YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch Review

For a while now, my sleep pattern has been extremely messed up. Clock strikes three in the morning and I'm still awake. I've tried hot baths, hot milk, and even lavender oil- sadly, no luck. This not only makes it difficult to wake up in the morning, but it has also taken a toll on my skin. The skin on my face appears dull, tired and well...sleepy. Until a very dear friend of mine gifted me this:

TOUCHE ÉCLAT by YSL. Sounds like the name of a fancy chocolate brand, doesn't it?! A bit like Hotel Chocolat or something..?! Or is that just my current craving for chocolate talking? Probably.

This is a much hyped product, which is used by celebrities, models and many ladies who are willing to fork out £25 on a complexion highlighter. Yes, twenty-frigging-five pounds!! So what does it do, you ask? YSL describes this product as '8 hours of sleep in the click of a pen'. BINGO!! This was just what I needed! If only one click of this magic wand could put me to sleep too...

What I love about this product is its packaging. Its sleek, sophisticated and classy, and conveniently packaged to carry around in your handbag! It comes as a click pen, thus making it easy for touch ups during the day. I have this in shade 4.5 and it matches perfectly with my skin tone. The texture is creamy, gliding on very easily and blends like a dream.

There are many confusions about this product- is it a concealer, highlighter or both? I use it simply as highlighter, as the texture is not thick enough to cover blemishes or dark circles. I use it on:

• the inner and outer corner of my eyes
• cheekbone and brow bone
• bridge of nose
• cupids bow
• chin and center of forehead

I find that on application, my eyes look more awake-  as though I had catched up on some beauty sleep the night before (*SIGH* if only...) but other than that, there is no visible difference on my face. However, when my skin catches some light, it simply glows in the highlighted areas! My cheekbones appear more visible, lips appear fuller, and overall my skin looks bright and radiant, without a hint of dullness or tiredness. I have received many compliments on my skin since I've started using this.

In conclusion, although I really like this product, it does nothing that a good foundation probably wouldn't do. But since I don't like to use foundation often, this highlighter is perfect for me! I sometimes want to whip out this wand and shout 'Lumos!' (Yes, I should be over my Harry Potter phase from donkey years ago but, I'm not...) as that is exactly what it does- lights up my skin. You only need to use a little of this product to make a difference, so this product would last a long time.

This is a staple product for me and I would most definitely repurchase. 

RATING: 8/10

Mac Retro Matte Lipstick Review & Swatches: Ruby Woo

Ever been compelled by a friend to try on a dress which you're quite reluctant about, but did so anyway because she seemed so adamant that this dress was perfect for you?! So you half-heartedly drag yourself to the changing rooms in the store, and moments later you're staring at yourself in the mirror, grinning (and possibly pouting) and thinking 'Whoa..! I am looking da-bomb!!' (OK perhaps nobody uses this word anymore, unless you're stuck in the 90's, but you get my drift...anyway...)

Or have you ever met someone new, probably whilst at uni, or even at work, and felt you could never bond with this person, then a week later you've become best friends for life, exchanging makeup tips, going shoe shopping and perchance indulging at a spa salon together?!

Well, I was in a similar situation recently. Say hello to my new, sexy and sultry best friend- Ruby Woo.

Although I have an endless amount of red lipsticks, I rarely go for the red lip look, as I prefer to focus on and enhance my eyes, and thus opting for a nude lip on most occasions. However, I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick! As blasphemous as it may sound, until Ruby Woo I had never tried nor owned a Mac lipstick (shoot me now). In fact, the only Mac product I had every purchased is their eye kohl in Smoulder. So, when I went into the Mac store to search for a lipstick, I was like a kid in a candy store! So many colours and textures to choose from! As I tried and tested different lipsticks, my eyes fell upon two similar red shades- Russian Red and Ruby Woo. 

I was a little apprehensive as they were both bright reds and thought they wouldn't look too good against my skin tone. As I swatched both lipstick on the back of my hand, I found Russian Red to be too orangey for my liking. However, Ruby Woo was just perfect!! Without further hesitation, I purchased my first Mac lipstick.

 

What I love about this lipstick is that due to its matte texture, it has amazing staying power! It literally lasts on my lips the whole day, requiring only one touch up if I am eating or drinking too much (plus a longer workout at the gym). It also makes my lips appear fuller and more pouty, which is a plus point for me as I have small lips. Although matte textures, especially Ruby Woo, can be rather drying on the lips, applying a little balm on the lips prior to applying the lipstick eradicates this problem. I also apply a nude lip liner around the lips before applying the lipstick, to prevent the red from bleeding.

You have to be careful when wearing red lipstick, as the red stands out and so you have to keep the rest  of your makeup toned down, unless of course you want to look like a drag queen! Although I love bold, smokey eyes, I would not pair it with red lips- you either focus on one or the other. I found that I could wear this lipstick alone, without applying any other makeup, and it looked good simply on its own. 

