I'm a beauty journalist and make-up artist—these L'Oréal foundations are some of the best I've ever used

If your skin is having a good day, or if you only want a light veil of hydration and a little unifying whisper of colour, get this. It makes skin look juicy and healthy, and adds a little sheen.

I liked it on days when I was tired but my skin was relatively clear, and used it to inject a bit of life in the morning. I still needed a little concealer around my nose and on any retreating spots, that said.

I tested this on a few shoots, when I applied my make-up at the crack of dawn and didn't remove it until late at night and found it really, really stayed put—even across the centre of my forehead, where shine usually breaks through after a couple of hours. 

The thing I liked most about the finish is that while it was matte, it didn't look flat and chalky—more skin, blotted. 

I decided that this would be the one I'd reach for on an everyday basis because it provided medium coverage (so I only needed a little concealer on red bits), it offered some skincare benefits (including hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera), and finished sheeny but not greasy (so I powdered down my t-zone and left my cheeks juicy). You could of course apply it with a brush, but I really liked the way it looked when I massaged it into my skin with my fingers after applying SPF.

This powder caused a stir when it was released, and it's not hard to see why. Used wet, it becomes a heavy duty foundation. Applied dry, it's medium with a shine-containing, but not flat, finish—it might sound contradictory, but it's both fresh and healthy, and sheen-free simultaneously. 

I found the lightweight compact with the sponge contained in a cell under the powder a really good on-the-go top up solution—and it took up hardly any space in my make-up bag.