Time to shine
Skin-perfecting primers offer an easy way to brighten your day, writes Karen Fong

Nothing says youthful quite like clear, radiant skin. However, until we find the fountain of youth, brightening primers are one of the quickest ways to lighten pigmentation, even skin tone and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Used alone or under make-up, these six products are sure to seal in the shine of youth and help it last – at least for the day.
Designed with serum-like qualities, Clé de Peau Beauté’s new Brightening Enhancer Base is the companion product to the brand’s new Brightening Powder Foundation. Designed to even skin tone, it goes on smooth and brightens from within while reducing the appearance of pigmentation and dark circles.
Benefit’s That Gal Brightening Face Primer has a smooth, silky pink texture that is easy to blend in. Light-reflecting pigments help the skin look immediately brighter and more awake. The primer also contains chamomile and raspberry to soothe the skin. It can be applied throughout the day to freshen the complexion.
Estée Lauder’s Illuminating Perfecting Primer preps the face for make-up while enhancing brightness thanks to soft-reflection optics that increase the skin’s translucency and minimise the appearance of pores and imperfections. Its hydro-gel texture is easily absorbed into the skin.
For a lit-from-within glow, try Bobbi Brown’s Illuminating Face Base, which contains superfine optical pearl pigments that diffuse light and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It also contains vitamin E for its antioxidant properties, while a special blend of green tea and artichoke leaf extracts prevents damage from free radicals. The base also contains SPF 25 PA++ to protect against UVA and UVB damage.