Nanoblur

2011 has been a great year for cutting-edge technology skin creams, debut fragrances from luxury fashion houses and niche brands becoming cult ‘must haves’ in the UK.

Here are a few products that have stood out and become firm favourites this year…

Nanoblur – After a few application teething problems with the best-selling optical, quick-fix anti-ageing skin cream, Nanoblur is now my beauty best friend! It works wonders on fine lines and instantly refreshes skin, but most importantly, it slicks away excess oil, so it’s perfect for those of us with combination to oily skin.

Bottega Veneta – The debut fragrance from the Venetian luxury leather and fashion house is unique, captivating and a joy to wear. It has become my everyday scent and I still get a fleeting moment of euphoria with each spritz!

shu uemura uv under base mousse – This weight-less mousse evens out the skin, conceals redness and tightens pores, ready for foundation. It’s another discovery that has become an everyday essential.

Shan Rahimkhan – I had the pleasure of meeting and being styled by Iranian, Berlin-based hair expert Shan Rahimkhan this year. His natural, luxurious and incredibly stylish hair products give unrivalled volume and just make your hair feel great!

Sodashi – This natural-luxe Australian brand has become a fast favourite, as all of the products feel so soothing and nourishing. The Rejuvenating Face Mist has saved me on long flights and the Vanilla Body Butter is just so nourishing.

NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer – This incredibly light gel-crème primer calms skin using natural extracts and the mineral powders help control oily t-zones – once again, a good bet for combination to oily skin.

Caudalie Vinoperfect – Caudaline Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream and Enzyme Peel Mask revitalise and exfoliate skin without any harsh effects. Used together, they freshen the appearance of skin and definitely help reduce the signs of pigmentation.

Balenciaga Paris – The first fragrance from the French luxury fashion house, Balenciaga Paris is a modern classic of chypre violets, lucid cool florals and metallic aldehyde. Like Nicolas Ghesquière’s muse Charlotte Gainsbourg, it’s chic and effortlessly cool with a renowned heritage…j’adore!

What was your beauty hero of 2011? Which product could you not live without?

* Samples

Nanoblur, one of the most promising anti-ageing solution, launched in the UK last week with a demonstration and decadent party at The Box in Soho.

Nanoblur contains tiny light-reflecting prisms that temporarily fill fine lines and wrinkles, creating a soft, blurred effect. It’s to be applied over foundation or if you’re brave enough, over moisturiser alone.

The brand’s promise of looking up to 10 years younger in 40 seconds is a bold claim and ever the skincare cynic, I would say that ‘up to’ are the key words here (as a 17-year old, I doubt I’d get in to The Box)!

As soon as I applied Nanoblur at the launch, the small lines across my forehead and under my eyes appeared significantly reduced and some disappear all together. My skin looked plumper, refreshed and instantly mattified.

So impressive were the results among the beauty press and bloggers that a slathering frenzy began and the general consensus in the room was ‘wow’!

Applying Nanoblur at home was a little more tricky. I found that when applied over fresh make-up, Nanoblur tended to drag and took some blending to get rid of small white patches.

Possibly the reason it worked so well at The Box was because there was some surface oil on my skin to soak up. Nanoblur is strongly mattifying, which is great for combination or oily skin, but if you have dry skin, you should mix Nanoblur with moisturiser.

It took some practice, but as suggested by make-up artist Kenneth Soh, the best way of achieving Nanoblur success is to apply a thin layer to targeted areas with a fat brush. This has worked a treat for me and I now use Nanoblur for a mid-day touch up to slick away the surface oil – perfect for those with combination to oily skin.

So, is it worth trying out? Absolutely! It gives skin a great radiance boost and once you’ve found how to make it work for you, it could become a make-up essential.

Nanoblur is priced at £19.99 and is available now exclusively at Boots.

Favourite Beauty Discoveries Of 2011

Nanoblur: The Instant Anti-Ageing Fix?