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Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
I swapped my fancy skincare for an entire routine under £50
In this regular series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph's beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the conundrums they've been searching for answers to, and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss budget-friendly skincare. The great thing about a tight budget is how it makes us reconsider the essentials. That's a useful exercise this time of year when less might be more. We all instinctively adapt what we're wearing to the changing seasons, yet we're often in the dark when it comes to adjusting our skincare. Annee de Mamiel, an exceptional integrative facialist (she uses her hands, breath work, acupuncture and aromatherapy) factors in the seasons' effects on our emotions as well as the physiological ones. 'For most people swapping their skin care with the seasons is about changing the textures they use – a lighter serum for warm weather, a richer cream when it turns cold. But for great skin there's more to it,' she says. Ultimately, soothing, feeding and cherishing that precious microbiome (which can get biffed around a bit by poor diet and harsh products) is key – but with featherweight formulations. Some of the first products de Mamiel launched (and that are still best sellers) are her seasonal oils, which are designed to work on different levels, both physically and emotionally to help skin adapt to season changes, using unique combinations of active botanicals and nourishing oils. As de Mamiel says, spring is a stretchy season.'It's quite different between the colder start and the balmy end. The focus is on bringing some balance and brightness to both our skin.' Skin brushing is cheap and highly beneficial – you can get a wooden brush for under £5. No need for fancy face scrubs. Next you want a good cleanser, which you absolutely don't need to use in the morning if you've cleansed thoroughly before bed. If you've never tried an oil cleanser, de Mamiel's travel-sized cleansing oil is a good introduction to her approach, with macca root and vitamin C for brightening, botanical oils for protection and frankincense for an aromatherapeutic experience. If you love face spritzers in warm weather, choose one that does more than refresh. Alexandra Soveral's Floral Rain contains rose Damascus and orange blossom water to soothe and feed skin. It can also be used over make-up to set it, as well as throughout the day to top up hydration and revive. Sun protection, obviously, is paramount. SPFs improve every season. Q+A Peptide SPF50 Anti-Ageing Daily Sunscreen is a physical barrier (with a zinc oxide that doesn't leave a white residue) containing niacinamide, squalane, plant and seed oils that mean you don't need an additional moisturiser. Spring is my preferred season. There's enough sunlight to justify a refresh but not enough to elicit body panic. Best of all. for the past few weeks I've barely turned on the central heating, that necessary evil that ekes every drop of hydration from the cells. This brings me to my skincare routine. I've given it a make-under – in cost and size. Throughout winter I bathed in Augustinus Bader's The Soothing Cream, an exorbitantly priced moisturising cream that, to its credit, has gotten my complexion through winter without a glitch. Now the heavy lifting is done I've gone for something affordable. And there's boundless options if you shop smart. Derms always say you shouldn't spend money on a cleanser, but in spring and summer I'm of the opinion that you need one with extra welly to excavate SPF particles and pollutants from the pores – especially if you live in a city and take public transport. I do. Naturium's Vitamin C Complex Cleanser is worth every penny of its reasonable £20 price tag. It includes two types of potent vitamin C alongside phytic acid and fruit enzymes that gently exfoliate dull surface cells. I've been using it morning and evening for a month and my skin is, says the colleague opposite me, a couple of notches brighter. Plus there's no need for a separate makeup remover; it does it all. Serums will eat up your budget if you're not careful. Hello Sunday's The One That's a Serum (real name) is an SPF50 with broad spectrum UV filters plus vitamin C and hyaluronic acid for £22. I'm not usually fond of a dropper but I've made an exception for the multiple benefits. You get a moisture hit from the HA and yet more antioxidant protection from the vitamin C. This is usually enough to satisfy my moisturising needs. But for days when I need more dew I apply The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors +. It's ridiculously cheap considering it's packed with everything your skin barrier needs: fatty acids, ceramides, glycerine, urea and hyaluronic acid. I slather this on most nights to keep my skin supple. Three products, thoughtfully selected, and my skin is doing just fine. In fact I'd say it's thriving. Ask Annabel and Lisa
Telegraph
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
I finally learnt how to apply blusher at 63
