New Foundations from Estee Lauder and Clarins

Foundation is BIG news this autumn/winter in the beauty world. It seems like everyone is launching a new base product – and all with new technologies and claims. More and more, foundation is becoming an integral part of a skincare routine, not just a makeup base.

Estee Lauder and Clarins are the latest two big guns to lunch their latest foundations. Clarins bring out True Radiance SPF15 foundation next month, and it promises to even, illuminate and perfect. Estee Lauder launch Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup SPF25 on September 1.

Let’s start with Estee Lauder, who also launch a new Sculpting Foundation Brush to go with their new base. Sitting in their Perfectionist franchise, the new foundation is infused with the Perfectionist Serum to deliver skincare benefits. Like the YSL foundation we reviewed earlier this month, this is quite a thin liquid foundation, and is a bit tricky to handle at first. I applied it with the new brush, which is contoured to fit the curves of your face, and it went on easily.

However, I did find it a little drying on my skin. It has a really lightweight feel, with a natural finish, and although it contains an exclusive Nourishing Moisture Complex that contains Hyaluronic Acid, it is oil-free, and for my on the dry side skin, oil-free is never great. It just doesn’t seem to want to play ball, which is frustrating. I can use this foundation everywhere bar my forehead, which tends to break out in dry patches. Not good!

The main properties of this foundation though, are anti-ageing ones. The Perfectionist Serum in it helps with fine lines and wrinkles. I am going to persevere with it, and see if prolonged use helps hydration. It comes in 22 shades.

So to Clarins, and their True Radiance foundation. This fine, fluid texture is not as ultra-thin as the YSL or Lauder new bases. It’s more of a traditional liquid foundation feel. It gives a full coverage finish, but it isn’t in any way heavy. It also provides a cocktail of skincare and makeup benefits, and gives hydration. I felt this foundation richer on my skin. It also contains Moringa Seed to help fight the loss of radiance by limiting pollution particles from settling on the skin, acting as a shield against a dull complexion.

It contains a radiance booster complex to boost the skin’s natural radiance and luminosity. Tara Gum forms a hydrating layer on the skin’s surface and combinined with organic marsh Samphire plant extract, helps maintain skin’s 24-hour hydration.

I really liked wearing this foundation, but will be putting it to one side for my summer holiday, and getting it back out again in the autumn. It really does cover up any imperfections, redness and blemishes, but has a lovely luminosity to it. It comes in 12 shades.

Clarins True Radiance SPF15 foundation, £27, available from September at Clarins counters and clarins.co.uk. Estee Lauder New Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup SPF25 foundation, £37, and Sculpting Foundation Brush, £37, available from September 1, Estee Lauder counters and esteelauder.co.uk