Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Collector Radiant Touch 8

In the world of beauty, who hasn't heard of YSL's Touche Eclat? This gold pen has been clicking on women's fingers since 1992. 

On a CX flight back home with some change in my pocketbook, I found this collector's edition in shade 8 (similar to 1.5) on the in-flight magazine. It must be the best time to try it, I surmised. Here is an introduction from the website:

"The beauty secret of the world's top makeup artists and models, Touche Éclat is the original must-have for a radiant, flawless face. 

Capture 8 hours of sleep with the click of a pen. With a few strategic strokes of this award-winning complexion highlighter—dark circles, fine lines and signs of fatigue virtually disappear. Powered by the radiance-boosting Luminocaptide Complex, skin is instantly illuminated, so you look rested and refreshed—even if you’ve been up for hours. Sleek and sophisticated, it discretely slips into a makeup bag for quick touch-ups anytime. It’s the one beauty essential no woman should ever be without."

YSL's trademark gold packaging is sheer opulence. 

It takes 30 pushes of the black button at the bottom of the pen for the product to ooze out. 

Shade 8. 

Engraving.

The product is a creamy consistency that can be layered under or over makeup, with no creasing. It covers light undereye circles and managed to conceal slight redness around the mouth and cheek area. The finish is natural and I didn't experience any breakouts. 

Profile.

Another.

The pamphlet.

It's true that it "revives the complexion's natural glow." The effect is an overall finished look with a slight luminosity that is very becoming. 

Application and storage tips. 

Ingredients list. 

A closer look. 

Labels. 

I'm not sure how long the 2.5 ml pen will last me, but as of date it's been going strong for a couple of months. It's one of the friendliest base products I've used on my skin and in a very convenient and sanitary packaging at that. It comes in a dozen shades and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a reliable, effective concealer and highlighter rolled into one. 

RMK Super Basic Concealer Pact 01

Rumiko. RMK. The makeup artist who singularly influenced my view and passion for makeup. I loved ogling RMK's website at the height of my makeup craze. It was her message and philosophy as a makeup artist that struck me:

“To me, make-up is about making you feel happier, sexier and fresher. It’s not something that masks your natural skin. It exists as a factor to bring out the beauty within you”. “With RMK, the first thing people will notice is you, not your make-up. There is only one “you”: RMK is about an individual discovering and accentuating her own allure, enhancing the qualities that make you “you” in this world.” – RUMIKO

With heart aflutter, what self-respecting teen wouldn't fall for such an ideology? I loved it! I would hang around in their Sogo counter in Causeway Bay and just marvel at the elegant colors behind the stark simplicity. Everything, from the lipsticks, eye shadows, glosses, bases, brushes, I beheld as a beautiful spectacle. It is no surprise that my second foundation (the first was Awake which strayed in no time) was their now discontinued Powder Foundation N. I was loyal to it as if bound by contract. It wasn't that hard. Together with their famed Make up Base, they loved me, and I loved them back. It was the easiest and most fulfilling relationship. 

Actually, I've have had a long history with RMK. There was many a time when my mother would come back from Hong Kong armed with her staple RMK foundation and makeup bases. During holidays in HK, I would remember visiting the first Causeway Bay RMK counter located in the now-defunct Seibu. They gave out beautiful pamphlets with fruits printed on transparent plastic material. I also cut out their silver packaging with the words "Choose me, Take me, Open up," and pasted these along with the fruits adoringly on my daily planner. I would stare at them in reverie during recess and like magic, my spirits lifted up. Such warm memories : )

I would say, after MAC, RMK was the next cosmetic brand I obsessed about, and is also my first true cosmetic love. I profess that they have one of the best bases, lipsticks, lipglosses, jelly eyes, cheek colors, and makeup brushes in the market. Some products from the line that did not work for me include their Skintuner, UV Face Protector, Control Color N, Super Basic Liquid Concealer, Ingenious Natural Eyes N, Pencil Eyeliner & Pressed Powder (both the old versions), and Loose Powder. These did not deter me from trying out another item from their line, for it is a brand I already hold in high regard.

