Review: YSL Touche Eclat

I think I was around 16 when I first purchased Touche Eclat, I felt so grown up when I got my hands on it and to be honest the main reason I wanted it was because of the packaging. I couldnt flick through a magazine without seeing it advertised. Even at 16 advertisers were able to suck me in, not much has changed since then! Like many people, I was under the impression Touche Eclat was a concealer and after trying it out under my eyes I came to the conclusion it was a waste of money and banished it to the back of my drawer.

Fast forward a few years and I learnt its not a concealer at all, its a highlighter. I know a lot of people make this mistake but once I finally used it as its ment to be used it was true love and for the last 8 years I've always had two on the go at the same time.

Theres a few things to think about before purchasing Touche Eclat to make sure you arent left feeling disappointed: I wouldnt recommend it to anyone who suffers with dryness under the eyes but if you still have your heart set on trying it then make sure you use a moisturisng eye cream. My eye area isnt overly dry, I wouldnt describe it as dry at all but on days I'm tired Touch Eclat can be a nighmare to blend in without looking as if its clinging on to dry skin | Dont use it as a concealer, you'll be disappointed. Just like you would be disappointed if you used lipstick as eyeliner. Use it for its intended purpose | Choose the correct shade. I always go for shade 1 as I'm fair plus I like how it lightens my face more than a darker shade would.

How I use Touche Eclat: After doing my concealer and foundation I apply Touche Eclat under my eyes and to the outter and inner corners of my eyes were a lot of darkness tends to be then buff it in using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. After eye shadow (if I'm wearing any) I'll use Touche Eclat to draw a line right under my brow and use my fingers to pat it in, it adds extra light and makes the arch appear higher. I get some redness at the corners of my nose, a few dabs gets rid of this and makes you're base look so much cleaner. I have some light discolouration  along my top lip from years of waxing (lovely), I'll draw a line and blend with my fingers then lastly I dab some between my brows. It makes me look more awake, I dont know why but it does.

I think Touche Eclat is a brilliant product and I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. Its a bit pricey but usually lasts me around a year and its the type of thing I'll ask for at Christmas/birthdays or use my Debenhams Beauty Card points towards.

Are you a Touche Eclat lover or hater?

Cleansers V Micellar Waters

Micellar waters have so much hype surrounding them lately. They're quick and easy to use and you dont even need to use water. I've tried a few from different brands and I have to say I just dont see the appeal. Yes, they're handy when you dont have access to water but I find them more annoying than convenient.

In my mind you cant beat a proper cleanse with a good cleanser and water. With micellar water I find myself using endless amounts of cotton pads and chasing make up around my face for what seems like forever. Really all I'm doing is smearing suface dirt/make up all over my skin, much like with face wipes. I've tried a few of the overly hyped Micellar waters and still I dont see whats so amazing about them?

No matter what brand I've tried I'm always left with skin that feels tacky to the touch, a mountain of used cotton pads, and a face that just doesnt feel clean. My moisturiser feels awful on top of it and when I cleanse the next morning theres still traces of make up. I can understand using micellar water as a make up remover before cleansing but using it as a cleanser makes me gag at the thought.

Micellar waters arent all bad though, they're good to have if you're travelling and dont have access to water like on a plane or long car journey but other than that...

Not a Micellar water in sight

 

So as I'm sure you can guess, cleansers are a clear winner for me. The title of this post is a little misleading because as far as I'm concerned micellar waters dont even compare. I know I'm not alone in my dislike of micellar waters, if you dont like them then why not? Is it only me who doesnt feel clean after using them? This post isnt ment to offend anyone, if you love Micellar water then great. Different folks, different strokes.

Slather It On - JASON Sunblock & Aloe Vera Aftersun

I wear SPF all year round, usually I wont go any lower than 30 and I always ignore when a moisturiser/foundation has an SPF (I'll still apply my own). I dont see the point, the minimum SPF in the UK should be no lower 15 but even then it needs to be reapplied regularly and who reapplies their foundation/moisturiser every hour on the hour? Therefore it kinda makes including it in the first place pretty pointless. The lower the SPF - the more often you need to reapply.

