ELF Complete Coverage Concealer

I have this in the shade light and find that the shade range caters adequately for my skins wild swings between faux tanned and Morticia Adams. This costs £3.50 from the ELF UK website and you get 5.3g of product in total. The packaging looks good with a handy mirror. I will say that the brush that comes with it isn’t any good for concealer for me but I have actually kept a hold of it. It’s handy for inner corner highlights!

The first and third shades (from left) are pink toned. The second and fourth are more yellow. I tend to mix them as my skin is more neutral. The texture of these is slightly oily so whilst they blend easily it is absolutely necessary to set them or they tend to slip right off. For this reason I don’t use this under my eyes as I find it is prone to creasing.

Now if you’re going to call something Complete Coverage I think it’s pretty reasonable to expect complete coverage from it. Unfortunately this is where the product falls down a little. The coverage is medium at best. Not so poor that it’s not worth using but it certainly doesn’t magically make my blemishes disappear. In fact in texture and coverage it’s pretty similar to the No7 trio I tried recently only this is cheaper and you get an extra shade. I wouldn’t bother buying either of them again.

It’s handy to have the shade range in one convenient palette but the product isn’t wonderful. I’m eyeing up the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage when I’ve used up a few of my current concealers x

*Bought by me* 

Collection Overview – Concealers

Ah Concealer. The eraser of sins. Late nights, blemishes, random bits of discoloration that appear just for funzies.

No7 Concealer Trio – The shade range is good for very pale skin (like myself) but the formula is too slippery. It slides of blemishes and creases under the eyes.

ELF Complete Coverage Concealer – I may as well copy and paste the above section. Same problems.

Garnier Tinted Eye Roll On – Stays well, blends well. Coverage is medium at best. Unfortunately the alcohol in it does nothing for my dry under eye area so I can only use it every other day.

Dior Skin Nude Concealer – Fabulously moisturising, great coverage on under eye circles. It will slide a bit if you don’t set it though.

MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer – Similar to the Dior but can cake a little.

Benefit It Stick – Only comes in one very pale shade which fits me but won’t cater for most skin tones. It’s very cakey, I only use it on blemishes.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer – This stuff has lasted for ever. It is the best for high coverage blemish/ redness concealing and lasts wonderfully. Not great for under eyes though. I think this might have been discontinued but I’m not sure.

2x ELF Mineral Concealers – I promised that I would review these ages ago but I just haven’t been able to. Would somebody please tell me how I am supposed to use these? It doesn’t seem to matter what brush I use I get nothing on my skin. Please help!

*All Bought by me*

UPDATE: Bergdorf Goodman Beauty Event

So I went back the next day because the Prescriptives concealer was just unworkable. It must have been the powder added to the product because it did not spread at all, caked, and could not be layered. It's a shame because the color was just perfect. I was also so excited about my new candle, but it went from smelling divine unlit to overwhelmingly strong when burned. This would be great if I lived in a large space or wanted to scent my whole house, but living in a tiny New York City apartment, it was too intense and instant migraine. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the brand to someone looking for a candle with a very strong scent and throw though. Just not for a studio apartment!

When I went back I again tried the La Mer concealer as I so wanted it to work fo me due to the amazing texture and coverage. I also tried a concealer called the Anti-Aging Mineral Mystique by La Bella Donna , a mineral line you really never hear much about. I believe it's carried at several spas and a few online retailers, but I've yet to see it in a department store other than Bergdorfs. The concealer is in a click pen but the product is quite thick and has great coverage (pigmented with minerals) and a good deal of light reflectors, ideal for someone with undereye darkness not only from pigment but shadowing as well. After walking around like a crazy person looking at every single mirror in every light on the floor (the store has the absolute worst lighting of any cosmetic department I've been in), I opted for the La Bella Donna. Not cheap at $44 (I've seen visited their website and all of the items are pricey) and it smells a bit waxy, kinda of like an old lipstick. I think that may just be because the line is fragrance free. Today was Day 2 and I like it! I also went back to Px for a lip liner in Ginger, a soft pink, but the sales associate gave me Guava, a deeper rose shade. I'm going to keep it though since I don't have a similar shade and it deepens the new gloss nicely and turns it into an evening shade. So all in all I ended up with:

