There is a saying that if you sit by the river long enough, you’ll see the body of your enemy float by. It’s sometimes attributed to Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese general and strategist whose Art of War is a masterpiece and who most likely had nothing to do with that proverb (it’s definitely not in Art of War), but I thought it would be great to mention him in a make-up review.

The saying is relevant here, because it succinctly captures what happened to me and powder. For years, I’ve stubbornly resisted wearing powder. I do have a Chanel one for crisis situations, but most of the time, I just cannot be bothered. When my skin is matte, I look like I’ve been dead for weeks, so I’d rather have a shiny forehead than appear deceased. I also find it tiresome that there are the ones to set make-up, others to mattify, different ones again to brighten, etc. Instead of doing some research, I just very maturely refused to have anything to do with powders altogether.

All this has turned out to be a brilliant strategy in the mould of Sun Tzu (see, a completely natural reference), as YSL has launched a product that will do everything I want from a powder without actually being one. Touche Éclat Blur Perfector is a pale pink silicone-y balm that turns into silky powder on your skin. I mostly use it in the afternoons to banish any shine on my nose and forehead and it works like a charm. You can also use it to set make-up and simply to make your skin look better – it perfects everything and makes pores almost invisible. It works both on its own and on top of make-up.

Yes, I’m sure a good powder would do the same for you, but I simply prefer this. It’s very easy to apply (no brush needed, both the sponge and fingers work well), doesn’t make me look too matte (partly because I can use it on very small areas) and doesn’t feel heavy or like adding product, it just seems to transform the top layer of your make-up.

I’m not sure if this would be enough for seriously oily skin, but if you just have occasional shine issues or enlarged pores and you want a convenient quick fix, try this. It’s also very pretty.