These three words I almost always read or hear, LIT FROM WITHIN. That there, my friends, is the solemn vow that almost all radiance promising base products spell out for every glow-seeking consumer. It’s even taught to salesladies so that after they say it with well-placed enthusiasm “kaching” can follow only minutes after. To some, like me, I’ve remained a skeptic and scoffed at the phrase…until now. It has been used so many times that when you hear the phrase being used again for yet another primer, highlighter, or dewy foundation, you really fight the urge to roll your eyes. I’ve also said 4 words repeatedly to myself when those other 3 are in my face, “I DON’T DO DEWY.” Well, now I eat those words and am actually a bit floored because L’Oreal got this one quite right.
“L’Oreal Paris invents LUCENT Magique, the first light creating foundation that illuminates every inch of your skin for a lively complexion. Light, refined texture, oil-free for a fresh moisturizing skin finish. 24-hour hydration. Infused with liquid light technology to bathe complexion in a radiant halo, as if LIT-FROM-WITHIN. A new era of flawless coverage it lets light through the skin, naturally enlightened, your complexion is full of life (they make it sound like some sort of skin messiah).”
L’Oreal LUCENT Magique is the Asian name counterpart for the True Match Lumi foundation range in the States. I bought the LUCENT Magique light-infusing foundation from Sasa in Hong Kong along Canton Road for $HK 155 or about Php830. The shade G4 Gold Shell which is a perfect Asian tone for me but a quarter shade too tan, hardly noticeable anyway, I just balance the tone with lighter powder afterwards. It looks dark in the 2nd photo only because the shot is backlit. I’m not surprised that L’Oreal put out a light infusing drugstore foundation, seeing that L’Oreal global actually acquired YSL, the luxury brand now famous for its Touche Eclat Light Infusing Foundation ($US55) there may or may not be a connection between the release of this drugstore foundation and that luxury one, options for everyone. The message may just be that we all should get the chance to be…cough…lit from within. Read more to see how this foundation looks applied on me and how I was impressed the minute I put it on.
Here’s a quick before and after.
BEFORE
AFTER
This is two thin layers of L’Oreal LUCENT Magique applied with a Charm Luxe Flat Top buffing brush. Oh my, do you see what I see? Dewy perfection and that, I reassure you, does not feel sticky at all minutes after application it becomes soft and silky. I mean yes I do have clear skin, but I also had major redness, white heads, and small dark blemish marks on this side. This shade in particular, Gold Shell, knocks out excessive redness like nobody’s business, I didn’t even use concealer in this application. It’s a light to medium coverage foundation that is easily buildable and sets within about 5-8 minutes from application.
What got me saying “Wow” when I was by myself applying this one was how silky smooth the formula was and when I applied it it didn’t feel sticky, it felt thin and smooth like a quick absorbing moisturizer. I put this on for the first time with my hands in Hong Kong and it was so silky it felt super expensive. What impresses me is there is no evident use of micro shimmer to get this “illuminated” effect going. No apparent shimmer residue appears on my hands or anywhere. There is something in the formula called “Liquid light technology” that sort of acts like shimmer but less primitively and catches the light and gives it back in a sort of soft-focus sheen over the skin, making it look hydrated and fresh instead of oily. The formula won’t appeal to organic purists as it contains a well-processed mix of some silicones and parabens but I’m letting you know that it didn’t make sensitive little me break out in any way, shape, or form. This is a drugstore foundation that performs like a luxury one and I’m super glad I got it. I actually want to get one shade lighter for when I’m more pale.