• La Bella Donna Anti-Aging Mineral Mystique
• Prescriptives Custom Gloss
• Prescriptives Guava Lip Liner
• Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara

A nice ode to Prescriptives since unfortuntely the line is to be discontinued January of this year. Here is the liner/gloss combo:

Bergdorf Goodman Beauty Event

September 16th through 20th, Bergdorfs is having one of their Beauty Events, held several times a year, where you save $25 off a purchase of $100 on the Beauty Level. I had a very difficult time deciding what to buy. I originally wanted the new La Mer concealer, but the shades did not work out for me. The coverage and texture are divine, but the light looked too white under my eyes and the medium was very dark and very orange. Edward Bess has some new lipsticks shades and I contemplated them as well, but none grabbed me. I decided that in honor of the Prescriptives lines being discontinued as of the end of January 2010, I'd try show support and purchase some products from the line.

I wanted a custom concealer, custom lip gloss and mascara. The artist I worked with was Neptune. I told him that I wanted a concealer with a lot of coverage and light reflectors for my horrifically dark, recessed circles. He got to work mixing, adding pigments to create the perfect shade, light reflectors to bounce shadows and darkness, and a white powder for opacity. The end result is a dead on match. I took off my makeup and tried it on at home on clean, moisturized skin waiting to see the miracle and hmmm...it seems to ball up when I try to layer it. I'm not sure if it's the powder that was added or the overall formula, but I'll have to play with this one some more. No angels singing. Bergdorf Goodman has the worst lighting of any department store and so what looks okay there may not fare so well in real life. I'll try it again tomorrow. The custom concealer is $34.

For the lips I asked for a liquid lipstick type product--not too sheer, not sticky, and heaven fobid I branch away from my usual peachy pinks. Neptune created a lovely sheerish natural peachy pink with a beige pearl and Bellini scent. There are several shades to choose from including Latte, Cocoa, Tropical, Mint and Berry. You can also select a doe foot want of slant tip applicator. The custom glosses are $34. Here is my gloss:

I needed a new mascara since my beloved Korres has dried up and am trying Prescriptives False Eyelashes since it is now paraben-free ($19.50).

I had to spend a bit more to qualify for the discount (sounds kind of ridiculous, doesn't it?) and I purchased a Nest Candle in Freesia Kiwi. Nest Candles are by Laura Slatkin. Many of the scents are reminiscent of the famed Slatkin & Co fragrances. The are soy wax and packaged in lovely stiped clear and frosted glass jars. Freesia Kiwi is a blend of freesia, jasmine, muguet, Asian Pear, kiwi and cassis. I had a hard time deciding between this one and Wasabi Pear, which turned out to be out of stock, making the decision for me.

Overall it was a fun night having products custom blended and and coming home with a pretty purple bag of goodies. I hope the concealer works better tomorrow than it did tonight! Have you ever had Px custom blend products for you? How did they work out?

Benefit Powderflage

I hear rumours that this was being discontinued but It’s still on the Benefit website. I bought this a while ago at an outlet store for about £10 (it usually retails for £19.50 for 3.2g)and haven’t seen it in Boots recently so I’m unsure if it is still being made but it’s still very easy to find online. The Benefit website claims that this is

“light-diffusing powder concealer for under eyes & face”

Er... no? It is a pale, pinkish powder that goes on rather translucent. It provides pretty much zero coverage. The first ingredient listed is talc too so not exactly a premium product. It does however contain silica and here is where it starts to get interesting.