This is definitely my HG red lipstick. It is bold and brilliant, and it makes me feel fabulous and glam! It is most definitely a head-turner! Ruby Woo is a pure, classic red and would look good against any skin tone, from pale to darker complexions. I recommend this shade to anybody who is searching for the perfect red shade, and to anybody who shies away from bright colours- you will not regret buying this! Priced at £13.50, I think this product is worth its value. I would definitely repurchase this lipstick.

RATING: 10/10

The Body Shop: Japanese Cherry Blossom Bath & Shower Gel Review

What a BEAUTIFUL day today! Bright, hot and breezy- just perfect! It's been like this all week luckily, and if you're not from the UK, I'm sure you know how excited we Brits get when the sun comes out! I love it! People are happy and cheerful, and its out with the maxi dresses, flip-flops and lots of ice-cream! Everyone's rocking sunglasses, sunbathing on the beach or even the local park, and splurging on sun-creams...and of course, praying the weather doesn't decide to have a change of heart and suddenly start pouring down or something (which wouldn't be surprising, really).

Anyway, so with the sun out and all, you want to smell lovey and fresh when you go out. I had run out of body wash so picked up this Japanese Cherry Blossom Bath & Shower gel from The Body Shop.

This is a soap-free bath and shower gel, costing £8 for a 250ml bottle (I bought it for £6 on a special offer), containing real cherry blossom extract.

So, what had drawn me towards this product? Firstly, I was looking for a soap-free shower gel that wasn't going to dry out my skin, and one that would smell lovely in the shower after a work out at the gym. And secondly, well, it was pink and had cherry blossom extract. I'm drawn to anything and everything that is pink! And I love blooming cherry blossoms, especially in the Spring season, when the ground below becomes a blanket of pink, creating an aura of magic and sheer pink delight! I love watching the pink petals being blown away in the wind, floating and mingling around in the air in such harmony- I feel like I'm in a fairy tale land of some sort!

Yupp, that's right, I even have cherry blossom lights in my bedroom. But enough about my obsession with the colour pink and cherry blossoms. Moving on to my review of this shower gel from The Body Shop.

What I like about this product is that it lathers up very well, so only a small amount of this gel is required thus the bottle would last for a long time, making it good value for money. It is also non-drying, leaving my skin feeling soft and moisturised. If you do not have dry skin, you may not have to moisturise afterwards, but I religiously moisturise with a body oil after showering or bathing. I also like that it washes off easily, leaving behind no sticky or greasy residue, making the skin feel well cleansed and refreshed.

However, I found the smell a little disappointing. It does has a subtle sweet and floral scent to it, but the smell doesn't last very long after the shower, which is probably a plus point for someone who prefers light, non-overpowering scents. But I was looking for a shower gel which has a scent with a lot more oomph! I wanted  the fragrance to stay on my skin longer, enough that a perfume wouldn't be required after a shower. I do like that the scent is very feminine but the lasting power is too weak for my liking.

I also hate the design of the cap! My cap broke the very first time I used it as I struggled to open it, almost breaking my nails along with the cap! Grrrrr...

Overall, I think this is a very average shower gel (I haven't used it as a bath gel yet, but I don't expect the results to be any different) and does what a shower gel is meant to do, but nothing more and nothing less. It is moisturing but the scent is very blahhh! It is good value for money as a little of this product goes a long way, but there are shower gels out there that are cheaper and have the same, or even better qualities. I would not repurchase this again.

RATING: 5/10

The Body Shop ColourGlide Lipstick Review and Swatches: Pink Ginger

I was rummaging through my ever-growing collection of lipsticks the other day, and I realised that I have a countless number of red lipsticks, an umpteen amount of nude lipsticks and even some brown lipsticks, but very few pink shades. I suppose this is because although pink is undoubtedly my favourite colour, I seem to shy away from pink-coloured makeup as I feel it doesn't suit my skin tone very well. Nevertheless, I was passing The Body Shop the next day, and decided to go in and have a little snoop around. Well, I didn't just snoop around of course! I ended up spending just over £40 (I'm a sucker for marketing and sales people who seem to know what they're talking about).

Anway, today I'll be reviewing The Body Shop ColourGlide lipstick in Pink Ginger, which caught my eye as it seemed the perfect pink shade for my lips. The sales lady informed me that this colour is very popular, and it appeared to be so as there was only one left on the shelf. It was priced at £9.00 but I received a 10% discount with my The Body Shop card.

14 PINK GINGER

On first application, it felt very smooth and glided on quite easily. There was no overpowering fragrance or taste. The colour comes on rather sheer, but it can be built up easily to a desired shade which is why I believe this lip colour would suit most skin tones. The texture is neither matte nor glossy, but somewhere in between, so it isn't too drying on the lips and neither is it overly shiny or sticky.  I had it on for four-five hours without the colour fading, so this lipstick has good lasting power. What I really like about this lipstick is that it is extremely moisturising, making my lips feel super-soft, and it suited my skin tone very well.

I think this is a great lipstick, and would definitely repurchase. I would also like to try this in different colours. 

RATING: 8/10