Traditional foundations are too heavy to wear in the summer. They don't let the skin breathe and they can look greasy within minutes of application. But after too many late nights, not enough sunshine or a day in an air-conditioned office, my skin looks pale and ashen, and no amount of moisturiser seems to give it back its glow (no matter how much water I drink).
Until now, the only alternative has been to use bronzers. On white skin, used sparingly, they can give a gorgeous, sun-kissed look; but on darker skin they tend to give a glittery effect, which is fine if you're off to a 70s night, but not exactly subtle. Now there appears to be an alternative in the shape of skin illuminators. These creams are designed to pick up and reflect the skin's natural tones, making it look polished rather than covering its flaws like foundation. I decided to put them to the test.
Bronze Light, the darkest of the bronzing shades in Revlon's new Skinlights range (£9.95, 0800 085 2716), was similar to a traditional bronzer, although, because it was a cream, the effect was slightly more subtle. The Peach Light shade brightened my skin and gave it a hint of sheer colour, but it seemed to disappear in less than an hour. Like the others, Calvin Klein Colour Wash in Crystalline (£18, 020-7361 4400) is best used without foundation. "Apply in firm, sweeping movements where the sun would naturally hit the face - brow, nose, cheeks and chin - starting on the forehead and working down," advises Paul Ferrari of Calvin Klein cosmetics. The golden, yellow effects were quite something, but it's definitely make-up rather than a subtle sheen. The Calvin Klein highlighter in Bronze Shimmer was less yellowy, but, as the name suggests,was pretty much a traditional bronzer.
Hands-down winner was the number 7 shade in Armani's Fluid sheer range (£25, 020-7201 8687). An iridescent pearl white in the bottle, once on my skin it gave a subtle, almost metallic sheen. More expensive than the others, it stayed on longer and worked well on its own (very sexy on shoulders and collarbones), and, when mixed with moisturiser and used on my face, it made my skin glow.
