I’ve tried a fair amount of drugstore bases, never fully satisfied with any. Don’t get me wrong – I think budget brands are dabomb.com. For me, they just fell a little short in this case. Caroline Hirons wisely asserted that if you look after your skin and couple it with a good foundation, you’ll be sorted. I am of the same mindset. In my ever so humble opinion, the technology of higher end foundations is worth the money. Especially in the case of this YSL offering (cue some weird science/makeup jargon…)

     Touche Éclat, developed along the same lines as their well-known concealer, is aimed at giving a luminous perfected skin. The coverage is light, but I still see a notable difference after application. There are no opaque powders so it will never mask your actual skin – which I lurv. What it doesn’t offer in traditional coverage, it makes up for in luminosity. Instead of “covering” redness, pigmentation, spots, etc it will reflect the light and blur any imperfections. Basically, my face looks like a soft-focus 80s headshot in the best way possible. Texture-wise, it’s a gel consistency that blends well with either hands or a brush. Do note: a buffing brush will provide slightly denser coverage than fingers. To top it off, Touche Éclat has an SPF of 19, decent winter coverage for the non-ghosts among us. Obviously, if you are keen on a matte finish (or err toward the oily side) this will disappoint you. I have normal to dry skin, and still either powder or employ a setting spray. I promise you, I would have to love this to be willing to add in extra steps to my morning routine. My skin looks perfected and healthy and application is simple. It’s also pretty damn luxurious, and why not feel like a badass queen in the morning? Plus, when the rest of me reads disheveled and/or homeless, at least my skin looks put together.

     The bottom line: the splurge was worth it. I trialed this for nearly a month before the full size purchase, and knew exactly how it performed for my day to day. I know we’re all on a budget here – and in no way am I saying a splurge is necessary for everyone – but sometimes a lil’ luxury never hurt nobody.

On that intelligent note, I shall see you lovely people later.

PS – what do you guys enjoy splurging on? Comment below, aw yeah.

 xx Rachel