As I said, my usual SPF is 30 and lasts all day. Its waterproof etc and acts as a brilliant base for makeup. Recently I was sent 2 new products from JASON to try out, heres my thoughts

Family Natural Sunblock SPF45 £11.99*

When I think of suncream I think of thick, white, greasy cream that takes forever to rub in and even when its fully rubbed in it still leaves a white cast on the skin and a tacky feeling that never seems to dry. Jason Natural Sunblock is thick and white but disappears into the skin just like a body lotion would and leaves behind the most gorgeous scent. At first it reminds me of banana then after a few minutes it turns coconut-y, gorgeous! Its enriched with Vitamin E, Shea Butter and antioxidant Green Tea so leaves the skin looking healthy and moisturises well. The only thing I will say is if your skin is oily or even normal/combination then it might be too heavy for your face. I tried it under makeup but it just didnt work for me. If your face is on the dry side then I think this would work brilliantly for you.

The water resistant formula provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and can be used on the whole family. It helps protect skin from sun burn and reduces harmful free radical damage. I've been using it for a few weeks now, even when the weather wasnt so good and I really like it. I havent had any rashes like I've had with sun cream in the past and I also havent burnt :)

JASON Soothing Aloe Vera Pure Natural Moisturising Gel* £3.69

Aloe Vera is one of the best things in the world! I always have a tube/bottle in the house and use it for so many things.. Aftersun, after waxing, on burns and so on. Its instantly cool on the skin and because its a gel it absorbs quickly which is good if the area of skin you're using it on is sore as you dont need to rub it in and aggravate the skin even more.

I'm really pleased with both products and would fully recommend them. What sun cream/spf do you use?

Both products are available directly from JASON.

*PR sample

Liz Earle Hands and Feet Try Me Kit

Liz Earle Hands and Feet Try Me Kit £19

Last week I posted about the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish offer and my mum who usually relies on me for her skin care (birthdays, christmas, mothers day) rang the customer line and ordered three tubes of Cleanse & Polish. Its the only thing she ever repurchases, apart from Instant Boost Skin Tonic but because she quoted my name as recommending her they sent me out a free gift as a thank you. Everytime you recommend a friend to Liz Earle they will send you some kind of gift, usually a try-me kit. 

The Hands and Feet Try-Me kit came just in time for the flip-flop weather we're having. The kit includes 30ml Orange Flower Hand Wash | 15ml Hand Repair | 15ml Foot Scrub | 15ml Foot Repair Moisturiser.

I already use and love Hand Repair but the other three are all new to me so looking forward to trying them out. They all come inside a handy wash bag and there was also a make up shade selector included for the new Colour Collection.

Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Eye Roll-On

 Last year I ordered a Gatineau TSV from QVC. I cant remember the price or everything the TSV contained but Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Eye Roll-On was one of the products. I'd been eyeing it up for a while, the roller ball applicator really appealed to me and Gatineau is a brand that almost always delivers good results.

I love the cool feeling of roller balls under my eyes, they instantly make my eyes feel brighter and more awake and on air it was mentioned that it can be applied during the day, as many times as you like even over make up. The Aquamemory range has been designed to hydrate the skin and eliminate fine lines caused by dehydration. I dont have wrinkles but if I havent had much sleep or just dont feel too good then the fine lines start to appear. The roll-on has been formulated without parabens or silicone, I couldnt wait to try it!

On first try, it left my eye area feeling cool but in all honesty I think even an empty roller-ball would give the same feeling, its all down to the ball rather than the formula. Apparently roller balls help drain the under eye area to reduce the appearance of puffiness but I didnt notice a decrease in puffiness, even with continued use.

I felt that Aquamemory moisturised the eye area well but the formula sits on the skin rather than sinking in and leaves the eye contour feeling tacky. In my opinion it doesnt work well over makeup as claimed, it leaves the skin looking shiny and interferes with concealer/foundation. Maybe if you suffer from really dry skin around your eyes this would work brilliantly for you but I just found it annoying and always felt the urge to wipe it off.

The best use I've found for Aquamemory Eye Roll-On is as a 'wake-er up-er' when my eyes feel tired but I can get that same awake feeling from less expensive eye roll-ons. Have any of you tried this?

Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Eye Roll-On 15ml £31.26 from QVC.

Lanolips: Lip Ointment With Colour | Lemonaid Lip Aid.

Lanolips Lip Ointment With Colour & SPF 15* | Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid*

I'm sure most of you have heard of or tried Lanolips by now. Its somewhat of a cult product and I've read lots of blog reviews, mostly positive so I was really excited to give it a try. I'm not going to lie, the thought of rubbing the sebum from sheeps wool on my mouth did make me cringe. I was imaging the product to smell/taste like wet dog (I would have said wet sheep but I've yet to have my senses assulted by that smell) BUT, I'm pleased to say I was wrong.

