YSL All Hours Foundation Review

My first foray in to ultra-long-wear foundations was with the cult-classic Estee Lauder Double Wear, in the matte face and loads-of-spots years. Super matte, unbelievably long-lasting, and for my oily complexion? A dream. However - have you tried to remove that bad boy? My face (and flannel) wept. Now I'm a bit more au fait with the joys of skin-like foundation formulas, ELDW sits rather neglected in my drawer.

But sometimes, you just need a full-on foundation. Weddings, loads of photos, a terrible skin day, or a looming date night - perfected complexions required here. Enter Yves Saint Laurent's new delight - All Hours Foundation.

Now this is a triumph. Modern-matte (not porcelain doll and other-worldly, but not at all dewy) and believeable, the formula is a breeze to blend and evens out the skin beautifully. I find it is forgiving on texture, unlike most matte foundation formulas, and doesn't look at all cakey. I would say it's a true full coverage formula, but is easily sheered out with a little moisturiser if you prefer a bit less coverage. YSL say the formula is waterproof and transfer resistant - I have to say I've not been caught in a downpour wearing this, but given that you'll need a cleansing oil to remove it (but no ELDW scrubbing required!) I would agree with the transfer statement. Oh, and it's SPF20. Marvellous.

I'm shade B50 for reference. Be warned - it looks slightly lighter in the bottle!

I absolutely cannot get enough of this. It doesn't crumble, fade, congeal or crease wildly - I have a tiny bit of settling in fine lines after 6-8 hours, but that's it. It feels like nothing on the skin and blends well with cream and powder products. I rarely re-powder if I'm wearing a trusted foundation, and with All Hours I know I can get a solid 8-10 hours without looking greasy (which is a borderline miracle).

It's going to take a lot to knock this off the top spot.

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