If you think about it, Instagram filters are sort of like an extension of our make-up – slightly enhancing what’s already there. So why not cut out the middle men and pick products that have a filter effect in real life? We’ve selected our most-favourite blurring, highlighting and ‘soft-focus finish-bestowing’ essentials, to get skin selfie-ready in a flash.
For a Valencia-esque glow…
If you’re suffering from uneven skin tone or a dull complexion, {BECCA} have your back with their {First Light Priming Filter} – its hydrating formula has a flattering lavender tint. How does it work? We’re glad you asked – this sheer tint complements your natural skin tone to brighten and invigorate, while neutralising grey or ashy tones. One Cult Beauty customer said that this gave her ‘grown up’ skin a youthful lease of life… we’ll take that.
For the professional polish of X Pro II …
Want the type of skin that looks like you travel with your own team of make up artists and a lighting crew? Let us introduce you to Kevyn Aucoin’s {The Neo-Setting Powder} – the latest launch from the maestros of ‘red carpet make up’. This triple-milled powder bestows a delicate veil of blurring pigment to minimise pores and imperfections without caking or creasing; the perfect finishing touch to your foundation or just to brighten up a bare complexion. (Tip: ZOEVA’s {Powder Brush} will make application a breeze).
For a healthy sun-kissed Early Bird allure …
We do love a bit of ‘Early Bird’ to make us look like we’ve spent two weeks in St. Tropez, so in its honour we’ve picked Charlotte Tilbury’s {Unisex Healthy Glow} which grants a believable, sun-drenched effect. It’s essential for hangovers, stressful weeks, endless winters and any other time you need to transform a tired, ‘haunted’ visage with a healthy-looking tan. Better still, it’s got imperfection-blurring micro-spheres and is oil-free so won’t smother your skin.
For Amaro-level brightness…
Sometimes our skin needs a little lift and better than a Fairy Godmother’s magic wand is {BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector}. It blurs imperfections and imbues skin with a backlit radiance – slather over bare skin for subtle radiance, or use it as a highlighter for cheeks, corners of the eyes and anywhere else the light naturally strikes. With a cocktail of skin-loving ingredients – including nourishing avocado oil, protective antioxidants and anti-inflammatory witch hazel – it also supplements your skin care.
For the flaw-blurring effect of Mayfair…
Whether it’s redness, dark shadows or pigmentation, Laura Geller’s clever colour-correcting {Filter Finish Baked Radiance Setting Powder} is a patchwork palette of yellow, peach, violet and green to even out, brighten and blur like nobody’s business. The super-fine powder pigments don’t settle in creases or clog pores, and it’s ideal for ‘fixing’ your base, or too add a subtle, photo-ready veil to naked faces.