Monthly Roundup #2

Ah it seems like forever since I did my last monthly roundup. I tend to steer away from doing them on a monthly basis purely because I use a lot of the same products on a month by month basis and it could end up being  a little samey. There aren't too many products that made the cut this month but these are a few that have stood out amongst a rather collective bunch.

After getting through a plethora of shower gel samples from beauty boxes, this month I returned to  a good old favourite which is the Imperial Leather in Japanese Spa. This is dead cheap at around £1 a bottle in fact they have even increased the bottle size meaning you get a lot more for your money. I adore the luxurious aroma of it, the fact that it lathers well with my exfoliating mittens and doesn't leave my skin dried out. It does the biz as far as shower gels go. A brand which I have rediscovered this month is Aussie and I now wonder why I ever strayed. The 3 minute miracle conditioner is probably their most recognisable product which delivers instant results. I have been enjoying this once a week used along side their Aussome Volume range. I don't think the Caudalie Beauty elixir is far from any beauty bloggers faves. I am now onto my second bottle of this stuff and I am contemplating buying the 100ml soon. After feeling a tad 'sicky' this morning a good whiff of this between my hands and I was good to go. Every other night I have been slapping on the Clarins Lotus face oil which has left my skin feeling rejuvinated after the constant change in weather here in the UK. I swear my skin does not know whether it is coming or going, one minute I am digging out the SPF and the next I am having to treat my skin like its winter. Madness!. Another beauty box gem was the Caudalie perfume sample in Thé Des Vignes which has found a home in my handbag. I usually point my nose up at perfume samples but this was a pretty hefty 10ml of a sample in a glass bottle with a spray atomiser so not your usual 'impractical' samples. I might have to pick up the full size of this. What would a monthly round up be without a daily face product and my must have of the moment has to be the POREfessional. I have used this almost daily for about a year now and it is by far the best primer I have discovered in keeping oil at bay. Another daily face product has to be the L'Oreal Lumi Magique highlighting concealer. Being a true YSL Touche Éclat girl I could never have seen myself straying but the former has slightly overtaken whilst the YSL takes a little back seat at the moment. A couple of MAC products which I have been re-discovering over the past month is the MSF which has provided just the right coverage daily meaning I can step away from liquid foundations. Don't get me wrong I am still digging out the liquid foundation for evenings but I have been going for the lighter look during the week. It also means less time applying meaning a little longer shut eye in the mornings so I can't complain about that :-). Another MAC favourite is Dame a satin powder blush. This was my first ever blusher from MAC and its still going strong almost a year despite having almost hit pan which is a rarity for me when it comes to blushers as I usually rotate the ones I use so often I never finish one. This is a beautiful dusky pink, think a lighter version of Well Dressed which is definitely one to watch :-)

 Are you loving any of these this month?

 

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L'Oreal Lumi Magique vs YSL Touche Éclat

 YSL Touche Éclat (left) L'Oreal Lumi Magique

When I heard on the grapevine that there was a possible dupe in the form of L'oreal Lumi Magique to the infamous YSL Touche Éclat my first thought was where can I get this from? I am a big fan of the latter and I don't think there has been a time where this has not graced my makeup collection with my latest being a sneaky purchase on a day trip to Harrods after being lured into the cosmetics hall (seriously this is like WOW, if you ever get the chance to visit I highly recommend!). Anyhow its an expensive habit at at RRP of £25 so when I spied the L'oreal Lumi Magique in Boots a while back priced at a mere £8.49 I quickly snapped one up in the shade light. 

Now lets be frank here, its not got the packaging to rival the YSL version by far and it has a twisting end which disperses the product as opposed to the fancy clicker on the YSL but on all other levels its a winner. For starters the brushes are very similar in both size and denseness with the L'oreal being a tad softer. Colour wise I opted for light whereas I am a shade 1 (original) in the Touche Éclat. I found that the L'oreal had a more yellow base whereas the YSL has more of a pink undertone in the shade I use. With the limited amount of shades in the L'oreal collection, ranging from light, medium to dark it would be hard to get a perfect match but this does the job just as well. Being a highlighting concealer this can be used anywhere you would get a natural highlight so I tend to apply under my eyes, along the bridge of my nose and creases and across the cupids bow and brows, all blended with a RT deluxe shadow brush. In terms of formulation they are very similar with the latter being of a slightly more fluid formula. Coverage wise neither are going to cover blemishes well and are designed to be used on areas such as dark circles under the eyes so I would not go putting either of these on your spots or blemishes as all this will do is highlight the area, not a good look. 

In a nutshell these are very much comparable with very different price tags. I still stand firmly that the YSL will never be beaten and will always be my under-eye concealer of choice but this is the perfect alternative without breaking the bank and is something I will definitely be re-purchasing in the future.

The YSL Touche Éclat is available at most major department stores and online for approximately £25. The L'Oreal Lumi Magique highlight can be purchased in Boots in store or online here for £8.49. 

 

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