What is it with black women and shine? Skin is supposed to shine. There, I've said it. Some call it shine; I call it radiance. Of course, there is a big difference between a healthy glow and sweating buckets, but I'm talking about faces here, not bodies, and as far as I am concerned, a face that is completely matt looks all wrong.
Making sure you're on the right side of the shine spectrum is the difference between looking like you've got great skin and looking like you've been dead a few hours. The key is to find the right face powder. I have been inseparable from my MAC pressed powder from a tender age, and while in many ways MAC still cuts the mustard as far as shades and textures are concerned, I am pleased to report there are a few new challengers to its crown.
Armani's sheer powder is as smooth as silk, giving the skin an appearance so perfect it's almost spooky. And the pressed powder from Nars in Mountain is fab for those with Naomi skin tones, but too light for anyone darker. T LeClerc, a range that has just gone into Fenwick, also has a couple of pressed powders worth looking at (and the silver packaging is stunning).
Most exciting, though, is Haute Face, a new range that will be available this month at Liberty. "Our team consists of individuals from various backgrounds - Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian and African-American," says founder Casandra Mills. "It is our combined sensibility that has helped us know what works for every woman." Mills, herself African-American, set up the company out of frustration: "I was sick of the fact that, after years of wearing make-up, I was still having to mix different shades to get the right colour."
The pressed powders are indeed fab, but it's the Zero powder that threw me - a fine powder that is so white it practically glows. I instinctively moved backwards when the brand's make-up artist, Jocelyn Zayco, tried to apply it to my forehead. I have no idea why it works, but it does: the powder instantly lifted and brightened my complexion without being remarkably chalky ... despite its scary whiteness.
