The best gift that Instagram ever gave us — second only to the ability to stalk our exes and our friends’ exes and our exes’ new girlfriends without actually, you know, stalking — is the gift of filters. They’re the Vaseline-on-the-camera-lens of the 21st century — and they make everything better. Bad breakout? Put a filter on it. Under-eye bags looking particularly unflattering? Put a filter on it. A weird rash that you think is probably just a product reaction but you’re not totally sure and you don’t want to go to the doctor because your insurance might not cover it? Definitely put a filter on it (and also, go to the doctor).
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Of course, the problem with filters is that they don’t apply in real life. You can’t wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say, “Hmm, I think this could benefit from a little Ludwig.” In those situations, you’re on your own, with nothing but your makeup bag and a little bit of faith. And that’s where MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour comes in.
The most innovative new foundation has a thin, slightly balmy texture and a barely-there effect with coverage that’s very much there. It’s no-makeup makeup at its best, and by that we mean that it hides a multitude of sins (how many, exactly, it’s hard to say) without looking thick or caked-on. Calling it “sheer” would be doing this formula a disservice, because it covers more than even your average lightweight base — you just can’t tell it’s there. It makes skin feel moisturised, too, and there’s a subtle opalescence to it that makes imperfections fade away. It enhances, rather than conceals.
And, much like a filter, this revolutionary foundation makes you look just the right amount of dewy and airbrushed, even if you were up all night distracted by the blue light emanating from your iPhone. You can get your own bottle at MAC stores and online for £27 — and yes, you can order it from your mobile.