YSL Touche Éclat Blur Primer Review & Swatches

I am a believer in face primer. It is a necessity for me. For one, it brings me a peace of mind when I know there is a protective barrier between my skin and makeup. It's the same concept as when you apply a base coat on your nails to extend the wear time and to prevent the nail polish from damaging your nails. Having a mature, oily, and acne-prone skin, I try to be particular about the formula I use. Usually anything that's loaded with silicone does not get along well with my skin so I was a bit wary about this new primer from YSL. And not only is it laden with silicone, it also has four different types of oil in it! I was truly expecting the worse but it turns out, I had absolutely nothing to worry about! This primer actually compliments my skin beautifully!

Touche Éclat Blur Primer is among the two products recently added to the YSL's Touche Éclat line. The other product is Touche Éclat Blur Perfector which I will have a review up next week.

The Touche Éclat Blur Primer is housed in a luxurious-looking glass bottle with a pump dispenser covered by a reflective gold cap. The pump works well and dispenses the perfect amount of product without creating a mess. YSL is known for their exquisite taste when it comes to packaging design and this bottle reaffirms it. It just looks so pretty sitting on the vanity and makes me want to reach for it every day! For frequent travelers, you might want to decant it into a smaller container, though, since the glass bottle is quite hefty!

The Touche Éclat Blur Primer is supposed to add radiance, smooth and even out (“blur”) skin's texture and tone as well as minimize the appearance of pores. Pretty generic claims for a face primer but there are actually a few things that make this primer stand out from the rest!

1. It has gold flecks suspended in it! Lots and lots of gold flecks!
   This fact alone will either lure you in or make you run in the opposite direction! Obviously I am the former. A primer with gold flecks?! Yes, please! The gold particles may look plenty in the bottle but rest assured, once the product is fully blended into the skin, you will have a hard time detecting the gold flecks unless you look really closely on the skin with a magnifying mirror. From a normal distance, you won't be able to tell that there's anything on your face at all. Plus, they will mostly be covered by your foundation anyway. It does seem to add a hint of subtle glow to bare skin but nothing of unusual or glittery effect!
2. It is (heavily) silicone-based so your skin is guaranteed a smooth, velvety finish every time.
   With any silicone-laden primer, you can expect an ultra smoothing finish on your skin. But the common caveat is it can feel heavy on the skin. This one is different in the sense that it actually feels barely-there. It doesn't feel like it's just sitting on the skin but rather becomes one with it. Part of the reason may be due to its highly slippery texture that spreads to a thin layer so easily, so I only need just a tiny amount (less than half a pump) to cover my entire face.
3. It contains four different oil types — corn oil, apricot kernel oil, passiflora oil, and rice bran oil — to keep your skin extra soft and nourished.
   So much oil! I was seriously expecting my face to become an oily mess after application but that's just never happened! I live in a tropical weather and I have oily skin but never once have I felt my skin was oily or greasy from using this primer. I have a feeling those with dry skin will appreciate this primer even more.
4. It smells amazing!
   It has a strong but not overpowering floral (rose?) scent that lingers for a good 10-15 minutes. Those who are sensitive to fragrances may want to sample it first, though, as fragrance is listed as early as the third ingredient on the list! As for me, I'm not bothered by it and I actually find the rose scent divine!

In terms of performance, I do find the “blurring” claim to be true. As you will see in my full-face photo below that fine lines and texture on my forehead appear softened. Pores on my right nose and inner cheek are visibly minimized. My skin overall looks much smoother and less textured. Dry spots are conditioned and concealed. It seems to be mattifying my skin as well as adding a bit of radiance, too! Also notice how my face doesn't look shiny or oily or greasy one bit?

However, what it doesn't seem to do well is even out discoloration and redness on my cheeks as I fail to see any noticeable improvement on those areas. This is technically to be expected, though, since this product is apparently just a transparent primer without any pigment to disguise discoloration. If you are expecting oil control, well, unfortunately I don't see much of a difference as my face would still get dewy on the T-zone similar to when I don't have the primer on. I'm just happy that at least it doesn't exacerbate the situation! As for irritation, I'm happy to report that it hasn't caused me breakout at all so far!

Initial reviews of this product have led me to believe that I was going to be sorely disappointed by it but my own experience has proven to be opposite. I think the key to using it successfully is you have to use very little amount. When it comes to primer, I find less is better. The silicone-gel texture spreads extremely well so there's no reason to pack it on, a thin layer is plenty. Too much and you may risk the product oiling/greasing up. I also find that if you let it dry down for a few minutes after application, it will set to a non-detectable finish (most silicone primers don't ever set in my experience) that helps your foundation glide on better and adhere to the skin better, thus improving the makeup wear time.

If you are curious about this primer, Sephora is giving out a free sample right now with your order of US$25 or more. Just enter the promotion code VIBBLUR at checkout. The sample is deluxe-size and also comes with a sample-size Touche Éclat Blur Perfector!

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