A Surprising Stick Foundation

Last month, two new foundations from YSL appeared on my desk; the All Hours Stick Foundation ($88, launching Aug) and Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Foundation ($92, launching Sep). This is what they look like :

The Glow Foundation (the product on the right) has a light gel cream texture, and comes out fresh and smooth on the skin. It’s a natural winner, and even the brand representative told me that she has high hopes for this one when it launches. The Stick Foundation, on the other hand, and in my opinion, is less exciting and very easy to dismiss. I did. I put it one side until I finally tried it weeks later, and I’m so glad I did… it’s like no other stick foundation I’ve used before. It’s creamy, but settles into a powdery finish that doesn’t look dry or
“powdery” (powdery finishes can appear very dated). It brightened my skin (wow!) without any shimmer or sparkly bits in the formula (those are terrible); and my dark eye rings all but disappeared! That to me, was incredible. I can’t even achieve this with my favourite liquid foundations. Also, since this is under the “All Hours” range, it should have really good lasting power.

But I know, I know… it’s not exactly a steal at $88, so I’d recommend this foundation for those who are looking for a good stick foundation over liquids, creams, gels or powders. Foundation formulas are certainly an individual preference; but here’s another argument for a stick version: it’s practical; it doesn’t count towards your liquids when you travel, and this new YSL version is fairly compact and easy to toss in the bag and bring everywhere.

Again, what a surprise with this one.

YSL All hours stick foundation, $88, launching August 2018