Whenever I was searching for a good foundation to add to my professional makeup kit, everyone kept talking about Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Luminous Matte foundation. I will admit, I only have one Yves Saint Laurent makeup product, so I didn't have much of a reference for the brand. But all the hype persuaded me to try it and I'm glad I did, because it's now my favorite foundation ever. 

Packaging

It comes in a heavy glass matte bottle with black plastic cap and YSL gold initials that are 3D printed on it. The pump has small hole which lets you pump out small amount. It works perfectly and I like that you can control the amount. It's packaging appropriate for a high end brand.

In it is 25 ml of product and the price is from 40-60€. I got it the cheapest when it was on sale on Lookfantastic for about 35€ (usually 45€), while in some online shops it can sell for over 60€. Such a huge price difference calls for some research before you buy it. I will say this is more expensive than what I am usually willing to pay for a foundation, because most foundations have 30 ml of product.

Formula

It's a thicker liquid foundation that gives you a bit of time to spread, but then it starts to set quite quickly. Once it sets, it doesn't move. You get just enough play time to spread it and blend it. 

It definitely has that luminous matte finish which is contradicting in a way, but still true. It's matte, but has that luminous sheen that gives the face healthy reflection, perfect for anyone with combination or oily skin that doesn't want dead matte look, but doesn't want anything glowy or sheeny either. 

Coverage is medium, but can be built up to full. It has faint sort of powdery scent. 

Colors

It comes in 40 shades, so there is plenty to choose from. One of the worst things is buying foundation online and not knowing, if it's going to fit. Yves Saint Laurent has a really good shade finder app on their online shop which basically scans your face and gives you three options. I choose one of the options it gave me and was so surprised that it was actually a really good fit. I probably wouldn't have picked better in the actual store.

LW8 is what I would say light olive tone. It's not particularly warm nor cool toned and it has a bit of that olive undertone. I will say as soon as you apply it and it sets it gets just a tad darker. I wouldn't say it oxidizes through the day, it just comes out of the bottle lighter than it sets. 

Comparison

I've compared it with some of my most worn foundations so you have some shade reference.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation 150 Buff - the lightest of them all, neutral to olive.

Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation 010 Light Beige - the most similar to YSL though lighter and more neutral.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC13 - the most yellow toned.

YSL All Hours LW8 - similar to Catrice, but dries down darker and has more of that warmth to it, but can look quite olive in a way.

Performance

As I mentioned, this sets quick and once it's set, it doesn't move. It's not completely transfer proof, but it sticks to the skin so well. This is definitely the most long lasting foundation I have worn so far and one that doesn't tend to look any worse through the day as when you applied it. 

It has great capability of keeping sebum at bay for far longer than any other foundation. It sits well over pores, doesn't emphasize them and I would say it looks good even over fine lines. I can't say how it would look over dry patches, but any small texture is not a problem either. For such a good coverage is surprisingly lightweight on the skin and it doesn't look cakey. 

I would say this is perfect for anyone with combination skin. It would look great on someone with normal ski as well as oily. Dry skin may need to moisturize really well under it. 

This is definitely my current favorite foundation. It has that really good medium coverage that can be built up, it gives you matte finish, but with a very healthy luminosity, it's very long lasting, doesn't emphasize pores or fine line, it doesn't look cakey, is good at keeping oiliness to a minimum and is in my opinion perfect for combination skin. The only problem I see is the hefty price tag (especially in Slovenian stores) and the fact that it contains only 25 ml of product.