Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

I mentioned on my Facebook Page that I was off to a Lancôme event, yesterday. It was a media briefing for two new products that are being released shortly - Visionnaire LR 2412 Correcting Polishing Cream (which is being released in Australia on July 29th) and the Gentifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye-Illuminating Youth Activator (being released in September 16th). The science behind both these products is really interesting and I will be sharing it with you closer to their release dates, but one super exciting thing that I can tell you is that these products are being released in Asia Pacific first which means that for once we will be the first ones to get our hands on a new product!  In the interim I thought that I would review my Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation.

Time and time again I have found myself disappointed with the foundation I was wearing. I would always see models wearing foundation in magazines and it looked flawless yet, whenever I tried it, I found that it was noticeable on my skin and I hated that. I wanted my skin to appear perfect but also look natural - not caked in make up. I had virtually come to the conclusion that the perfect foundation did not exist - that what I had seen in magazines was air brushing magic and not reality (and here is my rant on airbrushing if you missed it!). Well, it seems that I have been proven wrong! Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation is amazing. It leaves my skin flawless. Not as flawless as an airbrushed magazine, obviously, but it is so natural looking that my husband didn't even notice that I was wearing foundation when he got home from work.

What they say:

24-hour wear for divine, lasting perfection Following 8 years of research, Lancôme unveils its first 24-hour wear foundation for lasting perfection. With its new EternalSoft technology, Teint Idole Ultra 24H defeats all challenges. Complexion stays perfectly flawless and unified. Never cakey.

24-hour divine comfort In perfect affinity with the skin, Teint Idole Ultra 24H is irresistibly comfortable. Its new, blendable and fresh texture leaves the complexion perfectly smooth, velvety matte with no powdery effect.

Result The full coverage you need – flaws, pores, redness and all imperfections visibly disappear. The velvety finish you love for 24-hour lasting perfection and comfort. Full coverage. Velvety matte finish with no powdery effect.

Oil-free. Fragrance-free. Transfer-free. Non-comedogenic. Tested on sensitive skin. Tested under dermatological control. Patent pending.
                                                                                           

What I say: This foundation did not feel heavy at all. In fact, it did not feel like I had any foundation on at all - yet the coverage was quite high. I have some patches of pigmentation that really irk me - and these were made worse by the fact that I was pregnant and went to Hawaii - the pregnancy pigmentation was quite bad this time around and was quite noticeable. Not when I am wearing this foundation. I am actually quite shocked at how it can feel so light yet offer such good coverage.
 
It is a liquid foundation and at first it felt a little difficult to apply - however, on this first attempt I used my fingers to apply it and it just didn't seem to spread well. I then tried applying it with the Lancôme Foundation Brush 03 and it still looked a tad streaky. However, once I had set it with some powder (I used Guerlain, Meteorites Pearls), it was complete and utter perfection - there was not a hint of streakiness - just an even, perfect complexion. So, once I was used to it, application was actual very easy.

The foundation came in a glass pump bottle which was very luxurious. I suppose the packaging doesn't make it easy to carry around with you during the day, but in all honesty I never really carry my foundation on me - just some powder to blot the shinies away - so this was not an issue for me. At any rate, the foundation claims to last 24 hours so why would you need to carry it with you! I never took it for the full 24 hour test drive but after a good 10 hours of wear, my skin still looked amazing - very, very impressive. It didn't look as good as freshly applied but with any other foundation I have tried, after about 5 hours it has all but vanished so this was a massive improvement.

I have quite oily skin and when I first applied this, it looked and felt oily on my skin for a good couple of minutes. I was actually a tad disappointed. Even after I applied my powder it still felt a little sticky. I then had a few things to do so left the bathroom, pottered around, then happened to run my hand over my face. The foundation had completely settled into my skin and there was not even the slightest hint of oiliness. By the end of a full day's wear I am a tiny bit shiny but the foundation hadn't budged which is a massive improvement on any other foundation that I had previously tried.

Colourwise, I ended up going with 03 - Beige Diaphane and this colour had both the golden tones that I have in my skin but it also had pinky tones which was very true to my skin tone. I also trialled 035 which is very very similar to 03 but without the subtle pinky tones so it ends up looking a tad too yellow on my skin. I could easily get away with this shade in the summer but think that it would be a tad too golden for me in winter while I think 03 would work beautifully for me year around. You can see below how natural the foundation looks on my skin.

I can honestly say that I have found my Holy Grail foundation and will most definitely purchase this again in the future.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation retails at $68 and the Lancôme Foundation Brush 03 for $72 can both be purchased from Myers, DJ's and selected pharmacies.

Have you discovered your HG foundation and if so what is it?

All opinions stated in this blog are my own. I have no affiliation with Lancome and received no remuneration for my comments. The dfoundation and brush were provided to me by Beauty Heaven to review as part of their Trial Team.