Tuesday

YSL Touche Eclat- Is It Worth The Money?







I have used 3 or 4 tubes of Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (£25 for 2.5ml) since I was about 15, at that time all the fashion and beauty magazines that I read were hailing this product as the absolute answer if you suffer from dark circles, and at that time I believed them.

The packaging of the Touche Eclat highlighter is iconic- a gold metal tube with push button at one end and slim brush at the other. It really does look and feel luxurious compared to the clear tubes and doe foot applicators that we usually see. I currently have the shade 2 which is a very light salmon pink, but have also previously used shade 1 and until quite recently there were only 3 or 4 shades available.
Touche Eclat is translated as ‘radiant touch’, and this product is meant to be used as a highlighter over the face as well as brightening up the undereyes- the packaging insert shows a woman applying it around her nose, chin and cupids bow among other places. The concealer contains ‘tiny light particles and mineral extracts to create a healthy, natural glow’ and YSL claim the product is ‘Eight Hours of Sleep in a magic wand’. I admit that my dark circles are particularly striking, but if this ‘No.1 luxury face make up product’ of 2012 can’t help, then what can?

The only time I use this product is under my eyes on minimal or natural make up days, my love for this product has really waned over the last few years- the problem is that it just doesn’t do its job very well.
The coverage is very sheer, so must be used on top of another concealer if you do have dark circles, but once powdered (it stays tacky and doesn't dry properly) the brightening effect is very minimal, and if it isn't powdered you can expect creasing and product movement. I find that it only has enough reflective quality when I keep my chin up and look down my nose at everything and, as the pigmentation is so light, this doesn't have enough colour to really perform as a colour corrector on my dark circles, so the salmon tint is almost completely lost on my skin (bear in mind I'm not wearing self tan in the above swatch photo which is unusual for me).
Even though I occasionally use the Touche Eclat on the eye contours, when blended onto other areas of the face I just can’t tell the difference, whether I use it on powdered or unpowdered skin.

If you like very subtle brightening then you might enjoy this product, but if I apply a highlighter or luminiser I really want to see that’s it’s doing something. Finally, I've found that this product flashes back like nothing else in photographs, even under powder, and especially when the face is at an angle to the flash. Looking back over photos and seeing a very obvious whiteness under your eyes is both embarrassing and strange.

My current tube is a special edition design and has kept me going for a long long time because I use it so little. I've tried brightening products from other brands, and lots have products that are just as good or better with a much cheaper price- the No7 Instant Radiance Concealer (£12.95) in particular stood out to me as being just as good as the Touche Eclat with a saving of just over £12 .
A brightening concealer that is so much cheaper but, in my opinion, actually so much better is the Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer (£5.99). It has a similar brush applicator and a squeezy tube but is brightening along with actually having enough coverage to use alone, and it really makes a difference to my dark eye contours when patted onto the skin. I use the Rimmel concealer so much more than I do the Touche Eclat and would definitely recommend it instead of splashing the cash on such an over-hyped product.


Have you tried Touche Eclat? What do you think of it?



17 comments

  1. Thanks for this review, I was thinking about popping this on my Christmas list so it was a good read :)

    Lyndsay | Fizzy Peaches

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank Lyndsay, sorry it wasn't a rave review! x

      Delete
  2. Great review! I find that this literally doesn't work on my dark circles either, the only thing I use it for is highlighting on my cheek bones which I need put my MAC skin finish over, but there are a lot of better high lighters out there! I think this is one of those products that is so advertised that everyone just assumes it'll be amazing but end up finding out a cheapie concealer does a better job :(
    www.lydiarosexo.blogspot.co.uk xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly it just doesn't do anything! Definitely, I think people buy it because they know other people buy it, just goes to show more expensive isn't always better x

      Delete
  3. Love this review. So many people consider this a concealer, well I used too! Trouble is once a product is overhyped it is never as good! I am actually quite happy with my Seventeen under eye concealer haha.

    Belle x
    Mascara & Maltesers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard really good things about Seventeen's new releases so will have to check them out! Hm when everyone is raving about something I sometimes feel that its not actually as good as they say x

      Delete
  4. I tried a sample of it and quite liked it, such a great illuminator x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well each to their own, I just can't see it on my skin! x

      Delete
  5. There might be very good options for this available, but I love the packaging and to use a little dose of glamour every day to cheer me up, so for me it's well worth it :o). Xx

    http://makeupbycandlelight.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to agree the packaging is very glamorous, even though it only holds 2.5ml. If it makes you happy then theres nothing wrong with that ;) x

      Delete
  6. I have used it and thought the same wasn't too impressed. I wondered if it was me as the beauty market buzzed for the product. I really like to use the maybelline dream lumi touch, it's pretty amazing, and it is under £7!! Can't ask for much more :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't believe I used it for so long thinking that there would be nothing better! I've heard really good things about the lumi touch so I think I'll try it when my rimmel runs out x

      Delete
  7. Have you tried the MAC highlighting pen. I really love this and they do it in a yellow shade and a pink shade which is nice :)

    MKAPx.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've seen it used in a few tutorials but havent tried it yet x

      Delete
  8. I used to have this and I didn't see any difference whatsoever! I wanted it to work, as it's so luxurious and expensive. I've just bought one from the Body Shop which looks really promising so fingers crossed! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely, very expensive considering you only get 2.5ml! Looking forward to hearing how the body shop one goes x

      Delete
  9. I received a sample in one of my makeup orders. My problem is under eye bags, not dark circles. Not to knock Touche Eclat, but I find "shimmery" concealers don't do the job. Give me spackling paste in a tube ;)

    ReplyDelete


Thank you for taking the time to comment on my posts.
I love to read and reply to your comments, they all make me smile! x

© Taupe & Pearl: UK Affordable Beauty and Accessories Blog . All rights reserved.
Blogger templates by pipdig