I am very long sighted and even with my glasses on frequently squint when I’m reading things. This + layers of concealer attempting to hide my under eye luggage = creasing. If I set my under eye concealer with a regular powder it gets cakey too which is not sexy. Someone suggested setting it with powderflage. They told me that the silica would stop it settling in the lines made when I’m squinting and do you know what? They were right. I now use this daily to set my concealer and I love it!


The little brush is worse than useless. It’s scratchy and horrible and went in the bin along with the rest of the excessively bulky packaging. I’s also found that the lid doesn’t screw on very well on mine. I’m not sure if they are all like this or if that’s the reason this one was at an outlet store but it’s loose enough that I could never travel with it.

At £10 I would happily/ will repurchase this. I wouldn’t pay full price though. Just because I’m cheap like that xx
*I bought this myself*

MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer

I bought this way back in June during the desperate search for an under eye concealer that wouldn’t crease up or look cakey on me for my wedding. Lots of people recommended this and indeed it seems to be very popular. I was surprised then to discover that I really do not like it...

The theory goes that with MAC concealers you want an NW number for under the eyes to counter act dark circles. I got NW15 which is about half a shade lighter than my skin at the moment so it’s s good colour. You get 5ml of thin, liquid product with a doe foot applicator for £12.50. The coverage is medium, I would still prefer something a little more heavy duty but if you don’t have uber dark circles then you’d probably be fine. You simply use the applicator to dot product on the offending dark patch and use your ring finger to pat it in.

Now I have tried this over/ under foundation. With/ without primers. Powdered, non powdered, used with Benefit Powderflage. It doesn’t seem to matter what I do it still creases on me and kind of pills up throughout the day. It’s not so bad that I can’t use it it’s just really, really annoying. I have cheaper concealers that do the same job but better so I won’t bother repurchasing.

I do like the packaging as you can see how much product there is left though some people might not like the doe foot as it means that you are touching your skin with it then putting it back in the product. It doesn’t really bother me but it might bother some. Despite being totally unable to find a MAC foundation shade that suits me (hey MAC, we come in neutral too you know!) NW15 is spot on for me for under eye circles so I may well try some of their formulas. Any recommendations? X

*I bought this myself. My reviews are always my honest opinion. For more info see the disclosure policy in the menu on the left*

Jouer Cosmetics

click on the images to enlarge

This is the second incarnation of Jouer Cosmetics. The first version was available at Sephora and featured a variety of cream-based products in small, white, rectangular, windowed compacts that could connect to one another along their sides. That version disappeared, and the current Jouer line emerged, available so far exclusively at Henri Bendel and at jouercosmetics.com.

Jouer has a variety of cosmetic items from concealers to foundations, blushes, tube glosses, shadows and more, many of which click together not only along the sides, but front to back so that you can create your own personalized travel stack.

I currently have two powder eye shadows ($20 each). Caramel is a soft warm brownish gold with a tiny hint of copper. It creates a lovely natural but defined eye look, but I find it prone to getting that hard "layer" on the surface of the shadow that I often have to scrape away. It is also not particularly pigmented and needs to be applied with a stiff, dense brush for color payoff.

Amaretto, on the other hand, is smooth an pigmented and glides on and blends wonderfully. It is a very complex pewter taupe with gold shimmer and a hint of bronze and plum. It's perfect for a soft smokey look or in the crease, with Caramel or another base shadow, for a subtle defined smolder. This is a unique shade and a favorite.

The Tint in Petal is another product that I like. The Tints ($20) are designed to be creamy multi-use lip and cheek colors. Jouer describes Petal as a "soft rose pink" but there is definitely a warm, almost hint of coral undertone to my eye. These blend onto cheeks with fingertips and have no sticky afterfeel.

I use the Age Repairing Brightener ($32) and Age Repairing Concealer ($24) under my eyes, the Brightener followed by the concealer. The Brightener has a thinner consistency with more slip and comes in a swivel up tube. It is designed to illuminate and fight free radicals. I don't notice an illuminating effect, but the emollient ingredients keeps the concealer, which is heavily pigmented but has a very dry texture, from caking under my eyes. These aren't holy grail products, but do a fine job. I'm not a huge fan of either alone, but they work synergistically.

