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12 best radiance boosting skincare products

Banish lacklustre winter skin with a brightening beauty product

Tuesday 26 January 2016 11:13 GMT

It's the season for dull greying complexions.

A lack of sunshine and vitamin D, less time spent outdoors, over-indulging at Christmas and a general lack of motivation can leave skin looking a little pallid.

We've tested a whole range of radiance boosters from masks, serums and moisturisers to primers, illuminating creams, balms and make-up.

Only the products that left us fresh-faced and glowing made the cut.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

1. Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow: £38.50 for 40ml, Charlotte Tilbury

This hardworking multi-tasker is a miracle fix for drab, sleep-deprived skin. Use alone for a dewy, relaxed look, under make-up for a polished luminous glow, or dot on top of cheekbones and brow bones before heading out in the evening to revitalise that morning's makeup. Included are fluorescent core light diffusers, which absorb UV particles and re-emit as visible energy, giving your skin a powerful lit-from-within luminosity. There’s also an anti-ageing peptide complex that reduces fine lines, and improves skin elasticity. It's easy to apply – just finger blend like a moisturiser, giving skin a simple, barely-there, but great look.

2. Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Serum: £37 for 30ml, Clinique

As we age, the speed of skin cell renewal slows right down and this can lead to dull, rough and unevenly-toned skin. Exfoliating twice a week once you hit 30 will help texture, tone and clarity, and so will this ingenious serum, which works on cell renewal. It's a revitalising product that simply keeps cell turnover high, so you're continually revealing fresh, healthy-looking, vibrant skin. I used it for a couple of weeks and it's not long before skin feels ultra-smooth and looks like you've had a facial, every day.

3. Decleor Aurabsolu Intense Glow Awakening Cream: £49.50 for 50ml, Feel Unique

Late nights and early mornings leave winter skin tired and grey, but this lightweight nourishing cream puts back in what lack of sleep takes away. It's packed with skin-caring goodies to protect against free radicals, help improve tone and evenness while hydrating, softening and smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. Jasmine and orange give it a beautiful floral scent with just enough zing to perk skin up first thing. My skin felt smooth, plump and surprisingly well-rested considering the antics of Number 3 Child during the night. (Suffice to say this cream had some good sleep-deprived skin to work on.)

4. Delilah Pure Light Compact Illuminating Powder in Aura: £36 for 9.9g, Delilah Cosmetics

There's a fine line between dewy and shiny. To avoid crossing it, you can do matte luminosity. For fast-fix radiance with the matte twist, you won't find a more beautiful powder than this one. I'm a huge fan of a pressed powder, but it's a bit like searching for the Holy Grail trying to find one that doesn't leave skin too matte, too made-up, or too chalky. This is a seemingly odd mix of rose gold, soft peach and a very subtle lavender in one pressed powder compact, but the results are simply stunning. It instantly brightens dull skin and gives an ethereal glow from within – quite unusual for a powder. And you can use it to highlight cheekbones, brow bones and decollete too. A cult classic in the making.

5. Dolce & Gabbana Aurealux Cream Radiance Moisturiser: £89 for 50ml, Harrods

A three-pronged attack on tired skin, this wonder cream evens out tone, smoothens texture and works on contouring the shape of your face. Moisture and elasticity boosters leave skin looking and feeling plumped up. It's at the upper end of most people's budget and you're probably paying a bit extra for the name and the stunning gold-lidded pot, but it does have very effective results – skin looks significantly invigorated and brighter after just a week's use.

6. Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum: £49 for 30ml, Origins

If problem skin is getting in the way of your radiant self, then this serum could be your answer. Uneven skin tone, discolouration, UV damage, post-blemish marks and age spots are no problem for Mega-Bright. The whole range works on undoing damage for a noticeably brighter, more luminous complexion. It has great results on acne, acne scarring and irritable sensitive skin prone to redness and rosacea. It took a couple of weeks’ use to see a difference, but the change was unmistakable – skin was more even-toned and glowy and a couple of darker patches were completely gone.

7. Benefit That Gal: £22.50 for 11ml, Benefit Cosmetics

Need to fake perfect radiance, fast? A quick sweep of this light-reflecting primer will get you glowing in an instant. Wear alone, under make-up, or mixed with your foundation for a soft focus, air-brushed look. To boost luminosity, add Girl Meets Pearl (£24.50 for 12ml), a lustrous golden-pink highlighter, patted on top of cheek bones and brow bones.

8. Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail With a Shot of B12: £24 for 100ml, Time Bomb

Stressed, exhausted or run down? Then it'll show in your face with washed-out, grey skin and dark, puffy eyes. This fully-loaded, vitamin-packed tonic is like an energy drink for the skin – vitamins, hyaluronic acid, brown algae, ginseng and 12 amino acids brighten, firm and plump-up skin, leaving complexions looking healthy and rosy. Get rid of the grey and go for this when your skin looks like it needs a week of 9pm bedtimes.

9. Balance Me Radiance Face Oil: £30 for 30ml, Balance Me

Redness, scarring, uneven skin tone and ageing are no match for this potent, lustre replenishing oil. Eight oil extracts, including Amazonian Buriti nut, rose hip and camellia, as well as calming yarrow and camomile, soothe and plump dehydrated, dull skin. A couple of drops under moisturiser morning and night give radiant results in just a couple of days.

10. La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar UV SPF30 Even Skin Tone Daily Moisturiser: £26 for 40ml, Boots

Another great product if uneven or hyper-pigmentation is getting in the way of your radiance. This time it's an easy-to-use daily moisturiser with SPF30 to combat dark spots, uneven texture and tone, dull and greying skin. Silicon pearls in this innovative formula also ensure that there's an instant blurring and perfecting element too. And it's great for sensitive skin.

11. Crystal Clear 10 Minute Glow: £24.99 for 100ml, Crystal Clear

Ageing, tired, congested skin gets a pre-party pick-me-up with this radiance peel-off mask in just 10 minutes. Pore-minimising, deep-cleansing, hydrating and invigorating, the active ingredients will tackle problem skin with ease. Use it a couple of times a week to maintain a glowing complexion.

12. The Sanctuary Spa Radiance Instant Illuminating Beauty Balm: £12 for 40ml, Boots

Lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils, energising ginseng and guarana and vitamins B and C ensure tired winter skin gets a zesty kick-start in the mornings. This is a cross between a skincare and make-up product, which contains blurring powders for a soft-focus effect that you can wear under make-up or alone for a dewy, glowing look. The scent is bright and cheery.

Verdict

Keep on top of radiance with a luminosity-boosting daily moisturiser and serum like Decleor, Dolce & Gabbana or Clinique. For problem skin, La Roche Posay and the Mega-Bright range from Dr Weil can undo damage already caused. But for instant gratification and perfect radiance, Delilah Pure Light and Charlotte Tilbury's Wonder Glow both do exactly what they say on the box.