Lanolips Lip Ointment With Colour SPF 15. 12.5g £7.99*

The shade I received is 'Rhubarb - The prettiest fruity deep pink'. I know people can be a bit funny over lanolin in products but the lanolin used in Lanolips is ultra pure medical grade lanolin. Theres 5 colours in total - Rose, Apples, Sunshine, Dark Honey and Rhubarb. All contain an SPF of 15 aswell as pure pigment, Vitamin E, natural oils and of course lanolin. The texture is quite thick but easy to apply and a little goes a long way. The tube holds 12.5g of product and because so little product is needed each time I can see it lasting months upon months. The colour looks really pigmented in the tube but once on the lips its barely noticeable unless you apply quite a lot. I'm not sure if its the same for the other colours but its true for Rhubarb.

Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid With Organic Lemon Oil 12.5g £9.18*

Lemonaid is an ultra rich and creamy lanolin lip treatment and as you can see from the last pic, its thicker than Rhubarb. Its harder to squeeze from the tube but out of the two I prefer how Lemonaid feels on the lips. It contains organic lemon oil which naturally exfoliates, it states that you may feel a tingle when applied but I didnt. There is a slight lemon scent but not over powering at all. Lemonaid Lip Aid is colour free but contains some micro shimmer, its not very noticeable but makes the lips look slightly fuller and healthier.

Swatched - Lemonaid | Rhubarb

Both are thick and glossy but without the usual sticky feeling you get from a gloss. They moisturise the lips like no other product I've used before and the added SPF in the colour version makes it great for using on holiday as well as at home. The only thing that would make Lanolips even better is if the tube contained a slanted applicator to make application on the go a bit easier but this isnt something that would put me off from purchasing more. Instead I just squeeze some product out and dab it on my lips directly from the tube or if I use my finger to apply it I'll use whatevers left on my finger on my cuticles.

Have any of you tried Lanolips before?

Lanolips is available at Victoriahealth.com and Boots stores nation wide.

*PR sample

May: Used, Abused And Reviewed.

I've been putting my travel pots to good use this month and used up loads of sachet samples! Also got through a few full sizes so here we go..

SBC Body Firming Gel £7.25: Theres not much to say about this. I didnt like the texture, it didnt moisturise my skin or make it any firmer and I wasnt a fan of the scent.

Would I Repurchase? No

Green People Itch Away Shampoo* £10.50: I only realised after a few uses that this is actually for men! lol Its really clarifying and soothes the scalp but isnt the best for dry hair. Its great to use once or twice a month to really get rid of any build up.

Would I Repurchase? Yes

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer £14.40 for 75ml: You can read my review here.

Would I Repurchase? No, atleast not at full price

A'kin Lavender & Anthyllis 24 Hour Intensive Moisture Leave-In Conditioner x2: I got 2 uses from each sachet. It left My hair silky soft but without that heavy feeling that so many leave-in conditioners have. Really loved it.

Would I Repurchase? Definitely, its on my 'list'

John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler / Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor: Both of these are sooooo good! I plan to buy full sizes of both so will do a proper review then. I got 2 uses from each sachet and still have a sachet of the Hair Reconstructor left.

Would I Repurchase? Yes!

Lavera My Age Concentrated Lifted Serum x5: I got around a months use from 5 scahets but unfortunately I didnt notice any difference in my skin.

Would I Repurchase? No

EsteeLauder DayWear B.B Creme x5: I'm seriously in love with this B.B Creme, everytime I pass a counter I ask for samples. By far the best B.B I've ever tried but the lack of shades lets it down. You can read more about what I think here.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Perricone High Potency Eye Lift £75: Look how grotty under the lid is! It didnt fit properly and the pump didnt work so I had to open it everytime I used it. I got my dad hooked on this eye cream. He swears by it but it does nothing for me apart from moisturise the eye area but thats more to do with it being the wrong type of eye cream for my needs. I'm in my 20s and dont really need an 'eye lift'.
Would I Repurchase? No but definitely when I'm older

Did you manage to use anything up this month? Link me to your empties posts, I love reading them. :)

*PR sample

How To: Get Use From Your Quick Dry Top Coat Once Its Gone Gloopy.