I bought the Eye Definer ($20) in Olive after reading that it was used on Frieda Pinto for an awards show where her eye makeup was particularly gorgeous. It's a pretty gold-shimmered olive and glides on, but isn't pigmented enough to create a real definition or me. The color is lovely though, especially when layered over a black liner.

August Go To Products

This is kind of a favourites post (my first actually)only not really. These are the products that have taken a beating in the last month. Not necessarily my favourites but the ones that I’ve been reaching for over everything else. This was kinda tough as I’m still doing my project ‘use everything you’ve got at least once’ so I’ve been wearing totally different looks every day. Nonetheless I’ve found a few products have been plucked from the drawers by default when I wasn’t sure what else to wear.

Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara in waterproof: I love this and will be doing a full review soon. I’ve been picking this up as it is actually the only waterproof mascara I currently own. With the remnants of my hay fever lingering and a pretty stressful month causing a few mini breakdowns the waterproof er... ness has been invaluable.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in By Candlelight: glowy but never glittery, this is just more suited to day time than many of my other highlighters so it gets used more!

No7 Blush in Honey: It’s a neutral dirty peach that when used lightly looks incredibly natural on me. I tap the flat side of a blush brush on it then bounce it off my cheeks for a barely there flush. Love it!

MAC Eyeshadow in Blanc Type: It doesn’t matter what eye look I’m wearing I use this every day. It’s a matte cream shade that despite being well pigmented does not show up on my pale skin. I use it daily to blend out the edges of my eyeshadow and to correct mistakes. I have a really small lid space so it’s easy for me to over apply shadow making this little eraser invaluable.

UDPP in Sin: I’m a shimmer kind of girl when it comes to shadows. An eye primer that adds more shimmer? Yes please!

MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam Cyndi: I need a backup of this and I can’t wait for the matching lip glass to come out either. It’s my favourite wearable red. I wear this every weekend with a really simple eye and winged liner. In fact this and UDPP Sin with winged liner is about as quick and easy as makeup gets.

Collection 2000 Concealer: I have way too many concealers and they need using up sooner rather than. This is first on my list. It’s actually pretty effective though it doesn’t cover quite as well as I would like. If you try and layer it it does gets cakey but a thin layer will last you all day. The tube seems never ending though... I thought it would be done my now but it just keeps on going! I wish the packaging was see through so I knew how much was left.

Would you like to see more of these kinds of posts? What have you been reaching for throughout August? Let me know in the Comments! Xx

*Everything up there was bought by me with actual money apart from the UDPP Sin which was bought with Boots points*

No7 Trio Concealer

I’m loathe to spend big money buying a concealer just to match my skin when I’m (fake) tanned so during the last round of £5 vouchers of temptation I picked up this little trio. Normally full price is £10.50 for 5g in total but as always I think it’s mad to buy No7 full price when the vouchers are out every other month. 

Clearly the colour selection, there is only one compact choice, is geared towards those of us with pale skin. I think it’s ridiculous that they don’t have two or three darker palettes out there. I personally find it easy to mix my perfect shade regardless of whether my skin is bare or if I’m wearing fake tan but I know plenty of people won’t be able to use these shades. 

The texture is extremely creamy and feels moisturising to the touch. Unfortunately this means it means that although they are very opaque when swatched as soon as I start to blend them out they slide right off any blemishes. I find it almost impossible to get decent coverage with this. The creamy texture also means that I dislike using this under my eyes as it is a little prone to creasing. Whilst it’s good for concealer larger patches of discolouration I’m not crazy about it for blemishes or dark circles. 

