However, I have issues with this product..
I think the fundamental problem with Touche Eclat is the conflicting methods of use. YSL's official website describes Touche Eclat as an "instant highlighter that banishes shadows, erases signs of fatigue and leaves your skin looking radiant. Touche Éclat is 8 hours of sleep in a pen - the one item no woman can be without...Just slip it into your bag to ensure a brilliant glow, anytime, anywhere.."
The magazines say it's a concealer and us customers are left looking like inverted pandas whenever we are photographed wearing it because we use it as a concealer.
With all the conflicting "advice" out there, how are we mere mortals supposed to know how to use the product? It doesn't help the situation when makeup artists are quoted in magazines as having used Touche Eclat to conceal dark circles on celebs. I was trawling the web for articles to support my assertions and there $are countless articles which call Touche Eclat a concealer.
I think what happened is that the product was shipped out and nobody wanted a highlighter and so it was sold as a concealer. It does conceal but then it draws attention to the area you've hidden.
Then there's the next problem, if it's a complexion highlighter, how do you use it and how much of it do you use? There are other products out there which can be used to highlight your complexion, one which springs to mind is Benefit's HighBeam which comes in one universal shade. The consistency of the products is also wildly different as Touche Eclat looks like a concealer like product whereas you can easily see that Benefit's HighBeam is a highlighter as it has a pearlescent sheen to it.
The main problem I have with Touche Eclat is the fact that if you apply enough to conceal your dark circles so they aren't visible to people who see you face to face, your dirty little secret is revealed the second someone takes a photo of you. Of course, you could overcome this by applying less, but then this wouldn't cover your dark circles..though you would escape the clutches of inverted panda syndrome..
This picture illustrates my point perfectly:
I bet if you saw her face to face that night, she would have looked fine, problems only occur when cameras appear on the scene. You can see that if she hadn't tanned, the contrast between her skin and the concealer wouldn't have been so obvious. Notice how the darkness is concealed but then the brightness takes over?
Despite all these issues, the magazines and the SA's claim that this little gold tube will transform you into a goddess, when the sad truth is, it won't. There are better highlighters and concealers out there. I was given Touche Eclat as a gift because I fell for the claims and thankfully I practiced using it before I wore it out and my photos came out ok.
Touche Eclat seems like a good way to ease yourself into concealers as it totally blends in when you apply it but I wouldn't do this. Match yourself up for concealer at a concession such as Bobbi Brown..
This post isn't a bitchfest about YSL. I use their foundation and their lipglosses and I love them. I was Twittering about the product and this lovely lady stated that she loved Touche Eclat and that she got through about 4 a year. This got me thinking.. I think some re-eduction is needed so that people know how to use the product. I think, from personal experience that it works best as a highlighter (not under eyes, but under the arches of your brows and the cupid's bow) for tanned ladies and as a concealer for those who have a fairer complexion.
So, that is my opinion on YSL' Touche Eclat. I could quite easily live without it but whilst I do have it, it's used a highlighter. The question I have for you guys is..
Concealer for me. Ive always loved it and found it does banish those dark circles. Ive used it for years and nearly every pic Ive had taken is with it on, as you point out though I'm a fairer lady.. so that could be the reason why it works as a concealer for me. However at the moment Ive traded in my beloved Touche Eclat for a cheaper by miles concealer, which is ELF's under eye concealer and highlighter. No more forking out 21 quid for me!
ReplyDeletexxxxx
Yep its defo a highlighter, and over and over people have used it as a concealer, even i have used it as a concealer, but i only use very little as luckily (touch wood) i havnt got a big issue with the old bags under the eyes and darkness, even so the point is, its a highlighter. YSL clearly states that but for that price and for so little solely for highlighting i wont ever repurchase. The woman behind this notorious product has her own line now, By Terry and she has created her own highlighter and corrector and concealer but they are all separate products in her line.
ReplyDeleteBut i agree, it sold better as a concealer.
I've never understood the hype about this, imho it's not a great product. As a concealer it does nothing for me so I use it as a highlighter, but there are a lot of products out there that work better and are a lot cheaper.
ReplyDeletetouche eclat breaks me out sadly :( but I actually really loved it (I didn't use it as a concealer though)
ReplyDeleteJo: You lucky mare! Thankfully I don't have dark under eye circles so I can get away with no concealer but the first time I used this I did a test run and it was so obvious in pics that I was wearing it. I really want to check out the Elf stuff but I want to be able to see the colours becauase it's hard matching to my skin via non skin swatches.
ReplyDeleteInner Belle: I totally agree, as I said, lighter skinned ladies can use it as a concealer but people of our skin tone can't. My cousin is super fair and she even has issues. I totally agree that it is super expensive just to be used as a highlighter and I never knew that the lady behind By Terry was the one who came up with Touche Eclat..I wonder how she came about with the idea..
GlossQueen: Welcome to my blog! You make a very valid point, I know that The Body Shop do a cheaper version of Touche Eclat but they market it as a concealer. I use Stila as a highlighter and that works far better for me.
Em: Where did you use it as a highlighter? I found it too bright for my cupid's bow and found it worked moderately well under the arches of my brows.
Tats xactly why I didnt get hold of it! too much of confusion...yet to try! tell me if I should get htis or not! does it stand to the hype?
ReplyDeleteluks like, only by personal xperience, we know exactly what things are made for! really liked ur review! poor soul in the pic, she luks horrendous!
Thank god that Im not the only one who absolutely can not use this product as a concealer. Whatever the blurb say its a highlighter, a good one come to that- but if used to conceal those dark circles will become ashy circles!
ReplyDeleteIt works well with me on the bridge of my nose and on my cheekbones as a highlighter but to be honest I dont buy this anymore- there are better highliters out there. BTW, you should check out Bobbi Browns Eye Brightner, now that works once again not a concealer as such, but it does brighten the eye area and is available in a good range of colours.
Cya
Seema