For me, the following makes a perfect base makeup product:
- Not oily and not drying, for fickle combination skin
- Light weight, with just enough coverage
- Enhances, rather than masks the skin
- Matches to my skin colour
- (And above all)Feels and looks like you’re wearing NOTHING.
These are pretty tall asks of any base makeup product, but, impressively, YSL’s magical duo, Touche Éclat highlighter pen and brand new Le Teint Touche Éclat illumination foundation tick all the above boxes, and so many more!
A massive 20 years since YSL released its Touche Éclat highlighter, comes the next revolutionary product, which is based on utilizing the effects of light on the skin to create luminance: Le Teint Touche Éclat illumination foundation. This foundation is unique in its ultra-fine, silky formulation that applies like you’re not wearing any foundation at all.
The slightly heavy glass vial of Le Teint Touche Éclat gives it that luxurious feel. The push dispenser makes is super easy and also hygienic.
The formula is thin and and blends out to a silky, dewy finish. Le Teint Touche Éclat does not use opaque fillers contained in most foundation. Rather, it contains ‘soft focus gel’. I’m not sure what this means scientifically, but the concept is that instead of giving you that caked on, mask like look characteristic of many foundations, Le Teint Touche Éclat is translucent, and ‘blurs’ out imperfections rather than cover them. This also means that the ‘coverage’ of Le Teint Touche Éclat would be categorized as ‘medium’. However, personally, I have always been of the view that blemish coverage in foundation should be second to its ability improve the look of the condition of the skin, such as texture and tone.
Le Teint Touche Éclat has a sophisticated skin tone matching system, with 22 shades that are apparently optimised to match all of the 7,000 known skin tones in the world (wow!). This is achieved by categorized colours under three undertone types, natural (Beige – B), pink (Beige Rosé – BR) and golden (Beige Doré – BD). I was sent BR50, light to medium complexions with rosy toffee beige undertones. Surprisingly, thought the person who picked my colour has never met me, and may have matched my colour based only on photographs, this colour matches my skin absolutely perfectly. I’m 100% confident that no matter your skin tone, you will be able to be matched to your perfect Le Teint Touche Éclat colour.
To really illustrate how this foundation performs, I’m going to show you my (*gasp*) bare skin!
And now the after!
With just a single application, Le Teint Touche Éclat dramatically improves the look of the skin on all fronts. Redness and imperfections are much reduced, skin texture and complexion look more even, and dark circles are all but erased. The finish is dewy, but far from oily, and gives a healthy glow. I also want to emphasize that I haven’t used any other products at this point, such as concealer or powder.
Le Teint Touche Éclat is also extremely buildable, but no matter how much you build the coverage, it continues to look perfectly natural, and almost invisible.
YSL Touche Éclat is considered somewhat of a cult beauty product, loved by celebrities, makeup artists and us common fold alike for the past 20 years, with one being sold every 10 seconds around the globe. Contrary to popular belief, Touche Éclat is NOT a concealer. It’s a a highlighter, primarily aimed at erasing shadows and brightening the eye area with light reflecting pigments to make you look ‘rested and bright-eyed’ – in other words, like you had the best nights sleep in your life. YSL Touche Éclat can also be used to highlight and enhance your natural contours, like the cheek bones, nose bridge and lips. More on that below.
YSL Touche Éclat comes in a beautiful bronze tube, a perfect size for your makeup bag and fits wonderfully in the hand for ease of application. The a black button on the back clicks to dispense the product, and also indicates the colour. Mine is number 2: Luminous Ivory.
The pen tip is sharp enough for precision, and is designed with a flat edge for even application. Clicking the black button a few times brings the product right onto the tip (at least 30 times the first time you use it). I think it’s a really ingenious design.
The highlighting effect on the skin is plain to see, without looking thick or caked on.
Like Le Teint Touche Éclat, Touche Éclat highlighter has an amazing skin tone matching system. I was matched with 2 Luminous Ivory “for fair to light complexions with yellow undertones”.
So how do you use Touche Éclat? The basic application technique is to dot the product onto the desired area, and then blend with fingers or a flat sponge.
As for places to apply, Touche Éclat is generally coveted for its ability to erase under eye shadows, as below.
Touche Éclat can also be used to emphasize and contour the face, by applying to cheek bones, brow bones and the nose bridge. Eyes can be brightened by applying to the lids. The appearance of fatigue and age lines around the eyes and mount can be minimised by applying directly to these areas. Finally, lips appear more defined and full by applying Touche Éclat along the outer edges.
I love that with Le Teint Touche Éclat foundation and Touche Éclat highlighter all my skin concerns and imperfections are taken care of, but it really doesn’t look like I’m wearing any foundation at all.
Together with its powerful skin enhancing effects, outstandingly natural finish and perfect colour matching system, I can’t help but be in love with the YSL Touche Éclat base products.
As YSL Touche Éclat highlighter and Le Tient Touche Éclat foundation are moisturising and have dewy finishes, it’s recommended that people with oily skin type use an oil controlling primer first to control oil throughout the day.
Findout more about YSL Touche Éclat here.
