The new YSL foundation, Le Teint Touche Eclat

Dazzled by the advertising in the glossy mags recently I found myself at the YSL counter asking about their new foundation, Le Teint Touche Eclat.  A lifelong fan of Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturiser I suddenly felt the need for something a little more polished. Much to my delight I was offered a very generous sample in shade B50 and it turned out to be just right. It looked too dark prior to application but blended to the perfect shade for summer on my slightly freckled skin. The texture is light, coverage is light to medium and it dries to a dewy finish. I've used my fingers, a sponge and a brush to apply and blend it and they all work well.

Having used the sample I returned to the store the following week to buy the product where the assistant bravely suggested a new lipstick in a colour I would never dreamt of wearing .. and again she was right. Turns out it's not a lipstick but a Glossy Stain in Coral Aquatique. Now I always thought coral was for old ladies but this really lifts my make up in a nice, summery way. The texture is slightly weird though and even though the gloss is designed to balance out the dryness of the stain it doesn't quite work that way for me and leaves my lips feeling very dry. Great shade though so I'm on the lookout for it in a more moisturising formulation ... 

So if you know of a similar shade that's a lipstick rather than a stain I'd love to hear from you ...

The perfect bronzing make up base

It all started with Ultraglow, a bronzing powder guaranteed to give you a face so tanned you barely recognised yourself in the mirror. The fact that your body was completely untanned was a mere detail ... well it was the 80s.


As a fair skinned type with more than my share of freckles I developed an early interest in anything that promised to provide a golden glow without the pain of sunburn. My experiments with fake tan deserve a post of their own but suffice to say I prefer more temporary solutions, like bronzers, for my face. Mac and Guerlain are amongst the best brands I've tried with golden rather than deeply tanned results but I can't help but notice that powders of all types settle into fine and, not so fine, lines.


So I was on the lookout for something different and asked a friendly looking assistant on the Chanel counter for advice. She recommended their Bronzing Make Up Base as an alternative to powder and applied some to my face using a blusher type brush. It has a creamy texture but dries to a fairly matte, rather than dewy, finish. Needless to say, I bought it.

It's pretty versatile and I'm using it as I would a powder, applying a small amount with a brush and blending it well. 

As you would expect from Chanel it's beautifully packaged in a jar with a lovely black glossy lid. My only gripe is that it's such a big jar it's not very handbag friendly but it's definitely one for the dressing table.

What gets me glowing ...

When three people in three days commented that my skin was glowing it got me thinking about what, in my beauty routine, could be giving me a new found glow. Whittling it down to just one product proved tough .. 

I use Nude's Replenishing Night Oil, their Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum, my wonderful jar of Creme de la Mer, and  Liz Earle's Eye and Lip Treatment daily

In daily use

Most days Laura Mercier's Primer and Tinted Moisturiser see some action too

In almost daily use

Not to mention Bobbi Browns Pot Rouge

Ditto

Or could it be the Hyaluronic Acid capsules I started taking about six months ago?

Recent addition to my beauty routine

I so wish I knew but eliminating any of these products feels like a high risk strategy I'm just not prepared to take.

Let me know what gets the compliments flowing for you ... 

S is for Shellac

Winter pedicures present a footwear problem even for the most dedicated and I have been known to leave the salon in flip flops when there is snow on the ground. I invest in manicures and pedicures all year round and  barely recognise my own nails if they're naked. I've been able to ignore things like acrylic and gel because my nails don't need a lot of help .. they just grow .. scarily long if I let them.

And then came the day in the depths of January when the outfit of choice included boots even though boots and newly polished toes just don't mix. That's when I was persuaded to try Shellac. Shellac promises 14 day wear, mirror finish, zero dry time and no nail damage. And boy does it deliver. My manicure lasted three weeks and my toes were unchipped for an amazing nine weeks. It almost became an experiment to see how long it would last but the polish was growing out rather than wearing off. It's super shiny too.


Removing Shellac is not as straightforward as ordinary polish so either let the salon do it or stock up on acetone!. It takes about 10 minutes to soak off and the recommended method involves pieces of cotton pad, soaked in acetone, secured in place with strips of foil. Not impossible to do yourself but slightly fiddly and not conducive to multitasking. 


That's the only downside though and if your winter feet are about to be slipped into sandals any day soon it could be the answer to your prayers.

Shellac manicure in Wildfire one week after application

Can't live without ... NUDE Skincare

I've never been madly into natural products preferring to focus on results from all things beauty. But the NUDE Skincare range caught my eye when testers for the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible gave its Replenishing Night Oil their highest ever score. Having been a Beauty Bible tester myself  I knew this was no mean feat.


So I gave the Replenishing Night Oil a whirl and I've never looked back. I was slightly nervous about an oil, despite having dry, sensitive skin. Somehow I imagined it might be very greasy. But it's not. It smells gorgeous and is very easily absorbed. Applied at night the difference is noticeable the very next morning when my skin looks smoother, plumper and better hydrated. A huge improvement on the downright scary look that creeps in some mornings.


Never one to limit myself to just one purchase I'm a convert to the Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum too. Again it's easily absorbed and the texture is perfect under moisturiser. After two or three weeks of use I've noticed my skin looks clearer and more refined.

Essential to life for beautysoup

I'm no expert in bio available technologies and other product ingredients but the NUDE range is free from Parabens, sulphates, PEGs, TEAs, DEAs, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, GMOs, Mineral Oils and Silicones .. and that has to be a good thing.

Glamour beyond my wildest dreams

Amazed to see an article in The Sunday Times Magazine asking if the new generation of YouTubers will kill off television. Because ... and this might be an age thing ... I just don't get it .. YouTube that is. How can crazy cat antics and teenagers singing in their bedroom possibly compete with The Killing and Masterchef. A friend was extolling the virtues of Apple TV recently and the main selling point seemed to be that I could watch YouTube on television. That was my notoriously non technical take on it anyway.


I make an exception for the fabulous TED talks and, now I've been introduced to them, nostalgic commercials, like this one, for Charlie perfume.


My aspirations of glamour started right here ... I so wanted her trousers, her long legs, her flicky hair ... her life!

Favourite face mask

For every lotion and potion that languishes in the drawer there's another that just keeps on giving. 

I've always believed that face masks are the territory of salon facials and that the home versions just aren't effective. And then I discovered dermalogica's multivitamin power recovery masque, a superb, easy to use mask that works a treat. It's recommended for drier or prematurely aging skin. Not sure I like the prematurely aging bit but I can't argue with dry so I'll go with it. You just smooth it on, leave for 10-15 minutes, rinse off and emerge with softer skin that glows. It really is that simple. Oh, forgot to mention, after 10 minutes the cream turns bright yellow so don't freak out when you look in the mirror!

a well used tube of my favourite face mask