When it comes to our beauty priorities, we’d say nailing a natural, healthy glow sits high on the list. In fact, here at GLAMOUR, we try every single glow-booster that comes our way. And despite the fact new base products promising serious radiance hit the shelves nearly every week, there is one particular makeup trio that is heralded as the ultimate glow-giver.
It’s likely you will have heard of YSL Beauty’s iconic Touche Éclat makeup collection before. The brand’s cult Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen is the UK’s #1 bestselling concealer and boasts a roster of fans, including both fashion royalty (hello, Victoria Beckham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), and actual royalty, in the form of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. The sheer, brightening formula came to market nearly 30 years ago and is still widely considered the best skin brightener around.
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Accompanying the cult illuminator, Touche Éclat Blur Primer is also the UK’s #1 bestselling primer, thanks to its supercharged blurring and illuminating properties. Containing the same light-diffusion technology as the Illuminating Pen, the lightweight gel primer smooths skin and boosts radiance to deliver the ultimate no-makeup makeup glow.
However, while the Touche Éclat illuminator and primer are already considered to be the most iconic glow-boosters out there, it’s Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation that really piqued our interest. For years, beauty buffs have raved about its ability to deliver a weightless, breathable and natural-looking radiance that lasts all day (it’s YSL Beauty’s bestselling foundation) and it’s recently had a revamp. Not only is the chic new bottle seriously ‘gram-worthy, the formula itself now contains skincare ingredients such as mallow flower and marigold bloom to boost skin’s natural glow.
So, with Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation having had a recent makeover, we thought now is the perfect time to give this iconic trio a go. The question is: can these cult products really turn dull skin radiant as effortlessly as the claims suggest? To put these glowing icons through their paces, we tested the three-step routine on five people of different ages and skin tones. This is what happened…
The Products:
Touche Éclat Blur Primer, £32
Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen, £27
Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation, £36
The Verdict:
Luca Wetherby-Matthews, GLAMOUR’s Social Media Assistant
I was beyond excited to try this whole range – especially the Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen. It has always held an iconic status in the beauty world, but I’d never tried it myself… until now. *Finally*, I get the hype.
The Blur Primer gives a serious injection of radiance into the Le Teint Foundation (as if it wasn’t glowy enough) and I love how luxurious it looks, with its light-infused gold sparkles. The result was an effortless, lightweight coverage and my skin texture appeared blurred and smoothed, while still retaining a natural-skin look (something hugely important to me in summer as my oily T-zone cannot bear a cakey finish in the heat). I also found my shade (BD55) really melted into my skin tone after I let it sit for a while – and was a perfect match.
Finishing my base with the Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen was the icing on the cake. The formula blends so seamlessly into the skin, without any patchiness in sight, and left my complexion looking healthy and radiant (and hid my dark under-eyes – yes!).
Rating: 9/10
Deborah Joseph, GLAMOUR’s Editor-in-Chief
When I first tried the Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen some 25 years ago, it was groundbreaking – a light-reflecting under-eye product that instantly brightens and alleviates the dark circles that often come as part and parcel of my Middle Eastern skin tone. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s been a staple of my makeup bag ever since. So I already know it’s a winner, but I was curious to try the new foundation and primer from the same range… will they be as game-changing as their big sister?
So, disclaimer: I’m not a fan of primer or foundation, generally. Neither are part of my makeup arsenal. Personally, I don’t use primers and I’ve never worn foundation because when I first considered it in my late teens, the beauty market was so one-dimensional I couldn’t find one that matched my olive skin tone. Colour, yes. Skin tone, no. I lost count of the number of discarded-after-one-use foundation bottles, only to find myself looking grey and ashy. I also hate the unnatural feeling of foundation on my skin.
As expected from Yves Saint Laurent, the packaging is luxurious and sophisticated, with substantial glass bottles, gold lids and embossed gold lettering. The Blur Primer has gold flecks running through it, creating the expectation of radiance; it glides onto the skin and instantly moisturises.
I tried three Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation shades – BD55 is the absolute perfect match. I wet my sponge beforehand to ensure lighter coverage but I needn’t have bothered. It offers my preferred natural look, doesn’t feel greasy or cakey (my foundation no-nos) and I can’t feel I’m wearing it at all (although it is easily buildable if you want a fuller coverage). In fact, it’s so lightweight that I wore it for the rest of the day – adding some under-eye concealer and blusher to go out – and I got told twice by friends that my skin was glowing. Which says it all really.
Rating: 8/10
Lottie Winter, GLAMOUR’s Beauty Editor
I’m always looking for that elusive ‘inner glow’ when choosing my makeup, but I always seem to fall back on full-coverage formulas as I want to be able to rely on it to last all day. YSL’s Touche Éclat collection promised the perfect balance between long-lasting coverage and a radiant finish, so to say I was excited to try it would be an understatement.
The gel primer instantly blurred pores and evened out my skin tone, thanks to its innovative light-diffusion technology, providing the perfect blank canvas for the foundation. The online foundation-shade finder matched me perfectly with shade B20, and it offered the perfect amount of coverage without feeling heavy on my skin. Having been sceptical about whether such a glowing finish would actually last, I was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t have to touch up my skin once all day (which is even more impressive given I was testing it in the midst of a heatwave). Finally, the Illuminating Pen gently brightened my under-eye area, helping to disguise dark circles and added a natural-looking dimension to my skin.
Rating: 9/10
Shei Mamona, GLAMOUR’s Beauty & Entertainment Assistant
It’s very easy to fall in love with anything YSL Beauty. The iconic gold lids and jet-black engraving will transport you into a world of glamour and opulence before you even touch the main body of the product. Of course, packaging isn’t everything, so I put my unbiased cap on to test out this Touche Éclat trio.
The shimmery gold primer is the perfect consistency – not gloopy, not watery, just the optimal velvety texture that left my skin feeling smooth and prepped for makeup. Don’t be alarmed by the gold specks, they don’t show on the skin like glitter, but leave it with a natural-looking glow. Moving on to the foundation, the unexpected heatwave gave me an overnight tan I wasn’t quite prepared for, but luckily the foundation blended right in, while still providing significant coverage to hide blemishes on my cheeks and forehead.
To finish off, I used the Illuminating Pen as a light-coverage concealer, because those dark circles are not going to hide themselves. I only needed a few strips across my under-eye and over my cupid’s bow and a little really did go a long way. With these three products and a touch of mascara I managed to do my ideal no-makeup makeup look, and that is any busy girl’s dream!
Rating: 9/10
Chloe Laws, GLAMOUR’s Social Media Director
These products have some big accolades. I’ve used the Illuminating Pen for many years, so I already know it scores a 10/10 for me – but I was itching to use the foundation and primer.
The gorgeeee packaging of the Touche Éclat Blur Primer really takes my bathroom shelfie up a notch on the aesthetic scale, while the product blurred and smoothed my skin instantly, and unlike other primers, it didn’t feel sticky.
NGL, I definitely applied too much of the Le Teint Foundation (word to the wise, a little goes a long way). I tested this foundation on one of the hottest days of the year, and along with the primer, it was a powerful duo against the elements – it lasted all day, felt hydrating but still gave me full coverage. Win-win!
I’m on the bandwagon already, like most of the UK – there’s no other product that makes my skin look so dewy than the Illuminating Pen. I use it to lift certain areas of my face to catch the light (under-eyes, nose bridge and cheekbones).
Rating: 9/10
The three-step regime is everything you need to create the glowing YSL makeup look. You can shop the collection here.
