Trust Me: This Makeup Artist-Approved Concealer Brightens Tired Skin and Covers Circles in Seconds

If you’re currently on a quest to find the best concealer then you’ll know all too well just how many formulations are on the market promising to vanish dark circles, make spots disappear, or dial down redness. And while every now and then a concealer does come along that delivers on all three counts, in my experience as a beauty editor it’s best to have a few different formulations on hand depending on what exactly you’re trying to target with your makeup that day. Some days only a full-coverage matte concealer will do the trick for me, while others require something with a little more moisture. But on mornings where I wake up looking like I’ve had mere minutes of sleep, rather than hours, there’s only one concealer for the job in my opinion. Enter: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen (£31).

Hardly an insider secret, YSL’s iconic concealer is one of those rare beauty products that comes along in a blue moon to shake up the industry entirely—completely changing the game when it comes to product formulation. Launched way back in 1992, YSL Touche Éclat was a first-of-its-kinds formula: a skin illuminator and highlighter that was used to add light and radiance to skin at a time when matte complexions were all the rage. These days, we’re all collectively obsessed with achieving glowy skin, and products launch on a weekly basis to help us get that glazed doughnut look. However, YSL Touche Éclat remains hugely popular. In fact, six of these products are sold every minute around the world.

Take a peek inside basically any makeup artist’s kit and you’ll find a few tubes of YSL Touche Éclat knocking around. And it’s not just professionals who swear by it—pretty much every celebrity has wholeheartedly declared their allegiance to this cult concealer at one point or another. With the likes of Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle all swearing by it.

When celebrity makeup artist Nina Park does occasionally share product breakdowns, you'll more often than not spot a mention of YSL Touch Eclat in the listing—just like in this look she created on Zoë for a Saint Laurent Dinner. But Kravitz herself as waxed lyrical about the product too. When asked about everyday beauty products in an interview with Elle, the cult highlighting concealer was top of her beauty list. "Touche Éclat to even my skin out," Kravitz said. "I don't really wear foundation on a daily basis because I wear so much for work, but it's a great way to even the skin out, and brighten under the eyes."

But apart from the celebrity endorsements, what exactly makes YSL Touche Éclat so special and how do you actually use it?

What Is the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen?

I first tried this product in my late teens when the thought of owning the iconic gold pen felt like a bit of a status symbol. Nearly every magazine I bought or ‘get the look’ feature I read mentioned this product, but I remember being so disappointed when I tried it. I was used to using heavy-duty concealers to cover up hormonal acne and the YSL Touche Éclat was so lightweight that I felt frustrated by the lack of coverage considering the price point. Herein lies the issue—rather than a classic concealer, YSL Touche Éclat is an illuminating pen. Whilst it does have a sheer, slightly buildable pigment to it, it’s much more of a hybrid product that lies somewhere between a highlighter and a concealer. But once you’ve got to grips with that it’s surprisingly versatile.

How Do You Use YSL Touch Éclat?

This little click-pen product actually boasts a multitude of uses. You can apply it beneath eyes to brighten dark circles, on the tops of cheekbones for a subtle highlight, around the nose to diffuse redness or simply slick it on wherever you want skin to generally look a little more radiant.

"I use it where it is needed and when it is needed," explained Tom Pecheux, Global Beauty Director for YSL Beauté. "It is not designed to answer every makeup need, but for when the skin is a little sad and grey or you need a good highlighter with a little camouflage, it is perfect. It is a very gentle way to highlight."

My Honest Review of YSL Touch Éclat

Typically, when it comes to my skin, the areas that I tend to want to tackle are the grey undertones and puffiness under my eyes, discolouration from blemishes or spot scarring, and the general brightness. (Not much, right?) This is my skin totally bare after doing my skincare so that you can see what I'm dealing with on a normal day.

I'm pretty haphazard with my makeup application so tend to apply YSL Touche Eclat directly from the pen. The brush tip means it glides on easily, although I'd say it's quite a large brush so its hard to apply it with much precision. I tend to slick it mainly beneath my eyes and around my nose, with a small amount applied to the centre of my forehead and the tops of my cheeks.

Considering it isn't a concealer in the traditional sense, I am always blown away at how good my skin looks after using YSL Touch Éclat. Here I've simply blended it in with my fingertips—no brushes or sponges required—and my skin undeniably looks more even in tone and softly luminous too. While I don't think you'd be able to use this to cover a really hefty hormonal breakout, if you just want to bring down the redness of existing blemishes or minimise pigmentation then it does do a decent job with the added bonus of making skin look overall brighter too.

How Many Shades of YSL Touch Éclat Are There?

Originally launched in just one apparently universal shade (a sign of the times), the cult product is now available in 12 shades ranging from light to deep so that all skin tones can enjoy its brightening benefits. I use the shade 1.5.

Shop the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen

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This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.