The Tamesis
Designed to melt into skin instantly, all of these ingredients are spun into a lightweight cream that deposits medium, buildable, glossy-matte coverage that lasts up to 16 hours. While “Glow-in-the-Dark Matte” might feel like an oxymoron, it does hint at the best of both finishes. Natural coverage without a “glow” effect, in a way that feels controlled — “making skin look balanced and toned just right without too much shine or texture.” Regardless, it’s this contrast that inspired the foundation bottle: frosted on one end, sheer on the other.
As for the shades, there are 34 shades to choose from, covering five color intensities from light to dark. Then, there are three undertones within each intensity level: cool, neutral and warm; this allows the collection to suit a variety of skin tones.
Our Experience with Hermès Plein Air Luminous Matte Skin Care Foundation
I was always skeptical and previewed this foundation with an open mind. I have a medium-dark skin tone with neutral-leaning undertones, which formulators tend to forget when it comes to shade ranges, so I often have to use colors that are too warm. Well, sitting on the makeup artist’s stool at Hermès headquarters, I’m recording myself while the pros start applying foundation. Looking at my face through the camera, I kid you not, I can’t tell where my skin ends and foundation begins. Such accurate shades can be attributed to two things: first, Hermès designed the collection based on in-depth research into the six universal phototypes (phototypes 1 to 6) from lightest to darkest; secondly, the formula is designed to adapt seamlessly to a variety of skin tones, creating a refined look that closely matches everyone’s skin tone. Luckily, I walked away from the appointment with amazing foundation.
A week later, holding the original 63W lamp in its signature orange box, I can’t stop thinking about the ton of information I gleaned from the preview. Not only does Plein Air adjust to your skin tone, it also adapts to your skin’s needs while you wear it, ensuring 16 hours of comfortable wear. So before going to work, I did a wear test myself.
Just before heading to the office, I apply a pump of foundation to the back of my hand and use the matching Le Perfecteur Angled Complexion Brush to blend the product into my skin. I’m convinced Fashion’s senior beauty and health editor joined me to try it out, and she described how it wears perfectly. “I like to think of makeup as painting,” she says. “Sometimes, I want a painting with tons of coverage. Sometimes, we get abstract. And the Hermès foundation is like a soft watercolor, with a thin formula that has a soft, skin-perfecting tint that makes an impact in one swipe, but the wearer won’t notice.”
The results it delivers are unlike any other product I’ve tried. It smoothes and blurs like a matte formula without giving up skin’s natural glow. Below is a selfie I took at 8:37 a.m. after applying foundation, a little concealer, and blush. I chose not to use setting powder and primer to see how my skin tone faded on its own. You’ll notice a shimmer on my forehead and cheeks, which is perfect for me to keep the skin I love but with a better look, similar to my usual weekday look with just concealer.
