By Terry Picks

This French beauty brand has been on my radar for a while now. Last year I finally started using it, beginning with the Hydra Balm lip tint and their iconic Baume de Rose lip balm. And yes, the latter really is what it describes itself as; the Rolls Royce of lip balms. Not cheap at £34, but well worth the spend. I would suggest starting with the 3 ml mini Baume de Rose to see if you think it is for you before making the decision to buy the 7 ml tube.

This year I knew I had to find something to replace my much loved but nearly depleted Clarins Graphic Expressions face & blush powder and here it is; By Terry's Dual Powder in Rosy Gleam.

It comes in a lightweight compact, the mirror is large enough to give you a good view of what you're doing. There is a light scent but that doesn't linger. The finish is very soft focus peachy pink. Formulated to matte, highlight and set, it comes in three shades; Ivory Fair, Rosy Gleam and Beige Nude. The two shades can be used individually or combined. I swirl a soft powder brush over the entire colour surface and apply to cheeks, sweep it along my temples and add a flick on the bridge of my nose. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks when my skin has got a bit of sun in the Summer!

The other purchase was the Cover Expert SPF 15 matte foundation. I am not usually a fan of the matte finish in the foundation, preferring a gently luminous look. I think its more flattering as your skin gets older, but I am really pleased with this one. 

I chose Fair Beige, a sort of pink tinted ivory is the best I can describe the colour. The formula is meant to be full coverage but I would say it was medium at most, but buildable. The matte isn't that flat matte that I dislike so much. You know, the kind that makes your complexion look like a death mask. Like the dual powder its more of a soft focus effect. Also, like the face powder, the foundation has a light scent but that fades.

 I was impressed enough the day it arrived to go back online and buy another tube of the same shade plus one more two shades darker; Cream Beige, for the warmer months when my skin isn't Winter pale. 

I learned the hard way that if you find something that works for you, buy two! It never fails that by the time it occurs to you to repurchase, its mysteriously gone for good. 

The foundation retails for £46 and the dual face powder is £38 but I didn't pay full price for either item. While I was browsing the products on Google, I saw TKMaxx had both at a huge discount so I saved myself about 70% over the normal R.R.P.

When your preferred brands are premium, you need to bag a bargain sometimes!