I’m extremely tempted to pick up the ELF Studio High Coverage palette in the hope of finding a cheap high coverage concealer that I can adjust the colour of depending on the season. Has anyone tried it? What did you think of it? X

*Bought by me with a No7 £5 voucher*

Lacura Concealer

I have a vast collection of under eye concealers. Very few actually achieve what I want them to. They need to be opaque enough to cover my dark circles yet fluid enough to not crease up when I’m squinting at something due to my terrible eyesight. It is very hard to find both these things in one concealer!


I was intrigued by peoples rave reviews of this supposed ‘poor woman’s Touché Éclat’. At only £1.99 from Aldi I decided to give it a go. The Lacura range at Aldi has received high praise in the press with its anti ageing products flying off the shelves (my mother swears buy their moisturiser!). The packaging looks promising with its sleek metal casing and click-pen applicator lending it a deceptively expensive air.

The product itself is actually not bad at all. The formula is thick enough to cover my dark circles and the ‘luminating’ light reflecting particles certainly do brighten the area. My only niggle is that you get one coat and that is it. If you try to layer it at all your face will crack and cake up like you have never seen before. Stick to one coat and you will have a fairly decent concealer that certainly lasts a work day on me.

In other news..... I’m Married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I got my degree results all in one weekend! (rather good actually!) Thank you to all who responded in my previous post. In the end I did change my name. It’s going to take a lot of getting used to but for the man who moved countries to be with me it’s a small price to pay for making him happy. Hope everyone had a fab weekend!I know I did! xxx

TTFN (Would I repurchase)

For those of you not familiar with dear Tigger TTFN means ta ta for now! I thought it might be fun to do a semi regular feature of things I have actually managed to use up (partly as an incentive to actually finish things before moving onto the next fad) and ask myself whether I would spend my pennies on it again. Some of these things I have already posted about however sometimes my opinion has changed by the time I get to the bottom of a bottle.

First up we have a very empty bottle of Johnson’s 24 hour moisture extra-rich body lotion bought from Boots for the princely sum of £2.75. It promises to “turn 1 minutes of moisturising into 24 hours of softness”. I have extremely dry skin on my legs and so I do get through a fair amount of body lotion. Personally I thought this was ok, nothing special, just ok. It is not fragrance free so may not be suitable to sensitive skins however I find the fresh soapy scent to be quite pleasant. It smells clean but it is a little strong. It does tend to sit on my skin a little rather than being absorbed straight away and whilst it certainly helped my skin there wasn’t a drastic deep down change. In short it stopped it being too scaly but it didn’t provide deep down intensive moisturisation for me.

Would I repurchase? Probably if I saw it on sale because I like the scent but I’m still hunting for something a little richer for my scaly pasty legs.

Next we have the Max Factor concealer pen which I have reviewed previously. My feelings haven’t really changed on this. I like the packaging and the formula but it just doesn’t give enough coverage for my uber dark circles. I won’t be repurchasing for that reason. If you don’t have terrible dark circles you could do a lot worse but it isn’t for me.

We’ve all been there. Staggering in after a long hard days work/ propping up the bar. You know you should take off your makeup but you’re just so tired... I do not recommend using face wipes to remove your makeup on a regular basis however in those situations anything is better than nothing. For this reason I always keep a pack of makeup remover wipes in my bedside table so I never have an excuse to not take off my makeup. Here we have an empty packet of Johnson’s 3 in 1 facial cleansing wipes which claim to cleanse, tone and remove makeup (including waterproof mascara). Again these were only a couple of pounds and they have the same pleasant soapy clean scent as the body lotion. They are nice and moist (ooh er) and do a fairly decent job of taking off my makeup. They do make a start on waterproof mascara however generally it doesn’t get it all off without some serious rubbing. I have never found them to sting my eyes. I probably would repurchase these as I don’t use them often enough to justify paying for some really good wipes (I’d rather spend that money on proper removers that I use pretty much every day) and these do the trick in a pinch.

