I’m an observer of people, no more so than my own family members and our interwoven genetics. You know the kinda things? Mother’s eyes, father’s nose, aunties feet and one genetic inheritance I’ve been fully aware of since I was a teenager is my ‘Russian Grandmother’s Potato Picker’s Hips’ Russian peasant women were born strong. They needed to be, working hard in a cold, hostile climate to pick the potatoes to provide for the soups and the much needed vodka and my Russian Grandmother was no exception. So I’ve spent many years wishing I hadn’t inherited her broad shoulders, strong build and most of all the wide, child bearing ‘Russian Grandmother’s Potato Picker’s Hips’ henceforth written as ‘RGPPH’

However, after all those years of negative thoughts and wishing I was small boned and had petite English hips like my mother’s, an inherited genetic bonus is showing itself to be an advantage. My grandmother had a beautiful, delicate and pale skin with an even, fair complexion and I have inherited a degree of this from her. The consequences for me as I get older are beneficial. After all, wearing the right clothes can always help to conceal an RGPPH, but your face? Short of wearing a paper bag over your head, there’s no escape. If anybody even suggests going under the knife I shall faint.

Although my complexion remains clear I felt that my eyes looked tired. Not exactly dark circles under them, but in need of brightening up a little. I had read with interest of a beauty enhancing product with the word ‘Éclat’ in the name. ‘Éclat’ meaning ‘Radiance’ but the price of this top of the range item from a well known beauty house was beyond my preferred price range for any beauty product. Boots No 7 ‘Éclat Instantane Correcteur’ or translated, ‘Instant Radiance Concealer’ leapt out at me from the
No 7 make-up display in my local Boots store. Mainly because it had the word ‘Eclat’ in the description written on the slim and elegant black and gold box.

The limited information claimed the product would reduce dark circles and under eye shadows as well as puffiness because it would brighten my complexion thus giving me a healthy glow. The Boots No 7 Instant Radiance Concealer cost a no-frills £10.00, around one third of the price of the more expensive ‘Eclat’ product. So would my cheaper product do the same job as the highly recommended and allegedly superior and clearly more expensive beauty enhancing product? I parted with my ten pounds and proceeded to find out.

The under eye skin area is very sensitive and my prior experience of normal concealers, not necessarily designed with this delicate area in mind, has been that they’ve been too heavy and after application can actually emphasise any flaws. Ordinary concealers have proved too thick in consistency, meaning the product has to be dragged along this fine skinned area, perhaps doing damage and looking caked on.

Not so with the ingenious technology used here. The slim black applicator has a soft brush at one end. Pumping several times with a series of clicks on the other end releases a measured amount of the lightly textured cosmetic onto the brush. Gently apply under the eye area, then up and over into the inner corner, pat with the fingertips (don’t drag) and the creamy fluid blends instantly. Oh Goodness! It looks very white and very obvious. But wait! This is an ‘Intelligent’ make-up, so within seconds it automatically takes on the shade of your complexion and totally blends in. Do you think that’s intelligent? I do! The result and effects on my complexion were immediately noticeable. My eyes looked brighter, probably due to the light reflecting qualities, and I looked healthy and natural.

Now then. Under or over?
There are divided opinions as to whether these intelligent concealers should be applied under or over a base foundation. I’m in the latter camp here and always apply on top of my chosen base. However, in the summer months when perhaps just a lipstick and mascara is all that’s needed as foundation can feel too much, then Boots No 7 Instant Radiance Concealer really becomes a star product. A simple application on a clean moisturised skin, just under eye, corners of the mouth and maybe the chin and to include any blemishes on the face it comes into its own. This minimalist application of ‘Eclat’ on my skin made my face look bright and even toned.

Apart from the no-frills price of £10.00 the No 7 concealer is offered in light/medium/dark so that’s simple enough to choose the right shade. I avoid any skin make-up product that comes with a shade chart that would do Dulux proud. I’m not a wall-I’m a face. For the sensitive skinned the product is fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

So although there’s little I can do, apart from liposuction, about my RGPPH and my unwanted genetic inheritance, I can at least thank her for my much appreciated complexion genes plus the added help from this excellent product manufactured by Boots No 7- ‘Instant Radiance Concealer’

Well done Boots for offering this very effective cosmetic at this very affordable price. I feel radiant once more.