Okay! So here it is; I went to Sephora this past week and had a moment of weakness; I’m embarrassed admitting it, as I’ve been so fiscally responsible as of late, but I spent over $200 in less than ten minutes. They were having a huge sale (20% off, which starts again on the 10th) and I couldn’t control myself. That being said, I only bought products which have sat on my love-list for a really really really long time (this is the justification/denial part that they warn you about). I watch so many beauty videos on YouTube, and have such a hard time deciding if something that works for seemingly everyone is actually going to work on my super dry, translucent skin… so I decided to try a cult favorite for myself, the YSL All Hours Full Coverage Matte Foundation, which has received a ton of good press lately; this foundation claims to be full coverage, good for all skin types, matte, and it “instantly blurs pores and fine lines and provides uninterrupted flawless wear that looks and feels just applied…” Like how many ANDs can they fit in one claim?! Anyway, I put this foundation to the test and of course fell in love, you know what they say, never try on a wedding dress you can’t afford, or a foundation for that matter.

The foundation comes in really heavy glass packaging, which definitely feels luxurious; the bottle has a matte finish and is standard size, it has a pump, so bonus points there. I got the lightest color in the collection – porcelain. As a point of reference I wear Urban Decay All Nighter foundation in 0.5, Cover FX Natural Finish foundation in P10, and Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc. My first impression was that it was not nearly as full coverage as I hoped; however, it is definitely buildable. I guess the thing that really struck me is the fact that it felt so lightweight and just looked like my skin, but flawless, and blurred (it might be important to mention I did not use a primer, as I normally do not.) I used quite a bit of product, using a sponge for application, and applied two coats to areas like my chin, under eyes, and cheeks. I loved that the product didn’t make my skin look dry and patchy, which a lot of matte foundations do. That being said, I do find this to be more of a semi-matte finish, especially when first applied, as I did still have some life and luminosity to my skin; it does dry down quite a bit as it wears, but doesn’t feel drying or tight on the skin.

Another thing that really impressed me is the fact that this foundation made me look younger. It didn’t look cake-y anywhere, despite how much I applied, and didn’t completely cover my freckles, which generally give a more youthful appearance as is. I set the foundation with the Too Faced Ethereal Setting Powder and knew the real test would be how my other products sat on top of it. My bronzer, blush, and highlight sat beautifully on top of my base, and I felt like I didn’t have to use quite as much bronzer as I normally do, it went on completely patch free, which sometimes I struggle with certain areas being more pigmented than others. My highlight especially seemed to really stand out! The foundation did not settle in the fine lines around my smile! This is always the one thing that I feel like holds up my makeup game, my foundation will look great, but one facial expression and I’m left with visible lines of makeup, reminding me of where my future wrinkles will sit. The foundation was long lasting, and honestly the claim was true – it almost looked better every time I checked it in a mirror! It lasted a full 12 hours, and made it through a nap! The foundation did not break up anywhere, look cake-y, and it didn’t accentuate my dry skin, even after a full day of wear!!!

Overall, I don’t think anyone needs a $58 foundation, but I do think it is nice to have something for special occasions, or something that feels really luxurious and special when you put it on; that being said I will be keeping this foundation and I’m sure eventually I’ll repurchase it. I am still on the search for my forever foundation, which I imagine is something like love at first site, or finding your soul mate, but for now this is definitely one my favorite your skin, but better foundations! Side note, I did also really like the Too Faced setting powder, and think my under eye has looked more youthful and awake since purchasing the Origins Refreshing Eye Cream during that same fateful ten minutes. I swear I blacked out and cannot be held responsible for what I purchased, maybe I’ll do it again on the 10th – GUYS I NEED HELP! Stay tuned and see if my Sephora addiction continues to wreak havoc on my bank account! xoxo