RMK Super Basic Concealer Pact 01 comes in two colors. I chose the lighter offering.

This pact contains two different-hued creamy concealers, one powder, and two brushes for applying the concealers and setting the powder. It is a nifty packaging that I thought would be very useful. But as someone who does not like bringing cosmetics out of the house, I didn't get much use of the brushes and powder. The powder brush is very soft and of good quality. Similarly, the concealer brush has a firm grip with smooth bristles.

I originally planned to use the lighter tone on my under eye circles, and the darker one on pimples and blemishes. But I soon found out that the formula is too thick and drying for the under eye area, so I have been using this pact solely for blemishes. Both are great for concealing redness, pimples, and other skin imperfections. The finish relies more on how the concealer is applied, which can look cakey when too much piled is on. This can be avoided using careful application by slowly layering the concealer. The colors can be mixed to one's skin tone easily. This 01 shade is particularly suited for lighter skin tones. These are good quality concealers and I don't regret buying the pact because the concealers work well. However, I do not find much use for the powder and powder brush because I use a separate loose powder to set my base makeup. The concealer brush is slightly tapered and applies the concealers very well.

It's got a large mirror. For on-the-go use, this is an indispensable concealer kit. I would definitely see myself using all of the items in this pact if I bring this out and have no access to other makeup.

Origins Quick, Hide! Concealer in 01 Light

(Many) Thanks to Rowena of Cosmetic Candy, I discovered Origins' Quick, Hide! Long-wearing concealer.

Quick, Hide! concealer glides on creamily, and the finish is so smooth without any dryness or caking. It is seriously the best concealer I have tried. This says a lot about the product, as I can be quite picky with concealers. I found NARS, once my go-to concealer, too dry for my now not so youthful skin. Bobbi Brown (the two-tiered compact that comes with yellow powder), was too thick therefore settled into a cakey mess. I had the same problem with RMK concealer liquid pen. The RMK compact concealer, which I will do a separate review of, is unfortunately too dry for me to use as an under eye concealer.  

It comes in a wand-type sponge tip applicator. Really, this feature makes it quick! Just dab dab on problem areas, and blend with fingers/brush. That's really just it. I think there are three shades available. I got this in 01 Light. It's the right color to camouflage my visible dark circles. It brightens the under eye area properly. It makes it look like skin having a good time. No strange white cast or yellowish puddle. 

Creamy goodness. The coverage is not too thin that it covers nothing or too opaque that it looks fake. In short, everything about it is just right. This concealer is convenient, with a good range of shades to choose from, and offers outstanding finish. Added to that, it is formulated without many controversial ingredients.

 Ingredients from the box:

Coffret D'Or Lip Concelear Base + Elizabeth Nude Bon Bon Lipgloss

There are times when the occasion calls for nude lips. It can be at work, a casual day, or a deliberate attempt to tone down a strong makeup. However, not everyone is endowed with a naturally pale pucker. I would say that most people have a natural reddish tinge sans any lip product.

The remedy for this is covering the lips with concealers or applying light beige lip colors. The Coffret D'Or Lip Concealer Base (one shade only) comes in a slim tube-type twist up case. It is a fairly basic packaging. I chanced upon this on adambeauty years ago. Also bought from the same website, Nude Bon Bon Lipgloss in 04, is the most pigmented nude among the nude series lineup (4 colors in all). This range was in the Japanese top 3 lip gloss ranking in cosme.com some years ago.

The Nude Bon Bon on the left comes off as a milky color, andcan be layered easily to cover redness on the lips, yet is also not too beige or ashy that it washes out the complexion. I would guess that the slight red and orange undertone in this lip gloss helps in that respect. Coffet D'Or Lip Concealer Base, on the other hand, is a very dry stick. It is an absolute must to moisturize the lips before applying this concealer. It is not ultra pigmented so layering is still necessary with this one. I wouldn't call this a true nude, because there is a detectable orange tinge in the product. It covers the lips fairly well though, and is a good product to use for making other lip colors apply true to their shades on the tube.

Japanese description on CD'Or Lip Concealer Base