Glow On: Lancôme's Color Ideal Illuminateur

I'm convinced that half the reason New Yorkers flock to the Hamptons each summer is for their vanity.

Any woman who's endured a muggy, sticky summer in the city realizes that attempting to maintain a matte complexion is an exercise in futility. The shine-free, medium-coverage foundation that looked like perfection in my air-conditioned apartment melted after about two seconds on the subway.

I'd try to even out the mess with more powder, but then I'd look cakey as heck by 10 A.M. My nose, cheeks, and forehead were determined to shine. I was the last to know.

Lesson learned: This summer, I'm ditching the matte look and patting on Lancôme's Color Ideal Illuminateur in Shimmering Nude instead. This light, silky lotion is pretty transparent, so it won't add any funny bronze or pink to your complexion. Apply a chickpea-sized dollop to a sponge (so some of the fluid absorbs) and pat it on your temples, cheekbones, eyelids, and even down the bridge of your nose.

The Illuminateur has lots of illuminating flecks in it which mimic that pretty, dewy, glistening look that you get in the summer-from the beach, NOT the F train.


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