Many years ago, when the Garden Pharmacy was still a store rather then an online retailer, and before I discovered YouTube, there was a brand that was on my radar but I never dipped into. T Le Clerc, named after Teophille Le Clerc, the pharmacist who started the brand back in 1881. The product most associated with the brand is their banana powder. A yellow powder that was finely milled and used for brightening on caucasion skintones. Like I say – I never tried it but it was always a brand that was talked about with much reverence by the people that knew about it. Fast forward to last year, and my introduction to My Showcase from the lovely Dija at Dijas World. Take a look at my review here There on her table of delights were T Le Clerc nail polishes. Beautiful colours with a lovely formula.
So imagine my delight to find out the T Le Clerc is now available in selected Marks and Spencer stores as well as having a UK website
I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the limited edition AW15 collection Ombre Divine which is launching exclusively on the brand’s website next week. MUA Eduardo Rodrigues who has been with the brand for fifteen years who talked us through the range, giving us hints and tips about application as well as a sneaky peek of the Christmas collection!
Divine Poudre Compacte (£36)
The T Le Clerc brand is known for it’s powders. The loose powders are still blended by hand and colour matched by eye to a formula only known by two people in the world. This Limited Edition pressed powder has three shades in the pan. Beige, beige rose and canelle and it is beautifully embossed with the initials of the brand. T Le Clerc say that you can use the three different shades to gently contour the face. With my rich skin tone I cant and in all honesty, I thought that I would not be able to use this powder at all. It is very finely milled however so with a light touch and a fluffy brush, I have found that it works well to set under eye concealer. If I am going to use it across my whole face, I have to be very very light handed with it because as well as mattifying the skin it also shows up any dry patches if you over do it. Porcelein, ivory light and fair beauties – this is definitely one for you.
Exquisite Lipstick (£21) Exquis Pourpre
The jumbo lip pencil is a trend that is not going anywhere. T Le Clerc’s interpretation is a range of pretty red tones which are pigmented and apply with a glossy feel and texture are long lasting and dry down to a beautiful stain. My love of purple lets me know that pourpre is purple in french. This is not a berry tone on me however. (My skintone absorbs blue which is why my search for the perfect purple shade is not straightforward). Eduardo demonstrated the colour on the lips… and then the cheeks – so far so good. Then he placed the colour on the eyes. In between the brow bone and the mobile lid he placed a generous amount of red. Controversial. If you have a pale complexion you will need to choose the tone of red carefully as you do not want to look like you have been in a fight. If you have dark skin like me, a touch of red on the lids is a bit of genius. Blend it out. Please blend it out! Applying the lipstick there is a great alternative to using a transition shade as the texture and the tone give a flush to the area. As a glasses wearer any additional attention that I can bring to my eyes is always welcome.
Ombre Divine – Pourpre Vanite (£20)
Woop woop more purple! This time in a cream eye shadow with lots of glimmer and sparkle. This purple translate to more lavender grey on my skin. The colour is buildable so it can be worn as a wash of colour or as intense sparkle. On application it feels cool on the lids. You can apply it with the fingers, but I would recommend a brush for more precise application. You don’t need a primer as it does not crease on the lids, but I used one anyway. My favourite way to apply it is over an imperial purple cream shadow to amplify the purple tone. Gorgeous!
Effect Boom Mascara (£22)
One of my favourite parts of the launch was listening to Eduardo with his glorious French accent explaining how women wanted the lashes to have ‘ze booom effect’. Mascara a real make or break product. The shape of the brush and the fact that the formula is quite wet made me think that I would not like it. I was wrong. Despite the wet formula I manage not to get this product on my eyelids which is a great start. There is beeswax in the formula which gives it a bit of gloss but also means that it is not brittle on the lashes. You get volume, as you would expect with a brush that shape but the reason I like this mascara so much is for the length… and because it is buildable a false lash look is achievable.
T Le Clerc Radiant Perfector (£26)
It is not part of the Ombre Divine Collection but worth a mention. There isn’t a shade for my skintone (side eye) but I saw the product demonstrated and it is pretty impressive. The formula is creamy and there is no shimmer so it provides soft highlight.
Vao Lingot Nail Colour (12)
Christmas with T Le Clerc will be ‘Chic and Gold’. There is a powder that can be used on the hair, face and body with a super soft kabuki brush in a lovely gift set coming (£40) but I thought I would mention nails as it is a product that the brand does really well. This is a wearable yellow gold shade that it opaque on the first coat (two coats are better though!)
In France, T Le Clerc is a pharmacy brand but it feels much more luxe than other pharmacy make up ranges. I think that Marks and Spencer is a great home for the brand and I am sure it will do well. If you have a large M&S near you it is definitely worth checking the range out. Despite the lack of complexion shades for me their colour products have won me over. The nail varnishes are great but I would really recommend the mascara.