The most flattering make-up that you'll ever wear - and it takes only seconds to apply

You step in a lift, glimpse yourself in the mirror and barely recognise the person staring back. Under harsh, overhead lighting, skin that looked passable at home suddenly appears depressingly lacklustre and sallow. For most of us, as we age, this fleeting moment occurs all too regularly. ‘Younger skin simply glows more than older skin,’ says make-up artist Carla Wall. ‘But good light – or the right products – can help it appear more beautiful, healthy and young.’

If we lived on Instagram, we could put a filter over our complexion to correct poor lighting. Fortunately, there are products that come impressively close to doing the same – and you don’t need the skill of a make-up artist to use them. Take Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powders. Inspired by her mother’s pink lightbulbs, which she believed were most flattering, founder Carisa Jane has created finely milled, feather-light face powders to mimic types of lighting. With names such as Diffused and Dim, they’ve earned a cult following and need only be dusted lightly across cheek and brow bones, and down the nose, to create subtle improvements.

Never one to miss a trick, Mac has tapped into the filter-effect market with tinted versions of its iconic Strobe Cream. Meanwhile, Becca has launched its Filter range. Both can be worn alone or mixed into foundation for extra radiance. Want to be more strategic and make specific areas – such as your brow bone and Cupid’s bow – radiant? Look to LA brand Rituel de Fille’s Luminizer and L’Oréal Paris’s Lumi Magique Primer, £9.99, for long-lasting, natural-looking pearlescence.

Whichever of these you choose, make-up artist Gucci Westman warns, ‘Prepping the skin with plenty of moisturiser is very important, as you definitely don’t want it to be dry.’ She recommends exfoliating regularly to remove dead skin that can make your complexion look dull, or using a moisturiser with lactic acid to gently exfoliate throughout the day.

None of this is as quick as turning on a pink lightbulb or using Clarendon or Lark on Instagram. But it does make getting the lift every morning more pleasant.

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