There’s a received wisdom that after un certain âge, we should flee from shimmery make-up rather as if being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger. Not so, reports JO FAIRLEY

It came as a bit of a surprise when Cosmetics à la Carte co-founder Lynne Sanders dotted various touches of gleam and shimmer on my face, during the first of two recent visits to the wondrous CALC boutique on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road. It came as an even bigger surprise when the ‘gosh, you’re looking well’ compliments came thick and fast, after that visit.

But the thing is, shimmer and gleam have morphed over recent years into much more flattering versions of themselves. The textures in ‘olden times’ (which I remember all too well) felt almost gritty, sometimes. Now, shimmer particles are so fine, they glide on seamlessly, giving a moonlit or sun-kissed glow, rather than something you’d wear to a backing track of Donna Summer.

So, after that slew of unexpected compliments, I paid a return visit to Cosmetics à la Carte, which most definitely caters to clients and customers of ALL ages – and very often sends them off with a little touch of gleam, in their lovely white shopping bag – to meet with Lynne, for an in-depth shimmer tutorial update.

And I’m delighted to share her philosophy on ‘gleam’ for older faces – and the products Lynne recommends.

Just a reminder, first: we have five x £200 vouchers to spend online or in store at Cosmetics à la Carte up for grabs, below…

It's a myth that more ‘mature faces’ should give shimmer a wide berth. ‘What’s really ageing is a dry-looking, ‘dusty’ face,’ says Lynne. ‘But add a touch of glimmer judiciously and skin looks fresher, because younger skin has a natural glow.’

So long as you avoid deep lines, shimmer can really bring a more mature face ‘alive’. Perfect places to add a touch of gleam are the brow-bone, the inside or middle upper lid (NOT THE SOCKET!), and – interestingly – the cupid’s bow, just above the lips. (I had quite forgitten that I ALWAYS used to add shimmer then, from teens on, and somehow stopped. Well, I’ve re-started!) ‘It can make the lips appear fuller,’ Lynn rightly explains.

The product that blew my mind, though, was the Bare Glow Luminizer highlighter (above) which Lynne dabbed on during my first visit, literally just on the upper cheekbone, bringing my existing blusher 'alive’. (I’m also now using it on the brow-bone.) The shade she chose for me was ‘Swan’ (on the left, above) – and it was like my skin was being kissed by moonlight, looking radiant and glow-y. And it’s this, I think, that elicited many of those ‘gosh, you look well’ comments.

What I’ve found, though, is that the shimmery blusher shades of this product – Dusty Rose, or the summer-perfect Goddess bronze shade – also work well on the upper cheeks (maybe avoid the apples, to avoid looking sweaty), to add a tint of flush or sun-kissed-ness, as well as gleam.

You can cheat by smoothing out wrinkles, then applying shimmer, is Lynne’s philosophy. Now, in the beauty world, where we have to try so many different products, it’s easy to leave old favourites behind – so I was thrilled to rediscover Cosmetics à la Carte Skin Veil, a previous Beauty Bible Award-winner in the ‘line-smoother’ category.

It would be unkind to call it Polyfilla… but the silicone-rich, beautifully-textured product glides onto skin and – well, it really is like putting an actual veil over skin. My shade is Vanilla (one of four), which looks like putty in the compact, but disappears completely when smoothed into the face; they’re all very ‘forgiving’ and suit a wide range of skin tones.

Then, once you’ve magicked the lines away like this, you can then add a whisper of shimmer over the top, if you like. (Useful on the top lip for that cupid’s bow trick, if you’ve lines around this area.)

Experiment with a gleaming eyeliner. Cosmetics à la Carte’s long-wear, gel-formula, glide-on Eyeliner Pencils come in a couple of very slightly gleaming shades, which are a really great alternative to solid, matte black or brown, on a – well, ‘grown-up’ – face. (Especially for evenings, though I use mine every day.) Baroque is a gilded brown; Mystic a gleaming navy. You can’t exactly make out the sparkle, but it has the effect of drawing attention – in a good way – to the eyes, making them appear more ‘open’ than a matte shade.

And (praise be), there’s always lipgloss. We’re quite famously fans of Cosmetics à la Carte’s recently-launched Pavilion Road, a subtly shimmering mauve. I also love Cherry, which just slightly deepens the colour of lips, while adding a whisper of gleam. Both of these, meanwhile, create the optical illusion of a plumper lip – and most of us are up for that, aren’t we?

Now, you probably wouldn’t shimmer in ALL of these ways, ALL at once – but my advice is to experiment and see what works for you, bearing in mind: make-up isn’t a tattoo, and you can just wash it off afterwards! Artists always understood about adding a splash of paint to light up a canvass, and I’m converted to the use of carefully-placed shimmer as the make-up equivalent of this, because works equally miraculously to bring light to the face.

And if you’re still feeling frightened of shimmer? I can’t counsel you enough to visit Cosmetics à la Carte’s flagship for a consultation, or a make-up lesson. (They’re also incredibly helpful over the phone.) The menu of tutorials/makeover options is here – and remember, if you’re one of the fortunate winners of our prize draw (scroll down for entry form), you’ll be able to spend part of your £200 voucher on a lesson, if you’d like.

Ultimately, Lynn believes, make-up ‘isn’t so much about erasing or disguising so-called “flaws”, but highlighting your best features. That’s all anyone will notice.’

And trust me: they’ll be telling you how well you look…

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