Quick drying top coats are one of the best inventions ever! Quick drying top coats, cappuccino and online shopping just make life that little bit easier. But, I'm yet to find one that doesnt go gloopy at some point. It sickens my happinesss and some even go gloopy after just a few uses. Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat is the best I've found so far, I'm able to use 3/4s of the bottle before the dreaded gloop sets in but its still annoying.

Everyone knows about adding nail polish thinner (or even a tiny amount of nail polish remover) to coloured polish once it gets all manky but I'd never tried it with top coat. I though it would dull the shine and somehow interfere with the quick dry magic-ness but lastnight I was about to bin my Sally Hansen Insta-Dry, it was still half full but a nightmare to use so I decided to give it a try. I used O.P.I Nail Lacquer Thinner, just 3 small drops and after rolling the bottle between my hands a few times to mix it up it looked how it did when I first got it.

I tried it out on a few nails and I'm happy to say it dried just as quick as it usually does and the glossy shine was still there. :) I imagine it'll chip a bit quicker but that doesnt really bother me as I change my polish almost every other day. Have any of you tried this?

O.P.I Nail Lacquer Thinner 60ml £10 from BeautyBay

An Unsung Hero & One Of My Favourites - MAC Speak Louder

I've mentioned this lippy in a few posts but the reason I've put off giving it a post of its own is that trying to capture the true colour in pics is simply impossible! I've tried my hardest but unfortunately it always comes across more red than it really is. Next time you're at a MAC counter give it a swatch and you will see just how different it really is compared to online swatches.

Speak Louder was a blind buy for me, I'd never saw a swatch and I'd never heard anyone mention it but lickily it was love at first sight and even though its bright, its the lippy I always reach for. MAC describe Speak Louder as a clean poppy blue pink. It makes your teeth appear whiter and because its Cremesheen its non drying and doesnt sink into any fine lines you might have.

The staying power is good and even after a few hours when the sheen has worn off you're left with a nice stain that never goes patchy. I'll be wearing Speak Louder all through summer but I can still see myself wearing it throughout winter - thats how much I love it.

MAC Speak Louder £13.50

*Giveaway winner is Alex :) email me your details and I'll get it posted off to you this week*

Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Body Lotion.

Last week I posted about some nice new summer perfect products from Yes To. In the last few months I've started hearing more and more about this brand but up untill now I hadnt tried anything.

Some Info:

Yes To was founded in 2006 and is a line of guilt-free natural skin and hair products with deliciously nourishing formulas. There is five collections in the Yes To range.. Yes To Carrots - Boosts your skins ability to retain moisture and leaves it looking glowing and soft | Yes To Tomatoes - Perfect for helping to control skin prone to beak outs and helps to balance the complexion | Yes To Baby Carrots - A gentle 100% natural range of bath and body products designed to help keep babys skin in perfect condition | Yes To Cucumbers - Soothing products which help calm reactive, irritated skin | Yes To Blueberries - Clinically proven to improve skin elasticity, diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

2012 sees the Yes To family grow with new product launches within the Yes To Carrots, Yes To Cucumbers and Yes To Tomatoes collections. I was sent the Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Body Lotion* to try out. Heres what I thought...

YTCHBL has been designed especially for sensitive skin. My skin tends to be quite reactive, even after showering I'm left with red blotches on my arms and some dry patches that always seem to appear in the same places. YTCHBL is a lightweight lotion so absorbs easily into the skin. After the first use my dry patches were a lot less noticeable and my skin was nicely moisturised but without feeling like there was a film over my skin.

The lotion smells of cucumbers, funnily enough. Its lovely, fresh, and cooling. It also keeps you feeling clean throughout the day but if you arent a fan of cucumber scented products then you obviously wont be a fan of this. The lotion is free from SLS and Petroleum but contains lots of goodies like mineral rich Aloe Vera, Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil.

The squeeze tube is brightly coloured and easy to use, theres no faffing around with screw tops and the fact it sinks into the skin almost immediately makes it perfect for days when you're in a rush.

Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Body Lotion is priced at £9.99 for 6oz/170g and available via Feelunique

*PR sample
YTCHBL - Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Body Lotion

Heads Up For Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Lovers!

This beauty of an email just landed in my inbox..

Source: Lizearle.com

I just wanted to let you and your readers know about a fantastic offer we have launching for Cleanse & Polish fans next week! We will be selling our beauty icon at its original launch price of £9.50, instead of the current price of £14.25 – making an impressive saving of £4.75.

