Turn On the Light - Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat

Almost everyone that has even the slightest interest in beauty product knows about the famous Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat. Its popularity has given it "cult" status among the masses, so much so that Yves Saint Laurent reports that one of these elegant golden tubes is sold every 10 seconds. Regardless of your personal opinion on the Touche Eclat, those numbers are definitively impressive and only add to the hype surrounding its concept.
This hybrid of a concealer and highlighter promises its wearer to deliver brightness, radiance and light, and in turn contributes to its supposed powers to erase signs of fatigue and fine lines. These effects are strategic and meant to be targeted on the specific facial feature you want to emphasize and highlight.

Despite its popularity the Touche Eclat seems to be very misunderstood by many people who purchase this in the first place. Most of the complaints surround the fact that this product doesn't provide coverage and will not camouflage under eye dark circles like a conventional liquid concealer. It was reading these negative reviews that kept me from purchasing this for a very long time and it wasn't until I did some research of my own and visiting the Yves Saint Laurent counter that I discovered the ambiguity surrounding the uniqueness of the famous Touche Eclat. 

The discrepancy is that this in fact is not a concealer and therefore doesnt provide heavy-duty coverage nor does it promise it will. The Touche Eclat formula is unique in that it combines some features of a light concealer, colour corrector and highlighter and as such is suppose to add light wherever its applied and hide any imperfections you may have. The purpose here is to brighten and draw attention to a specific area and not cover or camouflage it.
Once I understood this I was completely on board and added this iconic product to my makeup collection with the highest of hopes!

Official Description;

The beauty secret of the world's top makeup artists and models, Touche Éclat is the original must-have for a radiant, flawless face.

Capture 8 hours of sleep with the click of a pen. With a few strategic strokes of this award-winning complexion highlighter—dark circles, fine lines and signs of fatigue virtually disappear. Powered by the radiance-boosting Luminocaptide Complex, skin is instantly illuminated, so you look rested and refreshed—even if you’ve been up for hours. Sleek and sophisticated, it discretely slips into a makeup bag for quick touch-ups anytime. It’s the one beauty essential no woman should ever be without.

Ingredients;

Water, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Peg/ Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Trideceth-3, Methicone, Methylparaben, Squalane. [+/- May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77019 (Mica), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet), Ci 75470 (Carmine), "NF8897"].

According to the YSL product history, when the Touche Eclat was first released it was only available in a few shades but now they have expanded to a full 12 and therefore able to cover a larger demographic. Since I am very fair the shade selected for me was #1 Luminous Radiance and I have to say the colour match was flawless. The ladies at the YSL counter really know their stuff. 

The application of this does requires some practice and there is a definite learning curve. In fact when I first got this I was seriously disappointed because I found it extremely hard to work with but since this was fairly expensive I was determined to make it work one way or another. Sure enough once I mastered it my feelings changed completely and now I love it and use it on a daily basis. Basically the key to this is using it very sparingly and blending very fast, one area at a time, since the liquid dries very fast and can in turn become caky if not blended in properly. Personally I use this under my eyes and the bridge of my nose but if you look at the illustration above you can see all the areas recommended for highlighting and contouring, which is in essence what this product essentially does. And it definitively does it well!

Once I apply and blend, the finishing touch is a light dusting of the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder ($26.00) and its sealed with no fading or creasing for at least 6-8 hours. 

I am very torn about the YSL Touche Eclat ($50) because I really love the formulation, the packaging, the longevity and even the feel on the skin however I feel like the price is extremely high for a highlighter even though the quality is excellent. I would say that it will definitively elevate and enhance your regular makeup look so if there is room for a splurge then by all means run to the YSL counter but if not wait for a sale or try some of the other similar products that are a bit more affordable. 

Some excellent alternatives are Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch ($7.99) and the L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi ($12.99). 

Have you tried the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat? Is it worth the splurge?

XOXO

ANJA  

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