It’s pretty obvious that YSL is one of my favorite makeup brands: I adore their Rouge Volupte lipsticks and their Touche Éclat foundation has been my go-to for years. So when YSL released my favorite foundation in a gorgeous gold cushion this past May, I immediately bought it. After 2 months of using this baby, I’m ready to share my thoughts, and of course, pictures!
YSL Touche Éclat Cushion Foundation Overview
- What is it
- “A lightweight foundation with a sheer, buildable coverage to give you a fresh dewy glow and a natural finish.” – pretty spot on if you ask me.
- How I use it
- First I apply the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer, then I pat this on as I would any cushion foundation.
- Best suited for
- Those with few blemishes to cover. Oily skin folks may want to powder afterwards keep your skin from getting too shiny. Dry skin folks will definitely want to use a primer beforehand.
- Packaging
- A beautiful gold case that’s sadly plastic and needs to be wiped down constantly to remove any smudges. There’s an inner lid that holds the sponge and covers the foundation, but neither the inner lid nor the case clicks when you close them, so they don’t feel airtight.
- Formula
- A lighter version of the original Touche Éclat foundation, which contains gold pigments to give the skin a natural lit-from-within glow.
- Texture
- Very light, even lighter than the original foundation.
- Shades
- 7 total, 5 are neutral shades with 1 warm and 1 cool dark tones. My match is B20 (I’ve also gotten lighter since my YSL Touche Eclat Foundation post), which is pretty close but still a bit on the cooler side.
- Finish
- A very natural finish. The glow factor and coverage are both not as strong as the original, but you can build by patting on more foundation.
- Size & Price
- $48 for the compact, $38 for the refill
- Where to buy
- Nordstrom, YSL Beauty, StrawberryNet (ships worldwide)
What I didn’t care for, ie. the minor details
I’m going to start with things I didn’t like about this foundation, and the first is the puff/sponge. YSL claims the “dual flocked” texture gives you 2 different application methods thus 2 different finishes, but tomayto tomahto – the end results look the same, so just pat, pat, pat the lovely foundation in and you’re set.
Next, and probably my biggest gripe, is the packaging. I love the gold and the rectangular shape, but ugh it smudges like crazy and the insides get pretty messy. There’s this annoying gap between the actual cushion and the case, so when you pat down the edges of the cushion get into the gap and picks up foundation, which then gets everywhere. This has never happened with any of my Korean cushions, so wtf.
Also, I briefly mentioned this earlier but the cushion lid and the case don’t seem to close very tightly. Granted it’s never popped open on me yet, and I’ve traveled with it twice, but I’m a bit worried that this may cause the cushion to dry out sooner.

I swear the puffs in my other cushions are much cleaner
Whatever, it’s still fabulous
Once I got over the quirks of the YSL Touche Éclat Cushion Foundation, it’s actually pretty amazing. I personally love the light texture and its sheer finish with a subtle glow – it’s the perfect canvas for my makeup, and I can conceal or highlight based on the look I want to achieve. For me foundation should be as light as possible to avoid the made-up look, so this definitely fits my needs.
While you can use this without a primer, I find that you get the best results with one, especially if you use the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer from the same line. The finish when used with the primer is literally your skin but better – super natural with a subtle glow when the light hits your skin. If you want a more intense glow, that’s what highlighters are for :)

Love how the DSLR captures every detail flaw of my skin *rolls eyes*
As you can see in the photo above, the YSL Touche Eclat Cushion Foundation does an excellent job of evening my skin tone, minimizing any redness, and covering small imperfections all while still looking natural. However, more obvious blemishes, pigmentation, and dark circles will still require a concealer, which I did not use. I applied 1 layer of foundation throughout my face and touched up with a second layer on my cheeks were I had the most pigmentation. You’ll see that the smaller spots are pretty much covered.
As I mentioned earlier, you won’t notice any glow with this cushion until the light hits your skin – and even then it’s a very subtle glow. It reminds me of how my skin looks right after I finish sheet masking – that chok-chok look that just says healthy skin. Yassss.
I’ve noticed that the foundation also lasts longer when used with a primer, and even when it starts degrading, it does so naturally without any caking. The shade does oxidize a tiny bit, but the difference is negligible, which is an improvement from the original foundation which turned me a shade darker at the end of the day. Oh and the cushion doesn’t contain the joke that is SPF15, so it’s flash photography safe. Woohoo!

I was wiping this after every picture I took because it would smudge. So annoying.
- Packaging8.5/10
- Color Range7/10
- Finish10/10
- Performance9/10
- Price7.5/10
This cushion isn't perfect by any means, but if you can find a shade match and you like the light coverage + natural finish, this is a total win. This has been a staple in my regular makeup routine and when I travel, beating out my other Korean cushions like IOPE and Sulwhasoo. For me, it's also an improvement from the original Touche Eclat foundation, and I will definitely be purchasing refills for this in the future.
Hope you found this review helpful, and let me know if you’d be interested in more makeup posts! I know I write a lot about skincare, but it’s nice to switch things up every once in a while :)
Icha
Sunday 30th of December 2018
Apa ini oily?apa ini cocok untuk kulit kombinasi?
Jenny
Sunday 30th of December 2018
I don't understand...
ekin
Friday 5th of October 2018
hi ! i would like to know if i hasnt used it for 2-3 month will it dried up ? i actually bought mine and i pressed little bit but i didnt remove the plastic cover on it . just wanted to know if i didnt use it for 2-3 months will dried up without i even using it ? really hope you can reply this ! thankyou
Jenny
Friday 5th of October 2018
I don't think so, mine lasted 6-7 months with regular use, so you should be ok!
Noelle
Monday 21st of August 2017
I still have yet to use a cushion foundation but after reading your review this sounds great. However, I do know that YSL lacks in color range so I may have to find another brand. Great post! -Noelle Elle-no.com
Jenny
Monday 21st of August 2017
Thank you Noelle! I'm really hoping they'll expand the color range for the cushion, it's such a great product otherwise!
Hannah
Wednesday 2nd of August 2017
I've never tried a cushion foundation. I'm tempted to try this, especially because I don't need much coverage (except for serious dark circles). Your bare skin is goals <3 I am loving your blog, you got yourself a new follower!
Hannah Floraful
Jenny
Wednesday 2nd of August 2017
Aww thank you so much for the sweet comment Hannah, really appreciate it and the follow! Definitely check out this cushion when you're at Nordstrom next time :D
Hannah
Tuesday 1st of August 2017
I've never tried a cushion foundation before, but this one sounds great! Your skin is amazing by the way!xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
Jenny
Wednesday 2nd of August 2017
Thanks so much for the kind comment Hannah! Cushion foundations take a bit getting used to, but they're so convenient and my choice of foundations now!