The Most Comfortable Foundation... So Far
When I say ‘stick foundation’, chances are your mind will have jumped to things like Dermablend or Kryolan. Professional grade sticks of pure pigment that swivel up and cover tattoos and scars. Things like that. Not so with Clé de Peau’s latest Radiant Stick Foundation ($130). In fact, I couldn’t be more shocked and surprised at how comfortable it was – for a base and stick product at that.
The new foundation is the latest entry to the Japanese luxury brand’s Radiant base makeup lineup that includes the standard liquid and powder options. Where the stick differs is in its texture, which is so silky smooth I’ve jettisoned it straight to the top of my foundation rotation options.
To put it lightly, this foundation feels like nothing at all on the skin. The brand describes it as a water-light finish that’s similar to that of an essence, and we’ve discovered that this is one of those rare occasions where the claims do hold up. Rather than apply it traditionally with strategic swipes, Clé de Peau prescribes circular motions over the cheeks, chin and forehead. Afterwards, you can blend the product out with fingers, sponges or a brush. We found best results when using either domed buffing brushes or duo fibre stippling brushes.
To be fair, the coverage on this foundation is sheer with a dewy finish – which is the probable downside to the unbeatable texture. It makes up for it, however, with its performance. The almost-moist finish of this base leaves a really healthy glow that doesn’t ever look like there’s product sitting on the face, and stays on firmly even after over eight hours of wear.
Two scenarios that this will work perfectly in present themselves:
1. events where you’ll need to be photographed at, and 2. daily wear in air-conditioned environments.
In the case of the former, this evens out the skin beautifully and creates an even texture. All you’ll need for a perfect base is to conceal with the brand’s famous stick concealer. Bonus: the natural look of the foundation is less ageing than a high-coverage finish and will photograph younger and more radiant.
For the latter, the stick foundation uses a mix of microscopic water particles to create the dewy feel on skin and oils for the smooth sensation. This hydrating mix in the formulation means it will keep wearing dewy and refreshed in drier conditions. Where most long-wearing base products are drying, this holds on to its namesake radiance.
