Mid-life magic

A round up of some of the fifty something plus products I'm using right now.

There’s now more choice than ever for forty and fifty something plus women looking for a make up fix. Brilliant brands, such as Studio 10, Jones Road and Trinny London have completely disrupted the market for peri/menopausal and post menopausal women.

I remember covering Studio 10 when it first launched around ten years ago for FT How To Spend It and thinking ‘what a great idea’ and ‘what a massive uncatered to market’. Today the brand is still here and delivering some incredible products for my age group and beyond. This summer they sent me Hydra Peptide Fusion - Daily Defence SPF30, a gorgeous light tinted fluid with pro-ageing benefits to protect the skin from the sun that you can carry on wearing from summer into autumn and winter - given that we’re advised to wear SPF all year round now. It’s very easy to wear and blend and as we all know SPF is the best thing we can do to prevent ageing skin.

Another Studio 10 pick me up for grey winter days is Perfect Bronze Glow-Plexion - adding a sun kissed glow to even the palest visage. I found it slightly too dark for me (I am pale) but good as a blush tint or few blended dots on the forehead, cheeks, chin and nose.

I have asked several A list make up artists - namely Mary Greenwell and Lee Pycroft what their main tips for fifty plus skin are and their response was foundation (or tinted moisturiser, BB or CC cream) and blush. I’m not going to go into foundation right now but for multitasking blush Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road Miracle Balm really is a major disruptor in this market. I know it has been much eulogised already and I would add to that - it’s truly amazing. I tried it in Miami Beach on the apples of my cheeks and was immediately seduced. It’s glossy perfection (for someone who questions the very notion of perfection when it comes to humans). Another favourite - of mine (53) and my Mum’s (82) is Stila Convertible Color - used on lips and cheeks its a game changer if you want a less glossy finish than Miracle Balm. Powerful pigment that blends beautifully.

Finally, I usually use shampoo bars for washing my hair - to reduce the plastic in my bathroom - and more on these in future weeks. But when I couldn’t find one in my local Boots I bought Pantene’s Hair Biology Full and Vibrant Shampoo and Conditioner. Whilst the packaging is recycled and recyclable (admirable for a high street brand) the formulations are not the sort of sustainable ones I would usually go for. But if you are in need of a budget conscious shampoo and conditioner for fifty something hair I would highly recommend these products. My hair blow dried beautifully - it was silky and shiny and voluminous. In terms of efficacy as good as shampoos and conditioners that are high end and luxurious. Very impressed. And currently on offer only £4 per product with a Boots Advantage card.