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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

YSL Touche Eclat and Chanel Stylo Eclat Lumiere


YSL Touche Eclat has been around forever. I still remember many years ago when my mom bought this miracle pen for the first time. The concept of a concealer-highlighter was quite revolutionary and for a while YSL was more or less alone in this arena. I can't be sure, but the formula has probably changed and improved over the years. They have added several shades, which helps a lot, though my last visit to the Yves Saint Laurent counter at Saks found three SAs peering over my face trying to determine my undertone. It went something like this:
SA 1: "well, you're not pink. Do you have blue undertone?"
SA2: "No, she's not blue. You're not blue, Dear"
SA3: "Maybe yellow? I don't know"
SA1: "Green! What goes with green?"

Thus I was officially diagnosed as a Martian.

The chosen Touche Eclat shade, by the way, was No. 2. I use it as a highlighter and blend it with a soft concealer brush under my eyes and often apply a tiny amount above my upper lip to enhance the Cupid's bow. But Touche Eclat is not really a concealer, and at times I want something just as light, with the same texture, but also a little coverage. I've tried several products at various makeup counters and ended up with Chanel's Eclat Lumiere. It's actually labeled a highlighter as well, but testing and side-by-side comparing has shown that it gives me just a bit more coverage where I need it, like around the nose. I use Medium, No.35, which is a good match and slightly darker than my Touche Eclat. I couldn't take a decent photo that shows the shades and the difference, so the picture above is all you get, together with the recommendation to try both and see what works for you. And use a real brush when blending. Both pens have an applicator with plastic bristles that aren't good enough for the delicate blending task.

YSL Touche Eclat and Chanel Stylo Eclat Lumiere (both sell for $40) are available from most decent department stores and the companies' websites. I usually buy them at Saks or Bergdorf.

Photo by me.

2 comments:

  1. I knew one of the Makeup Artists at the YSL counter at Macy's (SF) and he told me that a customer was just so sad that they ran out of her favorite lipstick shade and his comment to her was, "what you should be sad about are the dark circles under your eyes...have you tried touche eclat?" and instead of her flying of the handle with his comment she said, "really? what shade should I use?"

    I loved that story and only he could get away with saying that to a customer!

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  2. It seems like I've been using Touche Eclat #2 since the beginning of time. Although I've tried similar radiance pens from other lines, nothing beats the YSL. Since it was never really intended to be a hard core concealer, I mix it with a bit of concealer wherever I need a bit of extra help. It never settles into my under eye creases (I'm 61) and, when dusted lightly with powder, it lasts all day. It's hands down the best precision highlighter around.

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