The Dream Team

If money was no object, and you could have the cosmetics shelf/drawer/suitcase of your dreams, what would it be filled with?

I think I've finally decided that less is more, after working as a beauty journalist and being full of the greed and fickleness for the latest and greatest potions and paints to land on my desk. Too much is definitely a bad thing, but you can't help trying yet another novelty - who knows what might become the next cult classic? Something I disregard could be the next Clarins Beauty Flash Balm or Lancome Juicy Tube. Stress! I've only got one face and I can't try everything, much as I'd like to.

Perfect base

At the moment my Lotto-winner 'dream team' would have to be La Prairie Advanced Marine Biology Cream, the most perfect example of moisturising perfection I have ever come across, and Creme de la Mer SPF 18 Fluid Tint which makes me feel like bursting into a chorus of 'I feel pretty, oh so pretty' the minute I put it on. Drrrroooool.

What? Two isn't a team? Well, I've never been the sporty type, darling. All the sweating in public is terribly un-chic and going red in the face will give you broken veins.

Face-saver

Let's talk some other major players in the league then. The aforementioned Beauty Flash Balm isn't a bad place to start. Put it on before an event to make your make-up sit tight on your face all day or night; put it on the morning after to make you look vaguely human again. Genius.

But the wondrous Flash (ah-ah-aaaaah) must be kept for special superhero emergencies. For an everyday primer I am l.o.v.i.n.g. Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (or Lisse Minute Base Comblante pour mes amis francophones). It does exactly what it says on the little red pot. Smooth. Perfect. Instant. Oui, oui, oui.

Zing-a-ling

Benefit's Brow-zings is a must for me and my straggly brows and it is a source of great grief to me that meanies at airport security take tweezers away. What do they think I'm gonna do? Threaten the pilot with overplucking? Oh, okay, that is pretty terrifying...

The French Paradox

And finally (because this is a basketball team, football is soooo uncouth) Guerlain's powders are a constant source of wonder to me. Parure Compact Foundation with Crystal Pearls (ahem, yes technically a foudation, but I see nothing wrong with putting it on over a liquid foundation) got me hooked and now I'm in love all over again. The gorgeous one is named Meteorites Poudre de Perles Illuminating Perfecting Pressed Powder. Mmm, snappy name I know. It is a compact of the famous Guerlain Perles. The light of my life is the shade called Beige Lumineux which has light and dark pearls as well as a lilac colour corrector to brighten the skin. The French Paradox - it mattifies, because it is a powder, and yet it gives radiance, because it is AMAZING. Words fail me. I'd ask it to marry me if I wasn't afraid of scaring it off. Play it cool, play it cool.

Now that's the dream team. You may have noted the lack of shadows, blushes, lippies and glosses. That's the fun stuff. You can play around with it. The dream team consists of the serious core products, the ones you should spend money on. After that you can swap substitutes in and out to add a little colour.