Radiant Touch

In my last Korean Beauty Haul post, I mentioned YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat as my #1 foundation love of the moment, so I thought it would be fitting to dedicate an entire post to it. I've been using it basically non-stop for 3 weeks now and it's yet to let me down. Part of me always regretted not buying it duty-free when I was at Narita Airport in September last year, so when a friend was holidaying in Japan recently, I asked that she buy a bottle for me. YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat retails for a ridiculous $85 in Australia, $57 USD (about $72 pre-tax) or ‎£31.50 ($61), but I paid about $56 for this bottle from Japan. That's probably at the upper limit of what I'd ordinarily be willing to pay for a foundation, but I'd already tried it on a couple of times before and liked the result, so it seemed like a safe investment.

I opted for the shade B40 as it seemed to be a good match for between NC 20 and NC 25. Now I'm thinking whether I should've opted for BD40 instead. YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat comes in 3 different undertones: BR for pink, B for neutral and BD for yellow. B40 isn't a 100% match for me by any means (it leans more pinky brown than I'd like), but at the same time, BD40 seemed slightly lighter than B40 and I wasn't sure if that would've been an issue. In any event, B40 — while not perfect — is certainly good enough, and any mismatch isn't glaring or problematic enough to detract from my enjoyment of the foundation.

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat in B40

l-r: Benefit "Cheers to Me" Champagne, NARS Fiji, YSL B40, Make Up For Ever 118

You can see that B40 is distinctly more orangey than some other foundations I frequently use. I already thought Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in "Cheers to Me" Champagne was one of the warmer and darker foundations in my stash, but B40 looks to be darker and more golden brown still. NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji and Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in 118 are both lighter and more yellow-toned.

A "before and after", if you will. I applied a light layer of product mostly to my chin area and assembled side by side shots to show the coverage and finish of the foundation compared with bare skin. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I can definitely see in the photo on the right the point where I stopped applying/blending the foundation onto my cheek (I was only intending to demonstrate the effect of the foundation on the central lower half of my face). There's an area that's slightly more orange and darker than the more neutral and paler neighbouring skin, which shows how B40 is a bit off the mark for me.

My chin is the most problematic area for me in terms of small bumps, scarring, and uneven pigmentation and texture. The foundation isn't heavy and painted on in the slightest, but rather, makes my skin still look like skin while brightening the complexion, providing light-to-medium coverage and diffusing the appearance of imperfections. One pump is just the right amount of product to do my whole face.

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat is extremely comparable to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. To me, the two are very, very similar. I'd say the Bourjois is probably a bit dewier and weaker in staying power, but it still manages to mirror the best aspects of the YSL. Both foundations are particularly kind to dry skin, which I strongly appreciate, especially coming into winter. They're hydrating foundations that camouflage or alleviate dry patches rather than accentuating or exacerbating them.

The consistency of Le Teint Touche Éclat is somewhat serum-like in that it feels weightless, melds seamlessly into the skin, and is on the thinner side (though by no means runny or watery). The finish it gives reflects its high price point and makes this foundation worth the money for me — radiance-boosting, skin-perfecting, soft-focus, but still natural and not at all mask-like. It also doesn't leave me unbearably shiny throughout the day, though I do usually blot at the 2 hour mark like I do with all my foundations, focusing on my T-zone which can get overly sheeny. If paired with a primer like Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, oil control is even less of an issue. While coverage does fade a little by the end of the day, especially since I don't use face primers or setting sprays, most of it's still on and it wears off in a natural, non-cakey manner that doesn't emphasise pores or dry out the skin (something I've started noticing with my previous everyday foundation Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua now that the weather's colder and I'm sitting in a dehydrating air-conditioned office all day).

I initially was applying YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat with the Zoeva Silk Finish from the Rose Golden Luxury Set, but switched to my trusty Real Techniques Multi Task Brush and haven't looked back. I definitely prefer a softer, fluffier brush over a denser, firmer buffing brush. It's less work, feels nicer and there's less tugging on the skin, but it distributes and blends the product into the skin just as effectively. Set with a layer of Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder using my ultra soft IT Cosmetics Live Beauty Fully Complexion Powder Brush, and I've been very happy with my foundation routine of late.