In this regular series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph's beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the conundrums they've been searching for answers to, and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss the best tips and techniques for achieving natural-looking rosy cheeks. For such a simple invention blusher is mightily confusing. I recently met Laney Crowell, the American founder of cosmetic brand Saie. When I asked Crowell, who has a vast community on social media, which question she gets asked the most, her eyes lit up. 'Oh that's easy – how do I apply blusher properly?' Crowell then handed me a make-up case full of blushers, half liquid, half powder. When we'd parted ways I dotted a blob of Saie's Dew Blush Blendable Liquid Cheek Flush in Chilly, a polite mauve, on my apples and smeared it in with a finger. I added another and repeated the action. Then another. It's illogical but it's practically impossible to overdo it – a formulation feat that merits high praise from me. And if you trade up your fingers for a buffing brush, it fuses nicely with your skin like a stocking. The powders are new and claim to be high-performing – still I was doubtful. Many powder blushers blank out every last flicker of light your skin has going for it – you get a hit of colour but lose something far more valuable. But credit where credit's due; many newer formulas have improved upon the powder category considerably. Hermès's Silky Blush powder in shade Rose Dore, £66, is as sheer as gauze. As is Jones Road's The Best Blush and Dior's Rosy Glow Colour-Awakening Blush, £35. According to the website, Saie's SuperSuede is a lightweight powder that's 'hand-whipped and baked in a terracotta using traditional Italian techniques'. What all that means I'm unsure but it goes on like satin. After playing around with the full ensemble (there are six shades) I found it extremely buildable – go slow and you'll get to your desired degree of flush in multiple layers. Or you can apply it as a final flourish atop of Dew Blush to intensify the colour and seal it all in. Another plus: despite how popping the colours appear at first glance, you can achieve a delicate finish with every one – including Bella, a fluorescent Barbie-pink which is shockingly flattering on a mature complexion. An interesting fact: red is one of the most flattering hues on cheeks. So long as you blend to oblivion, any take on red from merlot to pillar-box brings the complexion alive far better than any nude can do. With a cream or liquid blusher, I smile widely, pop one dot at the crest of the apples of my cheeks then blend outwards and upwards in (light-handed) circular motions. Smiling isn't necessary; I suspect it's a personal quirk, but it does raise the cheekbones to their highest pitch which keeps things elevated. Young'uns needn't bother as their cheekbones need no anchoring. With a powder blush the only useful nugget I can offer is to shake the excess off of your brush before you strike – and try not to pick up a lot of pigment in one go. Make-up artists are masters at this; they build a face in dozens of fine layers. Some pros argue you should skip the round squishy apples and go for a 1980s-style racing stripe as Gen-Zers tend to do, but I like to mimic a pinched-cheek look. It might be old fashioned but the thing about getting older is you care far less what others think. Somehow, in my 60s, I've gone from someone who never used blush – over not under blushing was my problem – to being, if I say so myself, quite the pro. Part of the transformation is down to Charlotte Tilbury 's make-up artistry which taught me to pop it high on my face – top-of-the-cheekbones-high – tapering out to the temples. I'm not talking about iridescent wings à la 1980s, but soft and sheer and ultra blended. I'll try some of that at home I thought, 90 per cent expecting it not to work, as is generally the case when you try to replicate a make-up artist. Blow me down, it's magic. So flattering, fresh and, in every sense, uplifting. I've had quite an uptick in people telling me I look younger. OK, some of this may well be the usual well-meaning BS, but I'm taking the wins where I can. Blush is firmly in my canon. Bronzer too, which I also never used. I blend it along my jawline. (Remember when we all laughed at Boy George for painting a dark band on his neck to minimise a double chin? This is the 2025 version.) I also swoosh it under my cheekbones, across my forehead and down the sides of my nose. Blend, blend blend. All those years I steered well away from contouring, and now that no one talks about it anymore, I'm all in. Blush and bronze go hand in hand for me now, which is another departure, because for 40 years I didn't go near either. Oh, and I've switched from pinks – heaven knows why I thought they worked on my face, just because pink clothes worked on me – to peach. Modern formulations are so clever, user-friendly and natural-looking, that even when you're older, and rosy cheeks seem a lost wonder of the world, it's perfectly possible to achieve them in a believable way. RMS Beauty's ReDimension is a wet powder, sugar-derived technology that doesn't look at all powdery on, but makes you look radiant. I also adore Merit's Flush Balm. It comes in a dozen shades, some of which look crazily strong in the pot, but gorgeously natural on. Another one to check out, especially if you like powders, is Et al's versatile compact palettes of four colours that can be used on eyes and cheeks. I've also recently discovered Ere Perez's Carrot Colour Pot, another little hit of sheer colour, which also serves as a skin balm. You can buy it online, or pop into Alexandra Soveral's salon on London's St John's Wood High Street where she offers world-class facial massages and a curated selection of pure beauty products. All the above probably class themselves as clean: a vague term that doesn't do them justice. All provide state-of-the-art colour and functionality, contain nourishing ingredients and come in recyclable or refillable packaging. Blushers have improved beyond imagination since my teens. So has the intention behind them.
