When I was at opening of the gorgeous YSL cosmetics boutique in Sandton a while back there was one ultra skin care item that really stood out for me so I was thrilled when it arrived at my door step – YSL Top Secrets Universal Makeup Remover melting balm-in-oil (R550).

Why do I love it? It works like a bomb and has become my ‘go to’ product for taking off a full face of make-up. Simply scoop out a little of the oily-textured balm and massage it into your skin while dry and BOOM it dissolves literally anything. Seriously. Not even waterproof products provide a drop of resistance. You can then use a warm wash cloth or just a splash of warm water if you’re in the shower or bath to emulsify it and you’re all done with a face that doesn’t feel oily in the least, just supple and clean. Also, sometimes when I’ve just got a bit of eye make-up to get rid off I won’t even bother with water. I’ll literally swipe it on my lids and then wipe away the excess using a face wipe.

The only other product I can think of off-hand that’s a close rival to it is The Body Shop’s Chamomile sumptuous cleansing butter but I can’t find it on their local site and haven’t seen it in stores in a while so I’m now not sure that’s still available in South Africa.

Next up, if you’re a liquid lippie girl, you should know about Elizabeth Arden’s new Beautiful Colour Bold Liquid lipstick (R295).

What I really like about these guys is that, while they’re a liquid formula, they’re not ‘slidey’ and have a slight stickiness to them so they grip your lips and stay put longer than a gloss, but with all the bold pigmentation of a lipstick.

I find Fiery Red and Luscious Raspberry are very similar looking but I most love the former. It’s not really red. It’s more of a striking orchid with a blue undertone that creates the impression of a whiter-looking smile. But here’s the best bit – it stains like a mother trucker – so even when the colour comes off you’re left with a lovely wash of colour. There are actually days when I put this off, leave it to ‘bake’ and then wipe off the excess just to enjoy the stain aspect.

Lastly, Catrice sent me a few items a while back and none of them really made a big impression but their new Pret-A-Lumiere long-lasting eye shadow (R79, Dis-Chem and takealot.com) is rocking my world right now.

It’s got a lovely velvety texture, the pigmentation is beyond and it glides on and blends like a boss. A real ‘one-stroke-wonder’, it’s quality is most definitely comparable to other brands that are three times its price.

The downer? It’s currently only available in nine shades but here’s holding thumbs the line blows up in stores and gets an expansion.

See anything you like?

Love, love

Leigh