Guerlain has recently expanded the Terracotta family with their first complexion product for the range: Terracotta Le Teint. In keeping with the line’s aesthetic of mimicking that “healthy healthy glow”, you could consider this less a conventional foundation, but more along the lines of a complexion enhancer … and I’m ALL about that vibe.
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Terracotta Le Teint Healthy Glow Foundation (CAN $72.00/each) | Housed in a smooth frosted glass bottle, the connection to the Terracotta range can be immediately seen via the faux tortoiseshell cap which echos the compact case of the brand’s iconic bronzing powder. The formula is infused with hydrating Argan Oil along with 95% naturally-derived ingredients, mindfully sourced and thoroughly researched to provide maximum skin-caring benefits. What makes this product unique, is that while it has the fluidity of a liquid, it manages to combine the precision of a powder, for a finish that’s velvety smooth yet still lightly luminous. Incredibly lightweight-feeling upon the skin, it provides buildable light to medium coverage which happily will not settle in fine lines, or oxidize throughout wear. Speaking of wear, it’s said to last up to 24 hours and while you won’t catch me wearing any product except skincare that long, it’s good to know that this foundation will stay the course. The range is available in 30 shades with 3 undertones (Neutral, Cool, Warm) and the formula also contains colour-adapting properties, meaning it basically self-adjusts to your skin tone to provide your best match. Lightly scented, but one which dissipates quickly after application.
When it comes to Guerlain foundations, I typically fall between 3N and 3.5N (dependant on the time of year, and whether my skin is lightly tanned or not) and as there can be a colour leap between the two shades, I’ve been known to “cocktail” my foundations when needed. Maybe it’s due to the colour-adapting properties of this foundation, I was surprised to find that 3N appeared a touch light upon initial application, but within minutes it had seamlessly adapted to my skin tone, forming an excellent match. Even my daughter recently commented on how good this foundation looked, claiming that it almost provided a “filtered” effect. I’ll take that as an excellent sign!
- 3N Neutral – medium skin with neutral beige undertones
- 3.5N Neutral – medium skin with neutral beige undertones (a hint deeper than 3N)
Kabuki Foundation Brush (CAN $74.00) | Guerlain has created this Kabuki Brush to be used with their liquid foundations, and you have to admit: it’s darn cute. The short wood handle is ergonomically created and helps with precision application — to a degree. The synthetic bristles are soft and quite dense, meaning any product can easily sit at the top and not get sucked down into their depths. As to actual application, I tested this brush two ways: first used to apply the foundation all over (product applied directly onto brush, or picked up from the back of my hand) and secondly used only to buff the foundation into my skin. While both methods work, I definitely prefer using this as a buffer — mainly because you can’t get the true precision needed for trickier areas such (ie: around the nose) by using a brush this dense. When used in a buffing capacity, it yields the most perfect, flawless-looking velvety finish.
Pairing the Terracotta Le Teint with any Guerlain Terracotta powder (above: Terracotta Light in 03 Medium Warm, reviewed here) equals a match made in heaven
For the swatches, I opted to compare Terracotta Le Teint to Guerlain’s Parure Gold Skin Matte, primarily because I have the same shade matches and I wanted to keep it within the same brand. What seems obvious to me, is that even though the colour families appear very close, Terracotta Le Teint is a touch rosier in comparison to the more golden undertones of Parure. Texturally they feel the same in liquid form, but the dry down has differences, with Terracotta Le Teint showing more luminosity.
Blended out the shade differentiation is still visible and while the finish on both is similar, there’s a hint more sheen with Terracotta Le Teint and the wear is much lighter-feeling as well.
I may be biased because I adore this brand and have been a loyal user for many years, as well as being a die-hard fan of the Terracotta range since forever, but I still find myself surprised by how much I like this foundation. I prefer my coverage to lean on the lighter side and what’s great about this, is that you can certainly sheer it out, but still feel comfortable knowing your skin looks perfectly even-toned and never feels weighed down. A welcome addition and definitely worthy of the Terracotta name, indeed.
Available At Sephora, The Bay, Holt Renfrew and online
Kindly provided by Guerlain for my unbiased consideration
