Being the foundation fanatic that I am, I ordered Givenchy’s latest base product,
Eclat Matissime, from Sephora a few weeks ago. I was transfixed by its description as a long lasting, mattifying foundation that is also incredibly light and radiant (with SPF 20 for good measure). This combines the best of everything and, if indeed accurate, makes this fluid Holy Grail material!
Retailing for $51, this foundation comes in a one ounce bottle, similar in size and shape to Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua foundation. Instead of having a typical nozzle, however, this boasts a unique flip to and pump that neatly and cleanly dispenses a perfect amount of product with every push. I love this feature and appreciate the whole unit’s security when being transported in my makeup bag.
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| The flip top and pump on this foundation are two of my favorite features! |
I ordered #05, Mat Honey, which is described as a being for medium olive complexions with neutral undertones. I expected this would be a close match to my summer tan skin, but was surprised once I pumped out the first drop; it definitely appeared lighter than I expected! Once, however, it was blended into my skin with my Sephora Air Brush (cannot begin to say enough good things about this daily accouterment), the foundation shade deepened to a warm medium beige (about NC 30) that is consistent in tone with other foundations I am currently wearing.
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| I included a heavy swatch so that a comparison between what the product looks like straight out of the pump versus what takes place after blending. Note that the foundation gets much deeper and more difficult to detect once it has become fully blended. |
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| Givenchy Eclat Matissime Airy-Light Mat Radiance Foundation (Mat Honey/05) in the shade. |
The initial finish on this foundation is just lovely…it does really does live up to its dichotomous claim of being simultaneously matte and radiant! After applying it for the first time my husband said, “you look glowing!” which was a bit surprising, not because he lacks the propensity to be complimentary but because he is so used to me trying different foundations that I kind of thought he was immune to my constant experimenting in this area.
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| The Eclat Mattissime, freshly applied after a shower…the only other makeup involved is some bronzer and a bit of black eyeliner and the new Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Canvas. |
The coverage is medium-to-full and buildable…two pumps covers my entire face evenly and thoroughly. My two concerns are the heavy fragrance, which is typical of most Givenchy cosmetic products (but can also irritate my very sensitive skin) and the lasting power, which I discovered waned after 3-4 hours. These two elements have caused me to withhold final judgement on this foundation until I try it a few more times and determine any negative reactions (if any) to the scent.
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| The natural and subtly dewy finish of this foundation looks great for 3-4 hours…I wish it lasted a bit longer. |
Bottom Line: This is an exceedingly light, matte yet glowing foundation—these are its palpable strong points. However, the strong scent (that take at least 20 minutes to dissipate) and lack of staying power make mean the jury is still out on this foundation!
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| This image is just to show how well the foundation in #05 matches the rest of my summer tan body. Since it is mattifying, I added my newly procured matte black Chanel sunglasses to the mix ; )
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Comments (20)
Hello.I am in the market for a new summer foundation, may just try this one and see how it performs. Lovely post.
Thank you! If you try it, do let me know what you think ; )
Take care and thanks for reading,
–The Beauty Professor
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xoxo
Cami
Thank you, Cami…I appreciate you reading Beauty Professor. I will make sure to take a peek at your blog as well.
Have a great week,
–The Beauty Professor
I made my first Givenchy purchase in the form of an eye pencil recently and I saw this foundation. I am curious about this foundation since I like heavier coverage ones, I shall sample and see.
Hello Rola,
I definitely recommend getting a sample first to see if you can tolerate the fragrance…it is a beautiful foundation but is the strong scent might pose a problem for those with sensitive skin. If you like full coverage foundations (as I do, too!), you may be interested in also trying the new Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage BB Cream…I just got it this week and am impressed by the opacity, natural ingredients and pretty finish…much more like a foundation than a traditional BB cream. Full review to come shortly ; )
Enjoy the week…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Thanks for giving the pros and cons of this 🙂 The finish does look lovely on you, but for that price, there's really no excuse for it not lasting all day. I don't understand why companies put fragrance in foundations – it definitely deters me from using the formula
Of course, Catherine…I am always happy to provide an honest review! I agree…it is troubling to deal with fragrance in cosmetics…especially in foundation which is so close to the nose. This weekend, I tried the Stila Stay All Day Foundation (on a total whim) and was heartened by the fact that it lacks scent! The review on that product is forthcoming!
