Intelligent Beauty

There’s no filter needed with these blurring heroes

Hooked on the ‘soft focus’ look? Emulate {Instagram} lenses for real with our pick of the latest and greatest skin-blurring essentials. Mattifying? Pore-disguising? Unifying? Gratifying? Browse our buffet of bestselling balms, crémes and powders then get set to ‘quit’ Insta-filters for good. Well… at least for a spell. Perhaps. Maybe…

Barely detectable, NIOD’s bestselling {Photography Fluid} is basically editing software in bottles. Packed with correcting, light-scattering pigments to lend your complexion a velvety finish, this unifies skin tone and colour corrects to help neutralise redness and counteract sallowness. Use it alone, as a primer or mixed with your make up to leave your skin looking ethereal.

IT Cosmetics’ {Bye Bye Pores Illumination Powder} boasts ‘optical blurring technology’ – a posh way of saying it makes pores look smaller. Like a featherweight veil, this powder’s so silky it blends like a dream (there’s no caking or creasing), while luminous pearls leave your skin looking lit-from-within. Just apply with a brush to set make up in place while bestowing a beautiful, well-rested glow (what hangover?).

A nourishing serum, THE INKEY LIST’s game-changing new {Hepta-Peptide} is brimming with firming and wrinkle-diminishing proteins to smooth your complexion and instantly iron out creases. With immediate and cumulative benefits, this high-end (but purse-friendly) blend is the ultimate foil for crow’s feet – plumping and softening fine lines and crêpeyness.

Quick, convenient and universally flattering, Milk Makeup’s clever, invisible {Blur Stick} works to mattify shine and lend every complexion a petal-esque ‘bloom’. Ideal on its own or on top of foundation to keep oily T-zones on lockdown, this glides on to ‘blot’ any afternoon sheen and there’s no risk of spills (it’s a hand-luggage hero).

FaceTune for times when you’re offline, Farsàli’s {Skintune Blur} is a lightweight and hydrating serum-primer hybrid that works superficially while its ingredients help to improve your skin’s brightness. Granting a demi-matte finish, this nourishes skin while it amplifies the ‘blendability’ and longevity of your favourite foundation. 

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Verity is our Content Editor and a Cult Beauty veteran. Currently on maternity leave, raising Cult Beauty’s honorary ‘word nerd’, Tabitha, she speaks fluent ‘beauty’ and loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm (and cleanser and candles… ad infinitum). Nothing can stop her from quoting Nancy Mitford, treating herself to yet another Bella Freud candle for her desk or buying that pilgrim-esque collared or heavily fringed outfit she’s been eyeing. You can trust her to debunk widespread beauty myths and dispense invaluable advice with ease…