As always, this Cult Buy is not sponsored – just women sharing the products they’re really loving!
In addition to her roles as wine companion, advice dispenser and, you know, giver of life, my mum Maureen has taken on a new responsibility in recent years – beauty guinea pig.
I’m regularly recommending her products and picking her brain about what she thinks of them, particularly given how different our skincare and beauty needs are as I’m in my 20s and she’s in her 50s.
You won’t get a more authentic review. Like all mums, she’s not afraid to tell it like it is, so when she loves something, I trust that it really is very good.
The product she's currently raving about? Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 15, $105, available at Sephora, the skincare-makeup hybrid that's a game-changer for anyone with mature skin.
As your skin gets older, it loses it's ability to retain hydration which can mean that even if you're using the same base makeup you've always used, the finish is different; less smooth. She says this has been annoying her lately but this primer-meets-serum has seriously helped.
Over to Maureen...
"I'm a real marketing cynic and I feel like everyone is out there to get me to buy more products and take up my time.
"I get fed up with creams that are not easy to put on. In my life, I have no time so one of the things that I like is the dispenser on it. One press gives you enough to cover all your face. It feels soft, nice not greasy or horrible and I don't feel like I have to wait until it was 'set' to put my makeup on.
"My big frustration was how my skin was looking under my makeup. I'm using the same cheap makeup I was using before, but because it smooths the skin out, it looks completely different. It does exactly what it says on the pack.
"I've been using it every day now for about six weeks and I'm about halfway through. Normally I was meticulous about using creams in the morning and at night but I have to say although I've recently let it still I don't feel it. My skin is still getting that nourishment in the morning from the shield.
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"It's the feel [that makes it standout] and I really like the texture. It's not quite a gel but it's not runny and I like how soft your skin feels afterwards.
"At $105 it's definitely expensive, but I'd probably pay it again. If I can get three months out of it, that's just over $30 a month which I think is reasonable as you really are getting two products for one!"
What's your go-to product right now? Tell us below.