Brimful of Beauty

Tips to make you bloom and blush

It’s been six months since I took my place at the dressing table as the Telegraph Magazine’s resident beauty columnist. I think they picked me because I’ve been in the beauty industry on and off since Natalie Imbruglia was Torn (a song that played on a loop when I co-hosted the Beauty & Hair stage at the Cosmo Show, Olympia, with makeup artist Daniel Sandler and hairdresser Nicky Clarke). Also, I bring something new to the party because I’m old, and there aren’t many old beauty editors. Brimful of Asha. Brilliant. Also on the Olympia loop.

So here’s five tips I’ve picked up lately and some of my current fave products at the moment (prices quoted are correct at the time of publication, usually from the brands’ websites, but shop around as you can often find great deals).

Bloomeffects Tulip Tint and Studio 10 Glowplexion

The Chic of It

Oh man, I’ve rediscovered blusher. Not sure why I jettisoned it for years because it’s the reason everyone is now telling me I look well - although I did a Zoom the other day in a rollneck sweater when the heating was on and I looked really hot (in the temperature sense of the word) so lesson learned…stay subtle.

While we often think of gels, creams and liquids as twenty-something options, in truth, these formulations are much more forgiving and subtle for older complexions than powder, which can sit in fine lines and makes skin look parched.

Back in the day, I was always told to apply blusher to the apple of my cheeks – the part that looks cushiony when you smile. While this may be sensational on the young, when you’re older, unless you maintain a manic grin, this ‘apple’ can drop, so you end up with blusher that’s too low, dragging your whole look down. Much better to target your cheek bones, which will help everything appear lifted. Some experts offer advice on how to locate your cheek bones but dear God, it’s the bit that feels like your cheek bones. 

My absolute favourite blushers right now are Bloomeffects Tulip Tint (£27, fenwick.co.uk) and Studio 10 Plumping Blush Glow-plexion (£26, studio10beauty.com) - this really wakes up your face (super-popular and on pre-order now).

Ren’s Ready Steady Glow and Gatineau’s Exfoliating PHA+BHA Glow Tonique

Scrub That

The woman on the ‘80s TV ad first showed me how it was done. Exfoliation. First – and this was clearly important - her hair was in a bridal up-do. Sporting full makeup, she washed her cheeks with the scrub, which appeared to have bits of Clacton Beach in it, then she rinsed. Kind of. But not really. And voilá, with full makeup still intact, her skin was smooth and clean.

Exfoliation is nothing like that now. It’s a multi-faceted and infinitely more finessed affair. Falling into two main categories – mechanical and chemical - the former refers to a physical buffing action, while the latter relates to ingredients such as alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs) that loosen the bonds between dead skin cells and the skin’s surface.

I’ve been using two (not at the same time, obvs); Ren’s Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic (£28, renskincare.com) which contains lactic acid, willow bark extract and azelaic precursors and Gatineau’s Exfoliating PHA+BHA Glow Tonique, (£34, gatineau.com). If I’ve whisked one of these over my face the night before I get up early to hand my pup, Eadie Rockets, to my twice-a-week doggie day care lady, she always notices my skin looks good (the doggie day care lady, not Eadie).

One rule remains; go easy, monitoring how your skin reacts. The epidermis is there for a protective reason and can have too much of a good thing, so don’t overdo it and do use sunscreen. Oh, and don’t bother with a bridal up-do as it rarely influences exfoliation outcome.

Jonathan Ross and me, co-presenting a beauty awards ceremony in the 90s – we should have been a shoo-in for Strictly.

Loss adjustments

When I was young, I used to be able to sit on my hair. Now, the only way I could do that is if I were to collect what’s left in my brush and stuff a cushion with it. While I don’t suffer from hair loss, it’s definitely shorter and thinner. Why? I consulted my mane man, Glenn Lyons, the clinical director of the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic, London.

“When you’re talking about natural ageing rather than specific problems with hair loss, although there are exceptions, two factors usually come into play,” he explains. “One is that the anagen – or growing – phase tends to shorten as you age, so hair doesn’t have the chance to grow as long as it used to (this is why hair may feel thinner throughout the length). The second is that the diameter of each follicle decreases, which means the hair shaft itself isn’t as thick.”

Lyons suggests you start by brushing up your understanding of, well, brushing. Anything with dense bristles, where each tuft is arranged in varying lengths, can cause hair to stretch as it’s pulled over them – this tugging exerts unnecessary stress.

“While I totally appreciate these kind of brushes are useful when you’re heat styling, when you’re simply brushing your hair, look for those with single prongs. That way, the hair is able to sink to the cushion of the brush and glide through more easily.” My top choices are the Philip Kingsley Vented Paddle Brush (£25, philipkingsley.co.uk) and Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush (£26, aveda.co.uk).

Philip Kingsley Vented Paddle Brush and Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush

Time for a sandwich

That would be a ‘moisture sandwich’. It’s a trend that’s big on TikTok (no, me neither) and it refers to layering skincare applications with something watery to trap moisture next to the skin and help products penetrate more efficiently. Enter the magic of mists. After cleansing or between a serum and moisturiser, use a facial mist such as one of those from Thayers (£10.49, lookfantasic.com) that are alcohol-free and contain witch hazel and aloe vera. In unscented, as well as rose petal, cucumber and lavender, you can also use over makeup.

My real fave hails from Norway - Marina Miracle’s Flower Berry Essence (£30, marinamiracle.co.uk). It contains hyaluronic acid, a probiotic ferment to support skin’s barrier and cucumber, elderflower, raspberry and strawberry to calm and comfort. The mist is so fine, it’s like being on top of a mountain in the clouds.

How now, the brow

I’ve never forgotten a tip I picked up backstage at a Chanel runway show in Paris over a decade ago. Peter Philips, the then creative director of make-up (now at Dior) told me an instant anti-ageing trick was to make my eyebrows thicker, not thinner. In our youth, brows are naturally fuller, becoming sparser and losing colour as we get older. Ever since, I’ve foresworn over-plucking, filling them out instead.

Using either a soft pencil or a powder eyeshadow with a stiff angled brush, begin at the inner section, which tends to be the most sparse or asymmetric (hold a pencil vertically at the outer edge your nose – ideally, where it meets the brow line is where the brow should start). When working on this area, lightly fill in, bottom to top, mimicking hair growth. Use a spoolie brush (like a clean mascara wand) to blend.

Next, work along the bottom edge to the middle of the brow and then flick strokes upwards before softly defining the top edge, filling in the natural shape of the brow. Blend again.

Move to the tail, filling and finessing with small subtle strokes. You can extend the tail slightly - to find the perfect finishing point, angle a pencil from the outside of the nostril to the end of your eye. Just never make the tail dip lower than the inner corner. Highbrow beauty, achieved.