Mossy’s go-to MUA, make like Kate with two new launches from the undisputed queen of cover-worthy skin. The nearest thing to ‘spanx’ for your complexion, Charlotte Tilbury’s {Magic Away} liquid camouflage ‘lifts’, blurs and brightens for eyes that belie late night misadventures. With cutting-edge technology to plump and lessen depth of lines in minutes, we’re calling it – this cover-up will soon become your ‘Holy Grail’ concealer.
And for those who want skin to appear velveteen, the faaaabulous {Genius Powder} behaves like brush-on Photoshop. In three colour-adaptive shades to suit the swathe of skin tones, this micro-fine ‘dust’ has light-scattering pigments to disappear pores and disguise imperfections without looking chalky or artificial.
If you crave the gorgeous ‘golden hour’ glow, emulate that photo-worthy radiance with {Pretty Youth Filter} – a burst of sunny, peachy blush and opalescent dew to lend a realistic flush and a sophisticated sheen to cheeks (and cheekbones). These butter-soft crèmes melt in moments to grant an authentic, ‘diffused’ kiss of colour – a confidence-boost in a chic, slimline compact, this duo is great for extending your well-rested, holiday ‘bloom’.
A tint with a difference, {Hollywood Flawless Filter} is a primer, base and highlighter in one. Basically ‘Lark’ in a bottle, this liquid light lends skin a fresh, dewy lustre that elevates every foundation from ‘flat’ to fantastic. Enhancing the skin without masking, when used sparingly this game-changing elixir dispels signs of dullness and subtly sculpts for Naomi-esque cheekbones (whatever the setting).
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Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...
