I’ll be honest with you here, I’ve always been a sucker for high end beauty. While designer clothing has only just really reached my radar (I was never snobby about an all high street outfit), I’ve always saved and splurged on branded cosmetics – primarily because I had such troublesome skin and the more well fitting and luxurious the product, the better it seemed to look.
One of my first high end purchases was the YSL Touche Éclat, a cult beauty product for over twenty years – it’s glittering gold packaging and promise of luminous radiance was enough to tempt me into handing over almost a day’s wage. It probably didn’t help that I worked at Boots aged 16 (which FYI was probably my favourite job, EVER!) and had to walk past the YSL counter every lunchtime. I say ‘had‘ like it was a chore. It definitely wasn’t.
Anyway, the message behind all my waffling is that I never scrimped on beauty products. And while I have since found some great drug store dupes, the feeling of starting your day with something luxurious, hydrating and high end still hasn’t worn off. Like wearing matching underwear, putting together a beauty look with all of your favourite products gives you that understated, almost secret confidence like nothing else.
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And so recently, I’ve been experimenting with a few new high end products to carry forward my passions for beauty. YSL, having always been on my radar (see above) was an instant go-to, as I’ve recently been loving their Black Opium fragrance (a unique blend of vanilla, musk and black coffee – super sensual) and knew they’d recently launched a few raved about items.
The Touche Éclat Blur Primer intrigued me greatly, as I really struggle to prolong the life of my make-up on a day-to-day basis and with a very uneven skintone, I need all the help I can get in creating the perfect, flawless base. Especially if I’ve got a big event or photo-shoot, I want to make sure my skin looks dewy and glowy but at the same time, pore-less and smooth.
Somehow this magical liquid grants all four of my wishes, with a gel like consistency that instantly creates a silky satin-like layer over your skin, evening out your skin-tone and boosting your luminosity. It’s also super hydrating, so really and truly, it creates the perfect canvas for the rest of your make-up. Plus it’s got shimmery particles inside that are light diffusing, so in photographs – you’re as close to resembling the queen of glow, Gigi Hadid, as humanly possible. And let’s face it, that girl just isn’t human.
Once you’ve got your canvas, it’s time to get to work. And the Yves Saint Laurent Teint Touche Éclat Foundation is the perfect next step. Famed for giving you ‘8 hours sleep in a bottle’ – which FYI, I totally need right now – it provides enhanced coverage and all-over-radiance, picking up where you left off with your primer.
The ingredients are skin boosting, with Vitamin E and Ruscus extract – and despite allowing for flexible and build-able coverage, it feels very lightweight, which I adore. There’s nothing worse than physically feeling your foundation sitting on your skin all day. A sure fire way to leave you feeling a bit flustered and not your best self.
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As part of the Touche Éclat family, the formula is infused with the magical light diffusing powers which gives your complexion ultimate radiance and golden glow.
It all sounds a bit other worldly, but take it from me – you can visually notice the difference.
While many normal foundations give you coverage but an all over matte look, which you have to boost with highlighters and radiance powders, this one gives you a dewy inner glow without looking like you’ve just been in a sauna.
It’s subtle, but gives your make-up that little something extra.
Additionally, I also love that the foundation comes in a range of temperatures, ensuring you can match your skin to the coverage as perfectly as possible.
I always find my foundations are a little too orange or a little too yellow, but the YSL colour map caters for both your complexion shade and then your undertone. I’m fair with a warm undertone, which BD25 accommodates without any fuss.
It’s certainly worth popping in and matching yourself up – because I’ve never had a closer match!
“It gives your make-up that little something extra!”
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Another huge factor for me in creating an expensive looking face of make-up – that stays put all day – is my lashes, because despite having a whopping 48 mascaras in my drawer. Yes, really, I’m a slight hoarder. I still haven’t found that absolute perfect one for creating a more glamorous look. I have my everyday go-to, which creates length and colour but when I really want to go all out and create a more dramatic effect, I’m faced with the prospect of having to wrangle with false eyelashes for an hour (which has in the past, left me in tears) or slowly retreat.
YSL have come to the rescue yet again with their new Shock Mascara For False Lash Effect, which empowers your natural look with a shock of volume explosion and intense drama. It all sounds very theatrical, but really and truly – I could be wearing false lashes for all anyone else knows. Plus, I’ve been very kind to my lashes recently (using Revitalash to help them grow – which I promise, works wonders within a week) so the effects are even more powerful!
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Do you prefer a face of high end beauty – or do you like mixing it with high street?
Contains both purchased and gifted products
Photography by David Mitchell
