NARS Albatross: A review, a swatch, a quote from Coleridge and a ramble.

Poetry from a post about cosmetics, what more could you want?

I don't even know where to begin with this post.  If you've come here looking for rhyme and reason, you will be disappointed.  But then people who have read this blog before know that I don't adhere to structures very well.

Anyway, N-N-N-NARS Albatross.  A darling of the makeup world.  Everyone loves it.  Just like everyone loves YSL's Touche Eclat..which I found to be a bit crap.  But then I only used shade 3 as when I had it, they only had three shades.  I might venture back actually..  But then whenever I go to the YSL counter, I fall in love with their cream blushers..which are a very expensive lover. 

The Swatch Files (and a tiny review): Jemma Kidd Makeup

For once I bring you a post which contains more photos than words..I'm not happy with the spacing between some photos but for the life of me I can't figure out how to make the space smaller, if you know how, let me know.

I-Perfector Prep & Brighten Duo

What do I think? The primer is good but I wouldn't recommend it for a starter as you have to blend it in pretty well to get the eyshadow to stick to it smoothly.  If you don't blend it in, the eyeshadow applies really patchy.  It's very good to use if you don't need your eyeshadow to stay for more than a couple of hours.  I've worn it to work and it's worked well for all day too.  You only need a tiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit as well which is good.  The liner is crapola, for starters, it's too hard to use on your waterline which is the only place I would use such a colour.  You can't soften it or anything either (I tried).  You could use it as a base but I have never tried.

Define Stay-put Eye Liner

What do I think? The smudger is one of the best I have used and this pencil lends itself very well to smudging.  The pencil alone is ok..nothing spectacular, not too hard but could be a bit softer.  It works brilliantly when used for a smudging effect.  If you're looking for a pencil which is smooth and you don't want to smudge it..don't get this.  If you want to smudge it on out, this is fantastic.

Dual Illuminator Créme Highlighter & Shimmer Dust

What do I think? As you can see, you can barely see the colour on both my swatches which is a good thing as I dislike obvious shimmers.  The first swatch is of the solid highlighter which I prefer to the powder shimmer because it is a lot easier to apply.  The powder shimmer gave me many a problem..the puff which comes with it is a bit useless as I can't think I would put something so glittery on my cheeks and it doesn't pick up product up properly either as it is too small.  The powder section had a sticker on it which prevented it spilling out, took me ages to get that off..and you can't stick it back on properly either.  Overall, I like the cream highlighter, the powder shimmer..not so much.

Firming I-Silk Long-last Colour

What did I think? This surprised me. I don't usually like cream eyeshadows but this is so nice to use and the colour is lovely.  It's perfect for both daytime and nighttime usage. I would recommend not using it without a primer but it takes to the JK primer very well.

Do I have a standout product?

Hmm..well I like the primer but you need a fair bit of effort to work it so it's not ideal when you're in a rush to get to work in the morning..and the nude coloured liner is totally pants.  I like the cream highlighter but the powder shimmer needs some amendments..I think my favourite overall is the eye pencil because it smudges up a dream.

The Swatch Files: Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer Shade 1

I'm quite sad that Stila decided to pull out of the UK market as I quite like their products.  You might be thinking "why is she swatching something that is no longer sold here?" Well, you can still buy Stila on ebay and on other discount makeup websites.

I use this highlighter when I've got the time to put a decent face on because you need to blend it in properly or else risk looking like a disco ball.

The design could be a bit better as it reminds me of a Copydex glue bottle.  You need to be careful when using it, I wiped the excess against the side of the neck and still got a heavy swatch.

The fact that you can't see the blended in swatch is a good thing as in the past I've had highlighters which look far too obvious.

The Bodyform Period Survival Kit take 2

A Bodyform giveaway was won. Prizes were crappy. This was blogged about.  Charlotte complained for me. We were told by the PR company that it would rectified..  It wasn't.  Time went by.  Charlotte still complained on my behalf.  I was promiesd Jemma Kidd goodies.  I picked them up the other day.

Here's what I got..

A more indepth look..
(in the same order as shown above)

There are no swatches as I'm going to put them into either The Swatch Files or do a full review on them, this is just another "look what I got" post.

I keep saying this over and over again but I'm saying it again, Charlotte..you are BRILLIANT!

Don't believe the hype

One product which ALWAYS recieves a good press is YSL's Touche Eclat and I have no doubt that it sits in many a makeup bag thanks to this good press.

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..

YSL Touche Eclat by rhamnousia on Polyvore.com