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2025 cemented one thing: luxury beauty is going nowhere. It’s no coincidence that some of the most memorable launches from the year were the most expensive. Victoria Beckham Beauty’s excellent Foundation Drops, priced at £105, are still doing the rounds on social media four months after launch—ditto Augustinus Bader’s debut sunscreen (£110). And now, Hermès has come out swinging, with its first-ever foundation, priced at £105, which places it at the utmost end of the market.
While this is around triple what most consumers will pay for a base product, Hermès proposition allows you to buy into the brand for a comparatively minuscule amount—their legendary Birkin bag starts retail around £10,000, if you’re even able to get an appointment in the first place. Hermès Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation, then, is the ideal aspirational buy-in, opening in the brand to a legion of new consumers.
The formula
So, how does it hold up? Designed by Gregoris Pyrpylis, Creative Director of Hermès, this foundation was conceived to be an “invisible” base, melting into the skin to provide an even, mattified take on the much-desired “lit from within look”.
“It carries on the philosophy of presenting beauty in motion,” Pyrpylis tells Fashion’s Digest UK. “Instead of something rigid, it creates beautiful make-up that seems to breathe with the skin. Using it isn’t just about looking good in the moment, but about improving your skin day by day—just like a Hermès bag or coat, which doesn’t just look beautiful today, but remains so ten or even twenty years down the line.”
What separates this is the skincare component—Hermès Plein Air features an 82 per cent skincare base, comprising a trio of actives. There’s niacinamide to nourish and improve skin quality, pure hyaluronic acid for moisture, and white mulberry extract to restore bounce and protect the skin from oxidative stress. Ingredients of natural origin also comprise 71 per cent of the formula.
There are 34 shades in the collection, encompassing the vast majority of tones. They are grouped by five colour intensities: light, light-medium, medium, medium-deep, and deep; all of which come in three undertones, cool, neutral and warm.
It’s recommended to apply the foundation with your fingertips for a natural, transparent finish. If you want the whole experience, though, Pyrpylis also designed bespoke applicator tools. The gold, curved palette holds the fluid texture of the foundation so that the user can pick up the right amount hygienically with the spatula-esque brush; thus elevating the process into a sensory ritual.
(Image credit: Nessa Humayun)
Our verdict
I tested Hermès Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation over the course of a month, and it’s well and truly earned its place within my collection. Initially, I was deflated to hear it was a matte finish, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it errs on the more luminous side, while keeping the necessary areas, like the T-zone, mattified. If you prefer a very matte finish, though, a light dusting of powder will do the job.
It’s surprisingly lightweight and sheer enough to blend out almost instantly, using a brush or fingertips. I prefer my foundations like this, but it may not be the best for those who prefer very high coverage. While it is buildable, I found that I did need to use a little concealer on areas of pigmentation and dark circles.
Hèrmes
Plein Air
Luminous matte skincare foundation
Left: Me in the AM, right after I’ve applied my morning skincare. Right: My skin after wearing the Hèrmes En Plein Air foundation for nine hours
(Image credit: Nessa Humayun)
Where it really stands out, though, is how the formula wears throughout the day; it’s incredibly long-lasting, requires practically no top-ups, and thanks to the skincare ingredients, it provides hydration that lasts, even after a full nine-to-five in a centrally-heated office—I’d argue that it looked freshly applied if anything. No notes on the packaging, it’s practical and as luxe as you would expect from Hèrmes.
Is it worth it? Sure, if you want a truly excellent foundation that you can’t go wrong with—and you want to buy into the Hèrmes brand, at a far more accessible price.
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