Thank you for reading…I look forward to your thoughtful comments in the future,
–The Beauty Professor
Can I ask what skin type you have, BP? I have pretty oily skin and have been reading reviews on this foundation all day. I'm very intrigued and it all sounds good, but then I read your review that stated it's short wear-time. If you have normal-combination skin and it only lasts 3-4 hours, I feel like there's no WAY it would last on my skin!!
Hello Becca,
Thanks for your question. My skin is normal to slightly combination…I don't personally recommend this foundation for oily skin due to my experience, but also because I know that the strong scent has irritated to sensitive skin of both me and a couple of friends who tried this. In my opinion, there are better foundations for oily skin out there (including By Terry Cover Expert, Giorgio Armani Maestro and even Stila's Stay All Day Foundation…all three are reviewed on my blog!).
Please let me know if you have other questions and have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
i am in a chanel b30 aqua, will the givenchy mat honey match my chanel B30?
Hello Amber,
I think that the Mat Honey would be perfect if you are a B30 in Chanel because this formula line tends to run a bit on the lighter side! I suggest ordering from Sephora (if you can) just in case, since their return/exchange policy is so flexible ; )
Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend,
–The Beauty Professor
thank you so much for replying!
My pleasure, Amber!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Aw that's too bad, I was really curious about this foundation :/ I do have a sample of the Stila foundation and it's pretty nice…but I prefer something a bit lighter in feel. I love the GA Maestro Eraser Dark Circle Concealer and have been quite intrigued with the GA Maestro foundation (as I've heard SO many good things), but I'm a bit wary of the oil content. I have very oily and acne-prone skin. Do you really thing it will work for me?
Thanks again, BP!
Hi Becca,
Sorry for the honesty on this foundation…perhaps it could be different for your skin! If you are looking for a foundation that feels lighter than the Stila, I highly recommend the GA Maestro…its oil content is an absolute non-issue for me and my skin has been free of breakouts since using it all month. I am beyond pleased with how well this covers while feeling like absolutely nothing…if you can get a sample or buy it somewhere with a flexible return policy (in the off chance that it doesn't agree with your skin), I highly recommend trying it! Like you, I also love the Maestro Concealer (I use it in #4).
I have posted swatches of all 12 shades of the Maestro foundation as well as a specific review of shade 6.5 on this blog…let me know if you have any questions and do take care!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Hahaha don't apologize–I appreciate your help and honesty! I'm definitely going to go try that GA Maestro foundation asap. Thank goodness I didn't open my brand new bottle of the Luminous Silk foundation yet! While I liked the application and finish of that one, the color I felt didn't suit me 100%–but it was either go much lighter or much darker than that and I don't want to do either. I've heard the Maestro foundation does a good job of adapting slightly to match your skin tone perfectly, so I'm super excited to try it! Thank you again!
Sounds good, Becca! Between the two, I think that the Maestro is far superior to Luminous Silk (which makes me way to glowy and provides less coverage than I prefer). You are correct…the Maestro does adapt to one's skin tone, making it one of the best matches I have ever had! I cannot wait to hear about your experience once you try it.
Take care and keep me posted!
–The Beauty Professor
Hi beauty proffesor i am from Peru, im 35 years old , my oily skin and marks acne.i 'm using now hourglass immaculate powder in shade ivory
I want your opinion if I should use something better and which shade, because not long wearing (4-6 hours)
my english is not good
thank you very much
hourglass not long wearing 4-6 hours
Hi Maryluzce,
The Givenchy wears less time than the Hourglass Immaculate so it probably won't solve your issue. I love the Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation for the longest lasting finish!
Hope that helps…xx,
–The Beauty Professor