I blame today’s review post on Cara from Maskcara. I fully admit that I had been eyeing this foundation for a while over at Sephora, but when she posted it in her Birthday Makeup post I finally pulled the trigger.
That’s right, I handed over $57 to Sephora for Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation. And then I decided that such expensive foundation deserves to have a powder that goes with it perfectly, so I added the $47 Matte & Radiant Pressed Powder (note, this powder is now discontinued). That was a lot of money, and I have say, I’m kind of happy I did it. Ok, not just kind of, definitely happy. This foundation is all kinds of amazing.
First, you should know that finding your perfect match is tricky. There are a lot of shades, and while you’d think Beige 30 is lighter than Beige 40, there are some Rose and Dore options thrown in there so it isn’t exactly true (Rose and Dore are minor variations with a very slight difference in undertone). So, I haven’t even bothered to swatch it for you here. You too need to spend 15 minutes swatching the many shades on your face in Sephora. But, unlike me, I think you should take your top 2 picks and get a sample from the nice ladies that work at Sephora (they’ll put it in little plastic cups for you, did you know that? You can take it home!) and you should definitely take it home and check it out in natural lighting situations. (Here is where I ask why Sephora is lit like a nightclub. Why is it so dark in there?)
Why all of the color testing? When I put this on, I swear that I can watch the color oxide and get darker on my skin almost immediately. What I pump onto the back of my hand is definitely different from what I’m blending in a few minutes later. Luckily it does have pretty light coverage and blends really easily. I’m ok with my match, but I think getting a good match is hard with the oxidation.
Currently I use just a little of the foundation in the center of my face and it does blend out onto my skin very well. It hides imperfections, but it doesn’t seem to look like I have any foundation on my face. It just makes my skin look better. Similar to Touché Eclat, it has illuminating ingredients to help bounce light around, and I do think that the foundation makes me look more glowy, but I can’t really comment on it any further. I don’t shimmer or look like I have highlighter all over my face, which is great!
I’ve mostly been using the YSL powder with the foundation, and I am sooooo happy I found this powder! It definitely keeps my skin looking powder free (I love using a powder and not looking like I have any one), but it also keeps my combination skin shine free until around dinner time, when I finally start to look a little less than matte. That’s pretty much unheard of for me, especially without reapplying. I’ve been keeping the compact on my vanity counter, but I think I’m going to buy a second one to carry in my purse this summer.
What makeup have you splurged on lately? Are you as happy with your purchase as I am?
You can buy the YSL Touche Éclat Foundation at Sephora or Nordstrom.
Check out more tips, hacks and product reviews in the Foundation Guide!
I’m a doctor, a mommy and a bit of a beauty addict. If you let me, I can take 2 hours to get ready in the morning. Really. I'm on a quest for faster beauty that works!