There’s one thing I never get tired of testing and that’s Foundation.  Always on the look out for a new base, a new finish, a new texture…and despite Lancome having a huge range of formulas and shades, I haven’t used one of their bases in years. 

But, I was excited to try one of their new releases; the Teint Idole Ultra Wear 24 Hour Foundation SPF15 – this classic base is available in a whopping 40 shades.  

There are SO many shades and the online swatches are not perfect so if you can get yourself to a counter to test – do! It’s hard when there are so many nuances in the shades to know which one is perfect. 

This foundation provides ‘high’ coverage (I would say medium, build able to full) and dries to a glowing finish that lasts all day. 

Also a shout out for the matching foundation brush (£29) – it’s quite petite but has a nice dense angled head which is great for blending and buffing the foundation in:

There’s quite a nice tip that goes with this brush – if you can’t see the grey bristles on the side you have used too much foundation! 

Now for the base itself. 

I have shade 045 Sable Beige which is the tiniest bit light on my NC35 skin – it’s barely noticeable and I am happy to use the base without adding anything else to it. 

First thought when I pumped this foundation out – it has a nice silky texture, and spread nicely. It is effortless to blend and I think the coverage is medium, with a satin finish. One thing I didn’t like – the fragrance.  Lancome products are known for being scented, and I like that sometimes but in my foundation – not really. Certainly not the strong floral scent they used in this. 

However, it does fade thankfully, within a 15 minutes or so of application. 

I found this covered anything I wanted it to – pores, redness. I didn’t need to use concealer after using this but I felt that the finish was quite even.  It is not as heavy as Estee Lauder Doublewear coverage wise, so if you are looking for a lighter version of that, (but you still want some coverage) this might be one for you. 

Finish wise, my skin felt quite matte after application but get this – about 2 hours after application, my skin was quite shiny! I had my photos taken in a booth and it glowed in the images! So…this base is hard to define because I felt both matte and glowing in it. 

Finish:

This foundation overall is pretty trusty; I wouldn’t hesitate to use it for an even, semi matte finish. I know it will last a long time and cover up pores and things. 

It isn’t as suitable for me as my other holy grail foundations though, like my RMK Creamy Foundation for Mac Pro Longer Waterproof – but I wouldn’t be disappointed if I accidentally grabbed this one to take on holiday with me either.