Then we have that little sample of the Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture cream (yes I will repurchase actually, It’s great for the scarring on my neck), ½ of the Nail Dr duo (the Rock on Hardener. I used it all up but it got really thick and hard to work with after only 3 weeks. Not impressed and won’t repurchase). And finally the Soap & Glory fab pore facial peel. Those of you who watched my YT video will know that despite loving this product I can’t use it again as I had a nasty allergic reaction to it. Needless to say I won’t be buying it again, much as I would love to be able to.


Please do let me know if you think this feature is useful. I personally often find that the real measure of a product is when you get to the bottom of it and either rush out to replace it of throw it with a sigh of relief at finally being rid of it. Of the products here only 2 (the Body Shop Vit E cream and the Johnson’s wipes) have been added to by ‘to buy’ list.
TTFN! xx

Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer

I have combination skin with oil slick areas and Sahara dry patches. My under eye area, as well as being ‘blessed’ with dark circles, falls into the super dry category. I was on the hunt for a concealer that would help stop the skin becoming too dry as well as covering the darkness and preferably doing all of this without settling into any fine lines. I don’t ask for much do I?

I have the shade 001 Ivory. You get a teeny 10ml of product for £19.50 so it ain’t cheap but a little does go a very long way. I love the packaging. Whilst beige isn’t exactly the prettiest colour for the packaging the squeezey tube with the tiny little nozzle is very hygienic and allows you to easily control how much product you get out. 

The colour is just light enough for me (I haven’t found a MAC foundation in a light enough colour for me) and it is quite well pigmented. Those of you used to industrial strength concealers might feel the need for a colour corrector underneath if you have really bad circles but this is enough for me. The formula is relatively thin so it blends easily and it takes a while to set. I do need to set this with my Benefit Powderflage or I find that it slips a little during the day.

 The main down side has to be that as far as I can tell there are only 3 colours to choose from. Frankly Dior that just doesn't cut it!

It is certainly more hydrating than any concealer I tried thus far though I wouldn’t start skipping your eye cream just yet. It doesn’t cling to any flakey bits and providing I set it with a powder there isn’t any noticeable creasing. Overall I’m a fan and I’d seriously consider repurchasing it if I weren’t sure a sucker for trying new things! X

*Bought with my Boots Advantage points*

Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer

I've read many raves for Eve Pearl's Salmon Concealer and Treatment on beauty blogs and message boards and when the brand appeared on Hautelook, I jumped at the chance and ordered. Here is the blurb from the Ever Pearl site:

• Revolutionizing the use of the “Salmon” or pinky/peach color as an under eye concealer to neutralize the dark blue undertones from the skin. (Yellows mixed with the blue undertones create those greenish/grey raccoon eyes that are highlighted and only accentuate the problem area.)
• This luxurious silky cream provides full coverage with a non-greasy texture that glides on smooth to the most delicate area of your face. It offers the advantages of the powerful anti-oxidant, AstaReal®/Astaxanthin - a key ingredient in the CosmeNutrient™ Complex.
• Ideal for use when flawless precision is required with High Definition cameras and real life.
• For most skin types, including sensitive skin.
• AstaREAL®, the key ingredient in Eve Pearl’s CosmeNutrient™ Complex, it is the most recognized brand of Astaxanthin. AstaReal® is not only a coloring agent; it is also a very potent anti-oxidant.
  • Naturally harvested from the micro algae Haematococcus pluvial is- a single cell plant at the very beginning of the food chain.
  • An all natural carotenoid pigment and provides strongest natural antioxidant protection against lipid peroxidation* and singlet oxygen**.
  • 1000 times stronger than vitamin E for lipid peroxidation.
  • 550 times stronger than vitamin E and 40 times stronger beta-carotene for singlet oxygen quenching.
  • Provides support for skin at the cellular level.
  • Helps to improve skin naturally.... no harsh chemicals.... no dangerous procedures.
  • Helps to fight the effects of the aging process.
  • Has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce burn levels after UVB exposure.
  • Contributes to the reduction of hyper-pigmentation.
  • Protects body tissue from oxidation.

