I have this unfounded and biased love for YSL the brand, be it their leather goods or their beauty products. I have no idea why – it must be the sexay gold packagings that have dazzled me bonkers. Heh.

YSL Touche Eclat Le Cushion – SGD$92

Now, the official spiel about the puff:

Also, I had no idea the netting was supposed to show “YSL” (see the styled photo above)

I say…

The Packaging: A square compact with a glossy gold casing (which is a massive fingerprint magnet). It comes with the usual tray-airlock, but I find that the compact casing has slight difficulty in closing completely – it just doesn’t click into place easily and I have to use some effort. Note that it tends to get leaky if you store it on its side, so make sure you only store it flat.

The Scent: A wonderful fragrance that’s a good mix of floral and fruity – if this were an actual fragrance I’d be first in line to purchase it (I have the same sentiments for the scent of Laneige’s Layering Cover Cushion). Too bad it dissipates within a few minutes of application.

The Application/Finish:  To be really honest, I have no idea what is  a “sophisticated finish (see the above official spiel from the brand). Also, what is customisable radiance? The formula has mostly been set in stone, and I highly doubt the application can affect the finish (not unless you set with mattifying/glow powder/primer). It’s like saying you can get a matte and glossy finish with a lipstick as long as you apply it with a different applicator, which makes no sense.  As an English editor, that really sounds like a lot of fluff about nothing –  a bunch of words thrown together but with no specific meaning – and this comes from a massive avid fan of the brand. Hmph. Rant aside, this does give a beautiful natural and brightened finish – you can barely spot the makeup on the skin (even with multiple layers), which is very commendable. When freshly applied, it seems mostly matte, but in just half an hour or so, it sets into a semi-dewy finish. There’s also a cooling and comfortable sensation when you apply it to your skin.

The Verdict: This cushion foundation gives a really beautiful and natural finish, providing medium coverage without caking – it’s really got quite an awesome natural finish (your skin, but better). That said, it doesn’t have much oil control (which means it doesn’t bode well for holders of combi-oily skintypes like yours truly), and it also means it cannot hold up for long in hot and humid climates. The fancy schmancy puff that gives “two finishes” doesn’t impress me much either – I find myself using the puff in its entirety, and there really isn’t much difference in the finish.  Overall, a product that’ll work really, really well on those with drier skintypes, or perhaps when I’m overseas in drier climates.

Pricing & Availablity: SGD$92 (1 case, 1 refill). Tangs, YSL Beauty counters and stores.