YSL Touche Eclat Foundation vs YSL Youth Liberator Foundation

I had had my eye on these two YSL foundations and despite the multitude of research I had done reading blogs I couldn't decide which one to opt for! Luckily for me the post christmas sale gods came to my rescue and I managed to get my hands on both. 

The biggest difference between the two foundations in the shade range. The Youth Liberator (YL) comes in seven shades, whereas the Touche Eclat (TE) comes in 22 shades. This for me was a big factor for which foundation I preferred as there is nothing more annoying that having foundations you can't use! I need to mix my YL with another foundation to ensure I get the correct shade for my skin.  

YSL foundations work differently from many other brands and come in three different undertones, which is separate from the shade range. B stands for beige, which can be cool or warm undertones, BR for rosy undertones (those that burn or are prone to redness) and BD for those that tan easily. The undertones in YSL foundations work really well and do a lot for improving the skins look in a natural way. 

The YL is a medium to full coverage foundation, long lasting and is a hybrid gel texture which glides onto the skin. It is based on the youth liberator serum, which is supposed reduce wrinkles but I can't really comment on that! It has excellent lasting power and would last over ten hours, sans primer. The TC is a more medium coverage, less long lasting foundation but imparts a youthful glow. It makes your skin appear more radiant and illuminating and would last a full eight hour day. 

Left: Youth Liberator, Right: Touche Eclat Foundation

In terms of the way they appear on your skin, the TC makes your skin appear radiant, youthful and imparts a healthy glow without a heavy, cakey finish. It seems to be able to make your skin look like you've had a full eight hour sleep and lived on green leafy vegetables for a week. This foundation is "your skin but better" in a bottle, and is definitely my YSL foundation of choice. This foundation would suit normal to dry skin types. 

For those days where you feel like you need a little more coverage, I use the YL foundation which is longer lasting and provides more coverage, although I would definitely use highlighter pen to impart a little glow. I do have to mix this foundation with another lighter version because of the poor shade range, and for that reason I wouldn't purchase the YL again. This foundation would suit most skin types. 

The winner for me is the YSL Touché Éclat foundation, amazing skin in a bottle! 

You can get both of these foundations from House of Fraser 

xxx

Cleansing Favourites: hair and face

Bioderma*. The one and only cleanser known to every beauty blogger, copied by many, bettered by none. Bioderma* is a micellar water, which is a fairly new trend in the cleanser world but in short, means that is it a non rinse, soap free water that contain micellar molecules. When you pop these on a cleansing pad, or tissue, the molecules deploy and work efficiently at removing makeup, pollution and other dirt particles on your face, without the need to wash off with water. Bioderma* is also fragrance free and is made specifically for sensitive skin. 

I use Bioderma* every evening to remove all my makeup, and given the amount of makeup I wear this cleanser has its work cut out for it. Its super gentle, removes even the toughest of mascara and doesn't leave a greasy film or sting your eyes. I always follow up with a second cleanse, be that a balm or a cream to make sure every scrap of makeup and London filth is removed. Bioderma* can also be purchased in mini version, which is perfect for travelling. I have not been without this cleanser since I first purchased mine from Escentual! A definite must buy. 

Another cleansing favourite Ive had the pleasure of trying is the new Klorane* shampoo with nettle for oil control. I wash my hair three times a week and hit the gym four times a week, so coupled with living in London my hair needs some seriously hardcore shampoo to keep my hair oil free and soft. Many oily hair shampoos I have tried leave the rest of your hair super dry, and unfortunately I am blessed with greasy roots and dry ends. 

When I first tried this shampoo my hair was ridiculously soft. I am talking swishy-hair-shampoo-add kind of soft. I figured this couldn't be down to just the shampoo so  I have tried the shampoo multiple times and I'm telling you, I'm expecting a call from Loreal any minute now, my hair is so velvety. I also love the smell, its a more natural smell that I really like. I haven't noticed a massive change in my oiliness, but it does say that is depletes the amount of oil your hair produces over time, so we'll see what happens! But quite frankly, for Nicole Sherzy type hair, Im sticking with this shampoo for a long time coming... It even led to a cheeky Escentual shop to try out a few more Klorane products! 

Have you tried any of these products?

Both the Bioderma and Klorane shampoo are available from Escentual. 

*These products have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush review

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radient Magenta

You know you're a desperate beauty blogger when you find yourself in the isle of Liberty of London waiting to get your hands on the new release Ambient Lighting blush the day before you are leaving on a three week, very expensive holiday! But this I just had to have. 

I had been stalking all the USA sites for swatches of these before they were released in the UK, and as soon as Temptalia  had all six blushes swatched I was on the Liberty site for pre ordering! It was a tough decision, but as three of them were fairly pale hues (Ethereal glow, Dim Infusion and Luminous flush) I thought they would not work on my medium toned skin. I ended up opting for Radiant Magenta, which is a golden fuchsia shade which has fuchsia and golden shimmer marbled through the blush. They are similar to the Ambient lighting powders, in that instead of leaving a coloured hue like a normal blush, they leave more of a glow to the cheek, which is not shimmery or glittery, that seem to blend in with the rest of your makeup and provide more of a "flush" rather than a full on cheek colour. 

Even though the colour Radient Magenta looks fuchsia in the pan, when it is swiped on the cheek it is  a much more subtle pink glow, and I find they look decidedly different again from a swatch on the hand to blended on the cheek. Whilst it does have golden marble etched through the blush, the shimmer does not transfer to the cheek. 

I wasn't as blown away by these in comparison to the Ambient Lighting powders, I much prefer those and use mine on a daily basis. I do find with the Ambient Lighting powders that the Hourglass brush works much better with them than any brush I own, so I would be interested to know if it makes the same difference with the blush. I find myself reaching for this blush for more of a simple day-time look, as it looks natural whilst imparting a healthy glow to the face. Im interested in trying the blush in Mood Exposure which looks like more of a plum shade. 

Have you tried these blushes? 

Available from Liberty of London for £28.00.