With the help of two products and one nifty little tool, our columnist is confident to go bare-faced at sixty

Was it lockdown that did it? Nope. Was it turning 60 this year and suddenly feeling invisible? No, again. So what’s behind my new-found confidence to go out completely bare-faced when it suits? The answer is two significant additions to my skincare regime and one little grooming tool.

My big skincare discovery – or rather rediscovery – is toner. Yes, you remember toner. When you were 18, it was the step sandwiched between cleansing and moisturising. I dropped it for decades. Now, I consider it essential. That’s because toners are now way more sophisticated than the de-greasing astringents with which I drenched my skin in my youth. There are those that hydrate (look for hyaluronic acid), exfoliate (try AHAs) and calm (camomile is great).

I wanted to refine the texture of my skin and upped my game with Temple Spa’s Glowcolic (£20, templespa.com). With glycolic and lactic acid, it not only whisks off remnants of cleanser and grime, but reveals a tighter, brighter-looking complexion in days. If you want a similar effect without acids, try Charlotte Tilbury’s new Glow Toner (£40, charlottetilbury.com), with niacinamide to help even out skin tone.

The other product that’s made an impact is the face mask. For me, masks always used to conjure a vision of someone who had the time to recline on a chaise longue in a towelling turban. I don’t. But Dr Hauschka has a smart quartet of no-fuss, no-mess options. 

From left to right: Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Cream Mask, £39.50; Temple Spa Glowcolic, £20; Wilkinson Sword Intuition Perfect Finish Eyebrow Shaper, £3 for three at Sainsbury's

For a slug of instant plumping, a couple of times a week I use the Hydrating Cream Mask (£39.50, drhauschka.co.uk). With its nourishing oils, it’s great for dry and mature skin. I apply an adequate layer in the evening, let it absorb and go to bed, rather than slathering it on and wiping it off 20 minutes later. Why waste it? The partner for a daytime conditioning boost is the Firming Mask (£39.50) with enriching extracts of rose and mango butter. Every now and then, I use it in place of day cream.

Having been late to the dermaplaning party, recently I put the professional procedure through its paces – a small blade was used to remove fine vellus hair and skim off dead cells from my complexion. If you want to treat large areas of your face or you’ve never dermaplaned before, always visit a specialist (then use a high SPF). But for me, the take-home was that I could use one of the many inexpensive facial razors on the market, purely to clean up the bit between my brows. Now that’s fuzz-free, it’s had the effect of ‘opening up’ my eyes.

My preference is Wilkinson Sword’s Intuition Perfect Finish Eyebrow Shaper (£3 for three at Sainsbury's) which has a well-placed micro-guard for safety. On clean, dry skin, while stretching it taut to banish any furrows, hold the blade at a 45-degree angle and work in short, gentle, downward strokes – think a subtle scraping motion, not a shaving action. I’ve never suffered any nicks but clearly, mind how you go (check out this dermaplaning guide).

With a regular brow shape and tint to ensure I look tidy, and an ever-present application of SPF for protection, I’m good to go naked. And funnily enough, now I’m no longer make-up-dependent, when I do go all-out glam, it feels more special.

Enjoying Beauty Kin Hydrating Body Bar (£9.95 beautykin.com). I’ve always liked soap in the shower, and this leaves skin soft, not dry.

Eschewing a heavy washbag on holiday. I’m decanting my essentials into no-plastic, reusable 100ml aluminium bottles by Viridis Organics (£3.50, etsy.com).

Envying the hot tub on the terrace of the Lucy in the Sky suite at the Bermondsey Square Hotel. What a way to enjoy the London skyline at night.

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