Compact foundation is one makeup item to splurge on as the high end brands are far more superior than the drugstores. Whether you wear it as a full foundation or simply for makeup retouching, the new Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation ticks all the criteria for probably the best you can get in the market now.
It comes in Tom Ford’s signature ultra luxury case. The enclosed sponge has two different textures – the smooth side for a sheer application, and the velvety side for a fuller coverage application.
Texture and Finish
I was blown away the first moment I felt the product at the counter – it has the silkiest, most finely milled powder texture. The powder foundation blends in to the skin seamlessly, and applies evenly with no creasing nor patches. The coverage is equivalent to a sheer-medium foundation. If you apply the powder foundation with the enclosed sponge, or a fluffy powder brush, it sets even more natural than a normal liquid foundation. The finish is a clean and poreless version of ‘your-skin-but-better’ and semi matte that lets your own skin’s radiance through. For a fuller coverage, I prefer to apply it with a kabuki brush (or a flat top brush) that would cover most of the mild imperfections. The finish is flawless and porcelain-like in a natural way but not cakey and heavy.
Shade Cream
Lasting Power
As the weather is getting hotter in Australia now, I particularly love wearing this foundation as it is more mattifying than my other foundations. Lasting power is about 6-8 hours on me with very little oil coming through at the end of the day for my dry skin. It also doesn’t oxidize, crease nor settle into the pores throughout the day. For makeup retouching, the powder foundation also applies well on top of your existing makeup. If you have cream based products underneath, I would wait till it dries then apply the powder foundation on top. Otherwise they will not blend well.
Shade Reference
I am between NC15-NC20, and I bought the Tom Ford Powder foundation in shade Cream which matches me perfectly. I pulled out some other powder foundations including the YSL Touche Eclat Powder Foundation B10 (reviewed here), Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Powder Foundation B10, Tom Ford finish powder in Ivory Fawn (reviewed here) for comparisons.
Comparison Swatches:
Brush recommendations include (clockwise): THREE Powder Brush (more info here), Tom Ford Bronzer Brush; Suqqu Face Brush (reviewed here); MAC Blending Brush (similar here); CHIKUHODO Powder Brush
The Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation is available online here in Australia.
Labels: BRUSHES • CHIKUHODO • foundation • MAC • POWER FOUNDATION • THREE • Tom Ford
Finally got some time to update my blog after a busy week. Today’s review is for the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Compact Illuminating Powder Foundation SPF35+++ (Asia exclusive) which I can’t stop gushing about! It was the talk of town when it was launched last year in Asia, but I was just not that into it back then. Recently I was on the hunt for the best compact powder foundation, so I went a little overboard and bought everything on my wishlist and The YSL happened to be the most affordable as well as my favorite so far!
Packaging:
The YSL Le Teint Compact Powder Foundation is housed in the signature YSL gold mirrored case that’s quite prone to finger prints. The sponge that comes with the products feels a little cheap. I bought mine at David Jones (so glad that it’s available in Australia!). The case and the actual product are sold separately.
Texture and Coverage:
The compact powder is extremely finely milled so it gives a silky and creamy touch to it. On my dry skin, it applies seamlessly and flawlessly so does not look powdery at all. If this is applied by a powder blush, then it sets as natural as a good loose powder but offers much better coverage. I normally apply this on top of a sheer foundation with a brush, and it covers up the rest of the small imperfections such as pores and redness that your normal foundation does not cover. Otherwise if it is applied by a sponge, it gives more of an airbrushed foundation-like finish with a build-able coverage.
The Glow
Compared to the traditional compact powder foundations, this one gives the most beautiful illuminating glow but also helps to mattify the skin so it doesn’t make your complexion look flat and cakey. I love using this one on top of a sheer layer of the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation (reviewed here), and together they make my skin look like I have a beauty dish light shining on my face! Overall I would describe the finish as a creamy satin finish with a beautiful glow (not dewy) when it’s freshly applied.
Why do I love it?
The best thing about this product is that it does not oxidize, and makes your complexion look even better over time. I find my complexion appears miraculously brighter and more luminous after a few hours of wear when the oil starts to come through, giving it a more natural and slightly dewy look that I absolutely adore for my dry skin.
Color
I bought the color B10 which matches me perfectly. It’s impossible to swatch powder and hopefully my picture will give you an idea of how B10 matches my skintone (NC15).
Bottom Line: Perfection and definitely enhanced the performance of the Touche Eclat liquid foundation! I bought mine at David Jones, and unfortunately this one is not available in the US and Europe.
Labels: foundation • POWDER • POWER FOUNDATION • YSL