Telegraph
20-02-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The trick to using retinol in midlife (without damaging your skin)
In this regular series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph's beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the conundrums they've been searching for answers to, and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss how often you should wash your hair. Amidst the thousands of emails we receive on the fashion and beauty desk every week, it was one about retinol from Dr Michael Prager that caught my eye. 'Retinol has been touted as a holy grail of skincare, but I've never been a fan,' wrote Prager. 'True, using retinol can result in a modest increase in skin collagen by a factor of 1.3. However, the side effects far outweigh the benefits: red, sore, flaky skin and extreme light sensitivity.' After using it and going on a Caribbean holiday, Prager returned with dark blotches on his forehead. 'That was the end of my relationship with retinol,' he says. 'While it disperses pigment clusters, it also strips the protective dead cell layer, making your skin vulnerable to damage. This waxen, overly sensitive look is far from what I consider desirable or practical.' That really got me thinking, because someone else I hugely respect in the beauty industry has been saying something similar for years. Alexandra Soveral, the facialist-cum-bio-chemist-cum-mother-of-organic-skincare, sits some way along the beauty continuum from Prager, who rose to prominence as a dispenser of injectables to the A-list. Soveral takes a more holistic approach, believing in the power of massage (hand not mechanical) to give skin a lift, tone and glow. In her 50s, she – and her regular clients – are proof this approach works. If both she and Prager, with more than half a century in skincare between them, are raising questions about retinol, it's time to listen. As a reminder, retinol – and retinal, a stronger formulation – are forms of vitamin A. In moderation, they're a great tool. 'Vitamin A is a powerhouse for skin health, playing a crucial role in cell division, tissue repair, and maintaining the skin's protective barrier,' says Soveral. 'Used in the right amounts, it helps keep skin smooth, firm and resilient by encouraging healthy cell turnover and guarding against environmental damage. 'But,' she continues, 'the skincare industry, alongside dermatologists, have disregarded the safety guidelines and encouraged consumers to overuse retinol.' (That's just changed in the EU, where new legislation has been passed that restricts the use of all forms of vitamin A in skincare products.) The results of overzealous retinol application are all around us, particularly in mid-life and older women: skin looks like parchment. 'Too much retinol accelerates skill cell division in an unhealthy way,' says Soveral, 'leading to issues such as inflammation, acne, rosacea, hypersensitivity and hyperpigmentation. It actually speeds up ageing.' For optimal results, Soveral recommends vitamin A in its most bio-available form, ie (ideally organic) broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, fish... and using cold-pressed oils containing vitamin A. Rosehips are a rich source – and there are some reasonably priced options. The Rolls Royce is Soveral's Alpha Water Serum and Delta Lipids Oil. If I could only have two skin care products in my bathroom, it would be these. Designed to be used in tandem, they're highly active but gentle and long-lasting with trace amounts of natural vitamin A. 'Instead of forcing cell division, it will just give them a gentle boost to not become sluggish,' says Soveral. 'In the end, nature knows best.' My first encounter with retinol was in no uncertain terms a car crash. I was in my early 30s and keen to reap the glow-inducing benefits I'd heard (and seen) so much about, but I aborted the mission before the month was up due to an intolerable case of the 'retinol uglies'. The uglies is TikTok lexicon for the settling-in phase of flaky, inflamed skin. Mine was so angry looking, a friend gasped before asking, half jokingly, if I'd contracted an infectious skin disease. I'm told by retinol evangelists that if you stick it out, your complexion repays you with an otherworldly glow. Sadly, I'll never know; I pulled rank for the sake of vanity and steered clear of retinol for the next decade – at least. To be fair this was 20 years ago when retinol formulations were far less sophisticated than they are now. These days retinoids are often delivered in skin-friendly liposomal capsules to minimise irritation and transport the molecule directly where it needs to go. Plus, there are varying retinoids to choose from like the ever-popular retin-A (retinaldehyde) which is deemed a gentler alternative to pure retinol. There isn't a dermatologist I know who doesn't believe in tretinoin, the prescription retinoid that's scientifically proven to have a role in acne and wrinkle reduction. Furthermore, long-term studies have shown that retinoids improve collagen production over time – more collagen, and firmer skin. All in all, the evidence is hard to dispute. That said, I'm often asked to abate the concerns many people have about whether or not to use retinol. So I recently asked the dermatologist Dr Ellie Rashid about whether retinoids do indeed thin the skin. Her response was balanced. It does compromise the top surface of the skin temporarily, hence why SPF and minimal sun exposure is recommended. But, she argued, cell turnover slows considerably with age, thus speeding it up isn't necessarily a bad thing. One could argue it's merely restoring the status quo. If you use the right dose and formulation (she's a fan of CeraVe) for you, the benefits of retinol generally outweigh the cons. Especially if you suffer from hyperpigmentation, fine lines or dullness. I have been using a retinoid cream on my hands and décolletage for the past six months or so, as they have seen more UV rays than I care to admit. Does that make me a fan? As irritating (pardon the pun) as it sounds, I'm still on the fence. I believe retinol has its place. I trust the experts who advocate for it and there's no doubt it works at fading hyperpigmentation and evening out skin tone, so long as you don't overuse it and apply SPF50. But I also think, like with all anti-ageing protocols, that in the end it is a personal choice. If your wrinkles and pigmentation bother you enough to deal with some minor irritation then it's a useful tool alongside a good barrier cream and religious UV protection – especially in winter when the sun is hiding out. I dip in and out, and when I do I use gentle formulations that are slower to work. When it comes to my hands I'm unapologetic. They get a liberal coating every other day – and it's made a visible difference to pigmentation and fine lines. If, however, I could give my teenage self a talking to, the girl who slathered on a coconut-scented SPF8 sun oil with abandon, my advice would be simple: stay out of the sun, apply a good full spectrum SPF daily, mitigate stress, eat well and you won't be debating the pros and cons of anti-ageing protocols decades later. Ask Annabel and Lisa