How great does that sound? I received the concealer last night and used it this morning for the first time. I ordered the light and am always the lightest concealer shade. I have the worst dark circles I have ever seen on anyone and was really hoping that this would be my Holy Grail concealer. Yes, it is very peachy, which is supposedly good for counteracting the blue-purple of under eye circles, but it's quite dark at the same time. Using it today, I found that I had deep peachy circles under my eyes after it was applied! Not a good look! I applied my Jouer concealer over it (which matches my skin tone) and it looks much better this way, but I now have 2 layers of concealer under my eyes which leads to caking.

To me this isn't a salmon concealer, but more akin to a medium toned concealer with strong warm undertones. I even checked the box and concealer itself 3 times to make sure I hadn't received the medium shade.

Here is the concealer with (top) and without (bottom) flash:

I'm going to give the concealer another shot tomorrow. I think it's just too dark to work on its own but I'll trying mixing it with other concealers.

Speaking of Hautelook, Kevyn Aucoin will be on sale on Monday! If they have it, I very highly recommend picking up the Essential Eye Palette #1. It's become truly indispensable to me.

Face of the Day

I haven't posted a Face of the Day in a while, but I received so many compliments on my look today that I thought it was worth sharing, especially given how simple it was.

I used Bobbi Brown Champagne Quartz Metallic Shadow lash to brow, Rock and Republic Diffused Shadow in the crease and lined with Sephora Nano Liner in Glitter Brown. Cheeks were MAC Lilicent topped with the last dregs of the Chantecaille Lumiere de Rose Highligher I dropped and destroyed a few weeks ago and I wore Bobbi Brown Berry Shimmer (decidedly not berry colored) and MAC Gingerroot to line. Usual underpinnings of Jouer concealer, True Cosmetics mineral pressed powder, Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen and Korres black mascara.

Update on my Trip to Senna

I had to leave LA this morning to head to a four day company retreat where I unfortunately will be without email access! I'm taking the red-eye home on Sunday. For all of those who inquired about my blog sale, thank you SO much for your interest! The items have all been sold to a wonderful reader whom I hope really adores them!

After the not-so-hot experience I had at Senna Monday, I decided to give them another shot to see if anyone else could help me make the concealer and brush that I purchased work for me. It goes on cakey and very creamy, and I'm getting more of a smeared mess than flawless coverage. A different, very sweet person was working today and gave me some application tricks, and told me that this is the right concealer for me but that it really does need to be set with powder. I was torn between the new new Mineral Eye Lift Powder and the Secret Set Mineral Buffing Powder. The Mineral Eye Lift ($20) is an HD powder with a slight yellow tint that really brightens. I could see from just applying it on my hand how illuminating it is. The Secret Set ($26) is ultra-sheer and colorless.
I was very tempted by the newer one (I mean they actually call it a non-surgical eye lift!) but it really is a heavier powder and thus accentuates fine lines a bit more than the Secret Set. I'll take a less bright smooth undereye over an illuminated crepey one any day! I also purchased a brush with which to apply the powder, the 15 Feather ($20). Two things to note: The Secret Sets comes in a mini size (which the makeup artist did not tell me about--I would have gotten that size instead) and the website recommends the Baby Face Brush ($26) for setting concealer, not the brush I was sold which turns out to be an eye shadow tool. Go figure! Here is the Baby Face for comparison:

The makeup artist also tried the Barely Base Sheer Mineral Makeup SPF 20 on me in Fair ($36). I'm lucky to be blessed with nice skin and never wear foundation or tinted moisturizer (just a bit of sheer powder to absorb shine) so I was a bit hesitant, but I have to say I really like it! It's very sheer, has non-chemical SPF 20 and is oil and fragrance free. She gave me a sample to try for a few days I can always call back and order it. I would consider using this for flawless skin on special occasions. One tip she gave me was to use this under the eyes to provide just a bit of coverage before concealer since my circles are super dark.

