15 feel-good finds for your face

From make-up primers that give a silky finish to gorgeous blushers and eye-opening shadows and mascaras.

Holly’s make-up artist, Patsy O’Neill, shares her favourites to keep your face looking summer fresh.

 Best Buy

For a cheaper, makeup artist staple and always in my set bag is the Smashbox Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer, £14.75. It’s seamless and colourless to create a matte blur instantly on any skin type. It’s been my go-to for years and I’ve even used it on a shoot when director has asked me to take to shine off a bald head! This product is a great investment if you wish to take away excess shine but don’t want to wear any foundation. 

Another great blurring product is the Fenty Beauty, Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer, £26. This fast-absorbing formula feels incredibly silky-smooth and melts into skin without a trace, delivering a silk finish. I would use this instead of a base on sun-kissed skin, if you’re looking for a no makeup look.

 Sun-Kissed Glow

Perricone MD, No Makeup Bronzer SPF 15, £30 is a weightless liquid bronzer and a super product for a natural looking glow. It achieves a sun-kissed look without shine, shimmer or caking. The bronzer blends in easily and can be used on bare skin or over makeup and I like to apply it with a big brush. The formula helps to visibly brighten over time, for a more even skin tone with reduced discolouration. Fake a just back from holiday look with this perfecting liquid bronzer.

Chanel Les Beiges Bronzing Cream, £43, is a lightweight cream-gel face bronzer classic found in most makeup artist kits. It’s a loved and trusted bronzer that uses mineral waxes and powders for an effortless application. With three shades to choose from, the velvet-matte finish gives skin a glow – without clogging pores. 

 Eye Magic

Smashbox, Always on Cream Eye Shadow, £9 is a vegan, cruelty-free, blendable cream eye shadow, infused with primer so it seriously does not budge! It gives you a saturated colour with a matte finish. Choose from a range of bold to neutral shadows to create an eye look in seconds. Personally, I love the shades that mimic skin tones. Choose a shade just a bit darker than your skin tone and use your finger to seamlessly swipe and blend across your eyelids to create the look that is effortlessly natural. Guava and Rose are my current favourites!

The Ordinary, Peptide Lash & Brow Serum, £12.40 is a light, non-greasy formula designed to support thicker, fuller, and healthier-looking lashes and brows. The Ordinary give us products that really work, at an affordable price point. This serum contains 11 active ingredients, including four peptide complexes and a series of natural extracts, and used twice-daily, it nourishes and protects lashes and brows and enhances density in a matter of weeks. 

Define the natural beauty of your eyes with Perricone MD, No Makeup Mascara with Biotin, £26 – a 2-in-1 lash treatment and mascara that works to lift, lengthen and thicken your eyelashes. It’s nourishing, strengthening formula harnesses the powerful effects of neuropeptides and biotin which help to restore and regenerate, creating stronger, fuller lashes.

Cheeky Colour

The Rare Beauty, Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush, £18 is a cream blush that will not cake, crease, or clog pores. Its super-lightweight and water-resistant formula, is perfect for holidays and beyond. This Blush combines spherical powders together with pigments and a blend of non-greasy and weightless oils so it’s easy to work with and it melts into the skin on contact to help provide a smooth, satin finish. There are 5 shades in total ensuring this product works for all skin types. 

Another favourite of mine is by a British brand – Delilah, In Bloom Radiant Liquid Blush, £22 – a hydrating liquid blush, that glides effortlessly onto the skin, giving cheeks an instant lift and dewy pop of colour. A weightless, water-based liquid colour, that’s quick and easy to use, it creates a fresh-faced natural looking radiance, on all skin types and tones. Its light, tube-style packaging is always a winner for me as it’s easy to control how much you dispense. The Sweet Pea shade is cooler and generally works best on lighter skin tones but also on darker skin tones if you want a fresher look. Peony best suits warmer skin tones.

Brilliant Multi-Tasker

If you’re looking for a super, multi-functional product for lips, cheeks and eyes that’s great value, the E.L.F., Monochromatic Multi-Stick, £5 is a one-stop-shop! This cream-to-powder multi-use stick is the perfect match for your cheeks, lips and eyes. Enriched with moisturising vitamin E and Shea Butter, this lightweight formula blends seamlessly, melting into the skin a great summer flush of colour.

Lovely Lip Balms

Lanolips, The Original Lanostick, £13, is a classic product that is easy to use. I have way too many lip balms everywhere and whilst I have my favourites on rotation, there’s always room for a new one to join in the lip balm party! This one is a new winner, as it doesn’t dry to quickly due to the Ultra Medical Grade Lanolin ingredient – an odourless, colourless, non-sticky ointment that mimics skin’s oils to restore precious moisture.

Another amazing classic is Dr Lipp, Original Nipple Balm, £12. Originally developed for dry nipples, this has become handbag stable for most and a kit favourite for makeup artists. The thick, ultra-long lasting & instantly hydrating formula is amazing and doubles up for use on dry skin anywhere. Dr Lipp also have a trip set of balms which are tinted that are great for adding extra colour.