Makeup Counter Apprehension | YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Foundation

Raise your hand if you've ever been slightly intimidated by the thought of going up to a makeup counter to get your makeup done? Who here has ever ordered online to avoid going into store? Me! Sounds silly, I know, but I always worry about going up to the counter, especially if I want the artists to try a product out on me. Silly, right, because that's their job. So, when the opportunity arose for me to head into YSL at Debenhams Southampton to try their new foundation, I decided to follow my 2018 Goals (you can read that post here) and say YES.

Because of it's out of the way location, I very rarely head down to Debenhams. With the likes of Boots, Superdrug and John Lewis all up in the main precinct of Southampton, it's easy to see why. But when I do head down, I fall in love with the store all over again. It's never overly busy like the central stores, and that makes visits to counters more comfortable, in my opinion.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the lovely Michaela, who was warm and friendly and instantly made me feel much more comfortable. Michaela sat me down, and we chatted about my usual preferences in terms of makeup. Normally my skin can be quite oily, and tends to eat through foundation quite quickly. As well as being oily, I do still suffer with some adult acne and because of this I tend to choose something that's mattifying and quite full coverage.

I ventured to Debenhams completely barefaced - eek!

The new All-In-One Glow Foundation from YSL is incredibly out of my comfort zone. It's billed as a hydrating foundation, with a dewy glow, that you can build up to a medium coverage. It screamed out as a big no-no for me, but I was open to giving it a shot. Michaela agreed that it could work for me, if we used the All Hours Primer to help keep the foundation in place. The base application felt super lightweight and breathable - something I'm totally not used to, and it felt great!

Once my base was applied, Michaela applied a range of face products, including cream bronzer and blush - another massive step out of my comfort zone. I was always terrified that cream products would be too over-the-top and intense, and that I would make myself look slightly clown-esque. Michaela showed me that instead, cream products can actually look much more natural than powder. I'm tempted to buy some, I really am.

Once the face products were in place, Michaela was also kind enough to give me a little smokey eye lesson. I love eyeshadow - I'm sure you know this about me by now. But I never feel like I'm particularly good at it. It doesn't seem to matter how many YouTube tutorials I watch, I just can never replicate the looks. But Michaela took me through all the steps of a simple, neutral tones smokey eye using the NU Couture Variation Eyeshadow Palette, and showed me what she was doing. It was so simple, and I think I should be able to recreate - fingers crossed.

I loved this eyeshadow look * Photo courtesy of YSLDebSouthampton

And my thoughts on the foundation? It really surprised me! It felt so lightweight that I almost didn't feel like I had any foundation on at all. It remained dewy throughout the day, making my skin look really healthy, which is always a plus, without me looking oily. And as for longevity? It lasted throughout the day, an evening out for dinner, and right up until I removed my makeup in time for bed. I didn't have to powder, like I usually do, and it didn't break up over the day. I'm guessing it's all thanks to the primer, but I was still really impressed.

The final look - something familiar, but slightly different.

I loved the whole look - a massive thank you to Michaela at YSL Debenhams Southampton for giving me a little masterclass! I've definitely tackled my fear of makeup counters - who knows, maybe I'll be back at a local counter for a makeup lesson soon!

Love Lexie
xo

* This was a complimentary makeup lesson, but all views are honest and my own.