Make-Up Hall of Fame - Touche Eclat

Over the last couple of weeks & for the next few months we have been doing our very own 'Make-Up Hall of Fame', for all those fantastic products & tools that keep us looking at our best, it will consist of the true tried & tested items that come up trumps every time proving themselves to be timeless classics that no beauty junkie should be without! Any suggestions on what you think & any products you feel should definitely be put forward let us know - eyecandyblog@googlemail.com
Next in is YSL's Touche Eclat Radiant Touch (£22.50), a world famous classic that revolutionised our complexions, just about every brand has created their own version from Clinique to even Lidl's (!!), of course the original always tops the polls when comparing concealers.
It's light reflecting particles banish dark circles under the eyes as well as any other shadowed areas, such as the sides of your nose to the hollow of your chin & the contours of he lips, instantly brightening the areas creating a flawless complexion!
For best results, blend over your foundation, apply with the pen & then softly blend out with your finger tips.
Also as make-up for men is creating a media frenzy with most cosmetic firms launching a new range designed for the male market, YSL have also created Touche Eclat for Men. A product that is sure to be popular, a light concealer that can hide a multitude of sins....and who better to launch the product at Selfridges than BB9 man make-up hero Stuart Pilkington. Stuart himself said - “Since leaving the Big Brother house, I’ve become increasingly self-aware of my daily appearance as I start to get recognised when I’m out on the street. I was sent a Touche Éclat For Men this week and have already started using it as a concealer under my eyes – its magic, I love it., it hides the dark circles under my eyes, especially before I go to my nans’ for lunch to avoid interrogation on the antics of the night before!”
YSL themselves say that “We have developed YSL Touche Éclat For Men specifically for men to help encourage men to use cosmetics as a skin enhancer, rather than to create a full makeup look.” Looks as though this could be a product to really take off, so no more excuses to be stealing from our make-up bags!

Maybelline's New Superstay PowerGloss

We all search in vain for a gloss that will last all day giving our pouts the perfect finish, well Maybelline claim that they've found the solution to all our lippy needs in their new 'Superstay PowerGloss'!!! The double ended wand has a colour on one side & then a high shine gloss on the other, simply add the colour first & then the clear gloss over the top for added sparkle! The colour will stay for 12 Hours & they also promise the gloss will stay put as well (although a little touch up of this may be required throughout the day I think...!). All in all defintely worth a shot, it will be out later this month so keep your eyes peeled!

Brand New Mascara From Givenchy

Givenchy have just released their new patented mascara in the UK this week "Phenomen Eyes Mascara' (£17.50), it has a small rounded head that allows you to get right into the roots & corners of the lashes creating a dramatic curled effect. Users have been raving about it since it's launch in the US, many saying that the brush really helps you to get all the smaller lashes & right into the roots for defined long lashes. It may be a little tricky to get used to at first as it's obviously very different from normal mascara wands but with a little practice you'll wonder why it wasn't invented years ago!

Red Lipstick - The Hottest Look in Town!

Red is the colour on every body's lips right now & it's the hottest shade to be seen in this coming season! All the celebs are showing off their rouge pouts while on the red carpet or out on the town including Gwen Stefani who was snapped dining out in LA last night wearing a vibrant red lipstick - a perfect example of how it can give a glamorous edge to a very simple look.
Here are a few tips on wearing your red lippy to perfection -
First of all choose your colour wisely, there are a few types of red, the main ones being 'blue-toned' (vibrant crimson colours) & then 'warm-toned' (with a hint of orange or brown), pale skins should always opt for blue-tones & dark to olive skins should go for a warmer palate.
When going for this look opt for a subtle make-up, bright red lips & dark smokey eyes are usually a bit too much, go for a light matt foundation & use a light eyeshadow either a flesh-tone or a light beige. Lightly line the eyes & define the lashes with some volumising mascara to make them stand out, it will create definition but keeps it simple. Go for a light blusher to define your cheek bones, just a light beige-pink or subtle bronzer.
Make sure you prepare the lips before you apply the red, they need to be in good condition (dry cracked red isn't a good look!), use a lip balm to soften them first, after this apply a little foundation with your finger tips as this will provide a base for the colour to sit on & will create a longer finish as well as a matt appearance.
Take a lip liner but go for one the same colour as your lips rather than a red, it only needs to be a guide for your lip brush & this makes it easier if you want to fill out your lips as well.
Apply the lip stick with a lip brush along the lip line & then fill in, blot & go over them again then blot, do this a few times until the colour is as intense as you would like it to be.
Take your time over this, it's not a job to be done in a hurry (!!), practise makes perfect so try out your new look before a big night out & wear it in the house to get used to it if you don't normally go for such vibrant colours - get it right though & it's the perfect accessory to any little black dress!
Two of the best red lipsticks to look out for are Chanel's cult classic 'Red No5' & Mac's award winning 'Ruby Woo' Russian Red Lipstick which was created for Madonna.

Eyelure False Lashes For Men - Just a Publicity Stunt?!

I have written a couple pieces over the last few months about the latest craze with 'Man-Make-Up' that is exploding all over the cosmetic counters these days! We now have 'Manscara' & 'Guyliner', not to mention a fairly extensive range of cleansing products as well concealers & bronzers now available to men, however I was pretty surprised to see these new False Eyelashes by Eyelure for men! The main difference is that they have an invisible strip to make them seem as natural as possible, if I'm being honest I think it's maybe a little OTT to say the least! I don't know of many men that will feel the need for false lashes, male grooming products defintely have their place in the market & will only become more popular, but these particular items are purely about the marketing buzz to get us talking about the brand rather than men actually buying them.... So will they be a sell out when they hit the shops this month (??), probably as I don't imagine that many will actually be on the shelves in the first place, however the rest of their range will certainly see a boost in sales after all their free publicity!

Autumn Trends From Mac - Natural & Honed

One of the popular looks for this coming season is natural but honed make-up & as Mac describes for this coming season it should be 'underdone, but well done'.
To achieve this go for a natural foundation & keep it fresh & 'dewy'. Also keep the eyes bare with a neutral shadow, use Mac Paint Pots in 'Groundwork' as the base & blend well across the lid & into the socket line, then take a light shimmer 'Mac Dazzlelight' under the brow bone to achieve defintion, finish off with a sheer coat of mascara. Lightly place a sheer flush of colour over the apple of the cheeks (fleshy part of your cheek when you smile), use Mac's 'Pinch Me' Sheertone. For the lips, make sure they're well conditioned with lip balm then with your finger tips apply a light pink lipstick over the edges of the lips 'Mac Pretty Please' & then use Mac's light gloss Slimshine in 'Funshine', apply & then blot. Sourced from Mac Cosmetics.

Brand New From Benefit - Benetint Balm

Benefit have just brought out their infamous Benetint in a lip balm, so you can now have natural rosy lips with added benefits! The new formula has more colour intensity as well as more shine, plus it has SPF Protection, Vitamin E & a Rose Petal fragrance! Be the first to have it & order on line at www.benefitcosmetics.com