Chanel Ombre Première Laque

Well, this is quite the little ray of sunshine.

We're not glitter girls, but we do love a touch of shimmer. Like a Caravaggio painting, a face looks best when it's a combination of light and shade – and a touch of these really brings light beautifully to the brow-bone. 

On a young eye, they could be used as an all-over glaze. But as our banner proclaims, we're all about 'real beauty for grown-ups', so we'll go with a dot on the brow and a smidgen on the centre of the eyelid.

Unlike powder shadows – which we usually use for this trick – these really are budge-proof, from Chanel's absolutely divine Desert Dream Spring/Summer 2020 collection, which really does have us dreaming of summer. You just put the teensiest, weensiest dot on the skin and blend – and it'll stay put till you remove your make-up at bedtime. (The shades we like best for this are Rayon – a sort of gold-y ivory – and Quartz Rose, a soft and flattering shimmery pink.)

We're keeping the faith that summer will happen, even though it can be quite hard  to believe right now. But in every way, these are a glimmer of hope.

£26 – buy here