This hydrating, crease-proof concealer works like magic on dark circles - it's leagues above the competition
A good concealer is worth 1000 pots of eye cream - and Sarah Creal Beauty Face Flex is nothing short of exemplary
Eye cream, and the point (or pointlessness) thereof, has been a big beauty debate as long as I've been in the 'biz.
My take is this: If you love a multi-step routine and want something specific from your eye cream that other skincare doesn't offer, a gentle retinol alternative for lines or a metal rollerball applicator to de-puff, say, then go for it. But ultimately, your usual serums and creams will do just fine, and please step away from products claiming to 'lift' eye bags or lighten dark circles; they truly can't.
Which brings me to concealer, the only product that can effectively (albeit temporarily) obliterate under-eye shadows, and increasingly, as formulas get more sophisticated, may also hydrate, plump lines and illuminate too.
Finding a good concealer and whacking it on in the morning is a far better use of your time, money and energy than slavishly applying a £100+ eye serum in the hope of very incremental benefits - and here's one that's worth its weight in gold.
The name says it all - flexibility is the USP of this elegant formula. It has a slightly thicker feel than you might be used to, but remains soft and pliable all day long and will never, ever collect into crinkles around your eyes. It also lays down really good, strong, satiny coverage, which is what's required on dark shadows as well as pigmentation and redness - why muck about?
Ingredients-wise, there's plenty of skincare in here, like hyaluronic acid, which plumps lines for a smooth look and soothing things like green tea and aloe. Obviously, this is not a budget concealer; it's luxury and priced accordingly. But it's also leagues above the competition in terms of performance, and a little bit goes an incredibly long way, so there's a solid return on investment.
Me, makeup free (l) before and (l) after a smattering of Face Flex
I've already written (fairly recently) about Sarah Creal Beauty when it launched in the UK, but no apologies for giving this product its own dedicated article too.
I think any makeup collection dedicated to meeting the needs of 40+ women in such a thoughtful way deserves to be lauded more than once. These luxurious products aren't drab or patronising, or punitive; they're hot and desirable, and the brand only tests and photographs them on 40+ faces.
Creal also dabbles in a very tightly-edited selection of skincare, including a watery 'liquid moisturiser' and a lip primer that plumps lines and grips your lipstick, which I'll be trying next. If this concealer is anything to go by, I'll probably be rhapsodising about it in a column near you very soon. Sounds good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