Our Cleanse & Polish is a true beauty phenomenon and has won over 80 awards and accolades – now officially the most revolutionary beauty product of the last 20 years, with recently-celebrated awards from CEW (UK) and The Sunday Times Style!

At the recent CEW (UK) Awards 2012, considered the “Oscars” of the beauty industry, it was announced that Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser was voted Most Revolutionary Beauty Product of the Last 20 Years by 600 independent beauty industry 'insiders'. Cleanse & Polish has also just scooped the Best Cleanser accolade at the prestigious Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards 2012. Two remarkable achievements for a beauty product that has long stood out as a beauty must-have for women around the world.

To celebrate these achievements we are starting a Beauty Revolution by selling our beauty icon at its original launch price of £9.50 (Cleanse & Polish 100ml plus two pure muslin cloths) instead of the current price of £14.25! This offer launches on Wednesday 23rd May and is available online at lizearle.com and via our Customer Centre (01983 813 913) and is available until Friday 25th May, or while stocks last.

17 years since launching, our cult beauty classic remains a best-seller and has literally changed the way women around the world cleanse their skin.

Liz Earle says: “I have always believed that you can genuinely depend on Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser to deliver outstanding results, revealing softer, smoother and more radiant looking skin from the first use - it's truly tried, tested, approved and loved! It's an honour that the UK beauty industry agree that we have developed something special.”

Will any of you be stocking up? I only have one tube left so this offer came at the perfect time for me.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation is highly rated amongst bloggers, and for very good reason. I've said it loads of times before, I'm more of a tinted moisturiser, B.B cream girl, I hate heavy coverage and hate when I feel/look like I'm wearing a mask. When I'm wearing makeup I dont want to look like a completely different person, I just want to look like a nicer version of me.

I've never been bothered about going out in public without any slap on, I probably wear makeup twice a week max, which might seem weird for someone who loves make up so much. When I go abroad I dont wear make up at all, apart from mascara and I've always kind of thought of full coverage foundation as a false face and couldnt for the life of me figure out why girls wanted to look like a wax work/drag queen.

Well, now I get it. Not the wanting to look like a wax work/drag queen part but wanting to have full coverage.

I've never had bad skin before but now that I've been having some trouble I've ditched the tinted moisturisers and gone for something a bit more hardcore.. Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation. I dont know why but I always expected it to look thick, cakey, waxy, shiny but in reality its none of those things. The shade I went for is Fresco, its not a perfect match but I always like my base to me slightly darker than my natural colour. I just blend it in like a good'un and it matches perfectly. I've found the best way to apply Double Wear is with the Real Techniques buffing brush. You need to work fast as Double Wear 'sets' super quick but you end up with a flawless finish and only need to use the tiniest amount of product. As long as I use a good moisturiser first and allow it too sink in for 5 minutes I never end up with the dreaded 'false face'.

I dont ever need to set with powder, nor do I need to touch up during the day which is rare for me and part of the reason I've never bothered with foundation in the past. Double Wear has an almost matte finish but without looking flat, It almost highlights the highest points of my face but never looks greasy/oily. My favourite thing about DW is that it doesnt transfer onto your clothes, bed sheets etc. No I dont go to bed at night with my makeup on but if I have a nana nap during the day my foundation doesnt budge and theres never a face print on my pillow case.

The only bad thing is the lack of a pump, why is there no pump?! Having to pour it out on to your hand is a pain in the bum and can lead to wastage. Although Double Wear isnt full coverage, its full coverage to me and as heavy as I'm ever likely to go with foundation.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation £26.50 

Nails Inc Limited Edition Glitters.

Noel Street | Shepherds Market

Last week I posted about the Nails Inc trio I purchased from QVC and showed swatches of Holly Place. (link) The other 2 shades are really similar to eachother so I've decided to just show them in the same post.

As you can see, the base colour is similar in both but Noel Street has flecks of gold while Shepherds Market has flecks of pink, blue and gold.

Noel Street

Shepherds Market

To the naked eye, the only difference I can see between the 2 is Shepherds Market is slightly darker. In the pic you can see some of the multicoloured flecks but it real life it isnt as noticeable, not to me anyway.

I cant fault the application, everything I said about Holly Place applies to both of these aswell. They are so easy to remove compared to normal glitters and I didnt have any chipping at all. All three shades retail at £11 each but in my opinion you really dont need both Noel Street and Shepherds Market, they're way to similar. If I had to pick only one out of all three then Holly Place is an easy winner.