New Year Test Drive: Chantecaille's Le Camouflage Concealer

Wahey it's 2015! A brand new year and a new start.

Just before Christmas I'd been on the hunt for a new under eye concealer. Well actually, if truth be known, I'm permanently on the hunt for the World's Best Performing Under Eye Concealer (answers in the comments box below please!)...one that does it all but without looking like I'm wearing anything. Tough call? Hey, I didn't say it would be easy.

A few have come along and impressed me.  No 7's Instant Radiance Concealer has long been a favourite and a welcome £13.50 rather than the usual £20-25 clicky-pen price.

YSL's iconic Touche Èclat (£25) does more for me as a highlighter rather than a concealer and about a year ago I had high hopes for Burberry Beauty's Sheer Concealer (£26) but found its texture to be too slippery, invariably settling into the fine lines around my eyes (I'd say this would be perfect on someone in their late teens to late 20s).

So imagine my excitement when I heard Chantecaille - one of my all-time favourite luxury makeup and skincare brands - were launching their very own under eye styli!

A new venture for the premium French brand, it was never going to be cheap...but would it live up to the hype?

After trying some on in Liberty (special thanks to Chantecaille's lovely counter manager John) I was immediately impressed with its consistency and coverage. Its texture is light but paradoxically  boasts fuller coverage compared with most stylos so a little goes a long way. It's also not drying at all (my main bug bear when it comes to liquid concealers).

As you can see from the swatch I went for shade '2' which is slightly warmer/peachier than my skin tone as I knew this would help to counteract dark circles.

Since I bought it I've been wearing it daily on its own or together with a light reflective pen over the top but I rarely feel I need anything more. The only exception is if I'm doing an evening makeup when I'll tend to reach for my trusty Bobbi Brown creamy corrector (£19) and full coverage creamy concealer kit (£24.50). I find these two products combined provide the most full-proof way to remove all signs of tiredness - a must when sporting a smokey eye or the classic eye flick.

Added Skincare Technology
The best thing about the Chantecaille Le Camouflage Stylo is the fact it's also an under eye treatment pen: its unique anti-fatigue tetra-peptide complex helps to depuff whilst sugar oligopolymers boost hyaluronic acid and elastin production. And the figures are impressive with respondents reporting a 46% reduction in wrinkles over a 28 day period. 

Basically, it brightens, depuffs and hydrates all at the same time. Good to know when you're wearing a makeup product all day, particularly on and around the delicate eye area. 

Now, I did warn you, it's super spenny coming in at a whopping £42 in the UK ($49 if you're Stateside) but when you find something that really works then I'd argue it's (occasionally) worth splashing the extra cash (see this post on the Best Mascara In The World).

I justified this particular purchase by taking advantage of my £10 Liberty Beauty voucher which meant I saved £10 on the RRP.  

Chantecaille's Le Camouflage Stylo comes in 7 shades and is available at Space NK, Liberty, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and online.

What's your go-to under eye concealer? 
I've heard great things about Clarins Instant Concealer (£21), particularly from beauty guru Sali Hughes, so am dying to give that a whirl, plus, I regularly hear makeup artists rave about Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer...worth a punt at only £5.49.

More soon. In the meantime, stay hydrated wherever you are. Nothing helps counteract dark circles than lots and lots of water :)

Be gone dark circles!

What causes dark circles?

Ladies, are you confused by how to cover dark circles under your eyes? I'm not surprised if you are. One minute we're bulk-buying YSL's Touche Eclat lest, heaven forbid, we ever run out. The next we're bombarded with images of celebs who've suffered make-up mishap #12: Reverse Panda Eye Syndrome* (be wary of over-zealous application of the wonder pen!)

There's one clear distinction which needs to be made here. Allow me to enlighten you...

YSL's Touche Eclat  is a highlighter pen. This means it reflects light (the best example of this is seen in flash photography when the flash bounces unflatteringly off the product leaving you with a stark, and very white under eye area). Highlighter pens are not correctors, and for as much as the clever marketing will convince you otherwise, if you have dark circles, these types of pens will not cover them.

Dark circles? You need a corrector.

What you need is a corrector. Correctors are matte and brightly coloured like blushers (think peach/bisque). They work by cancelling out the blue which comes from the veins which run under your eyes.

Corrector shade guide:
Pale skin = peach/bisque
Indian skin = orange
Black skin = reddy-brown

The Make-up Debate recommends:
1. Bobbi Brown Corrector (£17).
2. Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer Kit (£23; Winner of 'Best Concealer', Red Best of Beauty 2012 and ELLE Beauty Awards 2011).


The Make-up Debate's 5 Step Guide to covering dark circles!

You won't find a better concealer kit (Bobbi Brown, £23)

Step 1:  First prepare the under-eye area with a light, hydrating eye-cream.

Step 2: Next, press a little corrector into dark/discoloured areas using your ring finger (or a brush).

Step 3: Apply a skin-toned concealer over the top of the corrector. Concealers should be creamy in consistency (beware concealers that have dried out). Blend by dabbing with your finger until the corrector is covered.

Step 4: Add a little highlight to the corner of your eyes (but be careful not to overload your under-eye area with too much product) Tip: Alternatively you can miss out Step 2 and go straight to Step 3 - the highlighter pen - but take note; highlighters are sheer, not matte, so watch that the corrector doesn't show through.

Step 5: For a long-lasting finish, set with a light dusting of loose or pressed powder.

Let me know if this works for you!

* the image of Eva here was apparently as a result of Make-up Forever's High Definition powder and not Touche Eclat but both products produce a similar effect.