Face of the Day

It was rainy and gloomy when I woke up this morning so I opted for brighter pink cheeks and lips. They were just as appropriate in the afternoon when it had turned sunny and cheerful (though I was too chained to my desk at work to enjoy it).

Eyes:
Lancome Erika F
Jane Iredale Eye Highlighter on brow bone (I use this all the time)
Laura Geller Baked Cake Eye Liner in Key Lime/Dark Green Apple (I usually use the dark wet to line the top and inner rim and the lighter dry to line the bottom)

Cheeks:
By Terry Blush Veloute in Apple, topped with a mix of
Trish McEvoy Sunkissed All Over Face Color and Perfect 1 blushes (the 2 colors in the middle. The others are Jolie and Weekend)

Lips:
Sephora Nano Liner in Queen Quartz
YSL Rouge Veloupte #2
Hourglass gloss in Origami

Close up of the eyes:
Close up of the cheeks:
Close up of the lips:

By Terry Crayon Blackstar

I had a pretty expensive weekend. I placed a Dermstore.com order (more about those goodies when they arrive), repurchased my beloved Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen for the bazillionth time, and treated myself to a new nail polish and this By Terry Eyeliner (plus tons of groceries, stuff for my apartment at West Elm, a new pair of earrings, a birthday gift for my mother AND paid my renter's insurance in full for the year). Phew! I'm exhausted and somewhat broke!

This eye liner was definitely a huge splurge. By Terry products are certainly not cheap, but I like everything I've tried from the line. It's high quality and not merely repackaged mass-produced Your Name Cosmetics items. "This dual-action pencil, with a color tip on one end and a brush on the other, provides a rich, glide-on line that shimmers with mysterious reflections for a shiny powder effect. Its "Color Resist" complex sets the color and ensures irreproachable hold. Its extremely comfortable formula allows for precise application on the eye contour." How good does that sound? The only drawback? The price tag. $35 + tax for an eye liner.

The shade I selected is Bronze Ebene, a blackened bronze shimmer. It's not as harsh as black and it defines my green eyes nicely. I tested the product at Space NK by drawing a line on my hand, and the line is still there despite copious hand washing and rubbing with a tissue soaked in eye makeup remover, so I give them pencil points for fortitude! I might have to classify the heart shaped swatch I drew on my forearm as a tattoo, since it's not budging at all! If you have problems with eye liner smudging, I'd definitely take a look at these--they're nearly indelible.

The pencil also comes with a sharpener if that helps make the price more palatable to you! Every now and then it feels good to purchase an expensive "special" item and I have high hopes for this one!
P.S. Here are the earrings:

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch v By Terry Touch Veloutee

I like comparing and contrasting products which in essence are designed to do the same thing, it reminds me of English A-Level essays.

Of course these are both designed by Terry de Gunzburg, the first whilst she worked for YSL and the second when she started her own makeup brand By Terry.

I never bought into the idea of a highlighting concealer, and laughed at my sister who clickety clicked her way through many a golden pen in the '90s, but suddenly and overnight or so it seemed I developed brown eyelids...where on earth did they appear from? and an annoying inherited freckle on my lower eyelid. At around that time (I was probably about 36) I was wondering absentmindedly through the Cosmetics Hall of a large department store - not a good idea - and before I knew it a cosumate SA had me in the chair weilding her aforementioned golden pen and I was amazed at the results, I looked, well alive, rested, friendly. Of course I purchased on the spot and have been using admittedly more off than on ever since....but one always wonders if there is something better.

For me these are different products, and it maybe is unfair to compare them. Touche Eclat is for me an eye product, I know that it can be used along cheek bones, around the lips, in the naso-labial folds but for me it is purely an eye thing, for a start the brush head is slender and narrow.
Touche Veloutee is more of a concealer, the brush head is wider, the texture is more dense, the finish more opaque.
However compare them I will.

Here are my eyes, sans anything apart from my skin.

I have splodged these on and around my eyes - Touche Veloutee on the left eye (the denser texture can be seen) and Touche Eclat on the right eye.
I then use a MAC #183 brush to blend in, a la gossmakeupartist - I can't find the actual video I saw him demonstrate this technique and I think it was with a BB concealer but saw the technique and thought "at last a use for a brush that I have had knocking about in my makeup stash"

Blended in below

 

And with a bit of mascara and groomed eyebrows.

To me the difference between the 2 products is that Touche Eclat has a lighter more translucent consistency, it really is a highlighter and thus lightens my teabag stains which to be frank are not horrendous. It lasts all day. Touche Veloutee is more of a concealer, the finish is more matte. Again it lasts all day. My problem with Touche Veloutee is that it has an all pervading scent of rose which slightly turns my stomach - I can deal with it just about in a lip product but not in this. I also think that I have the wrong shade - I automatically picked up the palest shade which is very pale and too pale I think for me.
Touche Eclat is £24.99 for 2.5mls and Touche Veloutee is £33 for 6.5 mls.

By Terry Laque de Rose SPF15

I need a lip colour to cheer my soul today, and this one in my stash caught my eye.

Although frighteningly vibrant in the tube and swatched on the hand, it is extremely sheer and infinately moisturising, the shade is #5 Rose Infinale, and was bought for me by my OH as a wedding anniversary present. It is currently £28.50 (which is an eye popping price for a lipgloss) from SpaceNK

I am afraid I cannot show it on my lips as they are not playing ball and remain pursed and old looking, but it is lovely and as a present even lovelier.