Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch Compact Foundation SPF 20 Review

Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch Compact Foundation SPF 20 Review

Hi everyone,

This is my first product from YSL – the luxury brand, well actually, I have used a lot of perfumes from YSL, but that doesn’t count here.  It’s my first makeup product from the high-end brand.  With all those wonderful YSL reviews by Kulpreet and others, I wanted to pick up something from YSL’s makeup section. I first checked out their illuminating foundation, but wasn’t too impressed.  Then, I checked out this matt touch compact foundation.  I am a huge fan of Clinique’s Even Better Compact Foundation and this one is on similar lines, so I picked it up.  Though Clinique’s Even Better Compact is creamy, this one is powdery.  Read on further for more details.

Product Description:

This lightweight and soft powdered texture of this compact foundation evens out the skin and caresses the complexion with a sublimely radiant matt finish throughout the day.

Price:

Rs. 2770 for 9 gm.

Ingredients:

Octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) (other): methyl methacrylate crosspolymer . Talc . Ptfe . Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer . Squalane . Zinc stearate . Ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer . Lauroyl lysine . Boron nitride . Dimethicone . Zinc oxide . Pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate . Titanium dioxide . Triethoxycaprylylsilane . Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) unsaponifiables . Isopropyl titanium triisostearate/triethoxysilylethyl polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone crosspolymer . Glyceryl caprylate . Butylene glycol . Polyvinylalcohol crosspolymer . Aqua (water) . Propylene glycol . Hydroxyapatite . Tocopheryl acetate . Lauryl methacrylate/glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer . Glycerin . Polydodecanamideaminium triazadiphenylethenesulfonate . Dicaprylyl ether . Enantia chlorantha bark extract . Nymphaea alba flower extract . Cassia angustifolia seed polysaccharide . Gellan gum . Polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate . Oleanolic acid.[+/- may contain : synthetic fluorphlogopite . Silica . Ci 77891 (titanium dioxide) . Ci 77019 (mica) . Ci 77492 (iron oxide) . Ci 77491 (iron oxide) . Ci 77499 (iron oxide) . Ci 77007 (ultramarines) . Ci 77742 (manganese violet) . Ci 77510 (ferric ferrocyanide) . Ci 75470 (carmine). ] “7yt06-1 ”

My Take on Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch Compact Foundation SPF 20:

You all know how I love my Clinique Even Better Compact Foundation – it gives me medium to full coverage and settles down with a matte finish on the skin.  This compact foundation gives a powdery finish and comes in a very attractive (but tiny) sleek golden casing with two separate compartments, one for the compact and beneath that, a compartment to store the sponge applicator.

The packaging is very luxurious and the case fits into the smallest of makeup pouches.  The sponge applicator is very soft and blends in the product nicely on the skin.  I don’t know what’s with sponge applicators, after the first use, I don’t feel like using them again. Therefore, I am now using a soft powder brush.  It picks up a lot more product than the the sponge, but I am comfortable that way.

The shade that I picked up is not an exact match and seems a bit too powdery on application, but it then settles down nicely without giving any kind of “greyness” or cast.  The compact is extremely lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.  It applies smoothly and there’s no difficulty blending it in.  I am a bit disappointed with the coverage – it provides sheer and light coverage, does not hide imperfections, blemishes and acne scars.  The best use is to apply on top of your regular foundation to set it.  The SA had suggested that I could use it in wet form to get more coverage, but I am never gonna do that.  A little bit of moisture can spoil the entire thing I feel and it’s too expensive for a trial.  It does not transfer much on to phone screens.

Coming to it’s anti-shine and pore minimizing claims, I feel it keeps the skin matte for quite a few hours (3 to 4 hours in summers), though it’s not a long staying product.  It does prevent skin from becoming shiny and greasy for long.  Pore minimizing properties, I am a bit doubtful, but since it gives an even finish, the pores appear to be small.  It does give a radiant and luminous finish to the complexion and keeps the makeup fresh.

Importantly, you need to adequately moisturize your skin if you are planning to use it as a foundation because it emphasizes the dry patches on skin.  Since there’s SPF 20, it’s a bit of relief in this weather.

It’s a rechargeable compact which means you can get the compact pan refilled and that would be available at a lower price than this.  Also, this compact foundation contains talc, but then also contains shea butter and enantia chlorantha bark extract (which regulates sebum production).

Overall, I feel it fails as a foundation because it does not provide much coverage, it’s so sheer, it doesn’t do much to cover blemishes.  But as a compact, it scores in providing an even, radiant and luminous finish and in setting up the foundation.

Summing up the pros and cons:

Pros of Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch Compact Foundation SPF 20:

• Gives a matte finish.
• Lightweight texture, goes on smoothly on the skin.
• Gives a nice powdery, matte, radiant and luminous finish on the skin.
• Keeps makeup fresh for long when used as a compact.
• Does not break out skin.
• Controls oil and prevents face from greasing up for quite a few hours.
• Contains enantia chlorantha bark extract which naturally regulates sebum production.
• SPF 20.
• Refillable product.
• Comes in 20 shades.

Cons of Yves Saint Laurent Matt Touch Compact Foundation SPF 20:

• Does not work that well as a foundation, provides only sheer to light coverage, does not cover imperfections and blemishes.
• Contains talc.

Though there are lesser cons mentioned, I don’t think I would go for a repurchase.  It works well as a compact, but not as a foundation.  When I compare it to Clinique’s Even Better Foundation Compact, I would always pick the Clinique one.  This one, I would give it a pass!

IMBB Rating:

3/5.

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