Once upon a time,
Shine was banished from the face.
Now, we call it glow.

‘You look about 11,’ remarked my friend and colleague last week, or even the week before — who knows, time is over. I won’t mention her name or even her initials, because she would maybe kill me, and that would be a pity because I now have the capacity to look youthful and dewy whenever I wish.

I remember fighting shine to the death, in my teenage years. The pressed powder compact was never far from my grasp, but it was really all about the foundation. The thicker the better, and wow, it is amazing that my pores didn’t just clog up and die.

Now, however, with age and wisdom, a nice light-reflecting face is the goal. Because then, paradoxically, you look youthful and dewy.

I got the vibe that Chanel’s Perfection Lumiére was pretty special from the first moment of application: light and yes, flawlessy fluid just as it says on the tin, but also excellent coverage, which I find to be essential when a product is a little more expensive than one might be used to. A pump and a bit expertly covered my roundy face, so those among us with less acreage and more angles will probs get even better mileage than I do.

The glow, it was blinding! Okay, not really, but obviously remark-able, as evidenced by the feedback from my friend, who is also a noted beauty expert. I remember that day {whenever it was} was a long one, but by the time I got home, well into the night, I looked as fresh-faced as I had when I’d first made up that morning. In fairness, I also use an illuminating face powder, but girls, if the base layer is questionable, forget about piling anything on it.

I have just realised that I wrote about using this here, so there’s the proof on my pudding-gob. Hey, even for a not-so-great iPhone self-portrait, I think that the quality of this foundation shines through. Or glows on. Whatever! It is fabulous.