Finally, the makeup artist recommended using a primer under my eyes in addition to eye cream and the tinted moisturizer to help concealer go on smoother and last longer. She recommended the Silky Primer ($38), but between moisturizer and sunscreen I'm not sure if I want to incorporate another layer into my routine. It's definitely on my "to think about" list though.

I'm very glad that I went back and gave the line another chance. The second makeup artist couldn't have been nicer and it was such a nice experience. Many of the eye shadows and lipsticks were beautiful and I wish I had even more time to play, but unfortunately I had to run. I did take a brochure and wrote some product names down for my wishlist. Please let me know if you have any favorites from the line!

Hopefully the hotel where I'm staying for my company retreat has a spa and I can explore the products for sale there!

I Did Do Some Cosmetic Shopping in LA!

I did manage to make purchases in LA that weren't cupcake or noodle related (thank goodness for my diet)! As I said before, aside from the STAT cleanser refill, I was determined to stick with items I can't buy directly in NYC which is no small feat, but I was up to the challenge! I did peak into all of the usual spots (Barneys, Saks, etc) just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, though. What if a super limited edition product came out between my flight yesterday and this afternoon? I have to keep up on these things!

One place I visited was The Organic Pharmacy. I have seen this UK-based line mentioned in a number of beauty magazines, read some celebrity raves and was intrigued. I try to stick with organic and natural products for skincare just because that's what I'm most comfortable with personally. For me it has nothing to do with right or wrong, good or bad, but this line goes way beyond, actually directly calling various cosmetic ingredients carcinogens. I don't necessarily agree with their harsh, almost militant stance regarding ingredients, but I have read raves for the products and wandered in. First of all, the line is NOT cheap! Expect to pay upwards of $75 for a moisturizer (some over $200) and $40 for an eye shadow. A blush will cost you $50, the body cream $300. They also do not have samples but sell small sizes of some of their products for a lesser charge. I wanted the Antioxidant Face Cream but since that was not sold in trial sizes, I purchased the Double Rose Rejuvinating Cream, the line's best seller. It was .23 fl oz for $12 which I thought was reasonable, especially for a little 'out of town' splurge. The cream claims to "bring instant relief to thirsty skin. Enriched with Ginger, Rosehip and Rose, Light but hydrating action protects and stimulates circulation, restoring elasticity and radiance. The result: an instant glow." Since I don't think I can fairly judge a product with the stress of traveling, I'm going to start using this when I get back on Sunday.
I also went to Senna, one of the few lines I cannot get back home. I was so excited when I saw the boutique I practically skipped across the street! Unfortunately, inside it was pretty dark and the only girl working was pretty sour. Had she been nicer (or seemed like she cared) I probably would have browsed for quite a while and bought more, but it seemed like she could wait for me to leave and so I did, with only the new concealer palette and a brush with which to apply it. The concealer is called HD Hydra-Cover and was $38. "High tech HD light diffusing pigments, Hyaluronic filling spheres, and collagen stimulating Malachite create this unparalleled wonder working total face concealer. This silky, light as air formula uses light reflection instead of opacity to diminish flaws as it brightens skin, fills in wrinkles, and boosts skin renewal. Licorice extract helps firm up puffiness. Three corrective shades cancel under eye darkness, facial pigmentation, redness and blemishes. Brush included."

The brush it comes with is pretty dinky so I purchased Multi Brush 24 ($20). I frequently buy concealer brushes and then decide I prefer to apply the product with my fingers, but I'm tryin gto change! I had to both sign AND initial 3 times when making the purchase, not only for the credit card charge but twice acknowledging that they do not accept returns, only store credit, only for products not services, only within 10 days, only with orginal receipt etc. I think I signed fewer times renting my apartment!

Finally, I received a hand cream sample from Jigsaw Organics, another Brit brand with an LA outpost. The hand cream has a lovely herbal scent, sank in right away and provided a healthy dose of moisture for my dry hands.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and check out the hotel spa and see if there's a gift shop!

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.