Is Clé de Peau’s Foundation as Great as its Cult Concealer?

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Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation

I'm pretty democratic about my beauty products, and will happily use drugstore makeup—see here, here and here for some recent examples—in addition to high-end.

But whenever someone asks me, “Does the Clé de Peau Concealer really live up to the hype?” I have to respond: “Absolutely.” 

Which pains me, because who wants to fall in love with a $70 concealer? Alas, it happens to be the Bentley of concealers; one of the few cult beauty products that doesn't over-promise and under-deliver. Once you go Clé de Peau, you and your concealer game won't look back.

And so when I heard that the brand was launching a liquid foundation this year—a Radiant Fluid foundation—I wanted IN. The same seamless and perfectly-matching coverage, with a luminous finish, moisture-stabilizing complex and SPF 24 protection? Yes, yes, yes!

Here is the outer packaging:

The outer packaging of the new Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation.

Inside, the bottles have that signature mirrored cap (that is hella hard to keep fingerprints away from, but oh well):

The Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation features a luxe mirrored cap.

What I found alarming at first was how light the bottles feel. Like, you're worried there is not enough product in there, and that your wallet is being further penalized. 

Thankfully, it's just because it's made of plastic, not glass. You're still getting the standard 30 mL. Whew!

To dispense the foundation, there is a hygienic pump:

The Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation pump.

What comes out is a liquid that is on the thinner side, very “spreadable” but still highly pigmented. It's not quite as thin as, say, Make Up For Ever Face & Body, but nowhere near the thickness of your typical creamy foundation. Which is good news, in my book—I'm all about lightweight, natural-looking coverage and then going back in and spot-correcting blemishes with concealer. (Clé de Peau Concealer… hehe.)

There are 12 shades, organized according to the same colour classifications used with the Concealer:

  • I stands for Ivory, and there is just one shade, I10. 
  • B stands for Beige, and there is (from light to dark) B10, B2o and B30. 
  • Bf stands for Beige Fair, and there is just one shade, Bf20.
  • O stands for Ochre, and there is O10, O20, O3o, O40, O50 and O60.
  • Wb stands for Warm Beige, and there is just one shade, Wb20.

I honestly find all of this super-confusing, so it's probably best to go get matched in person at a counter! 

I was initially sent O30 to try, which is way too dark for me, so then the brand sent me three of the “10s” to try: I10, B10 and O10. Here are swatches for comparison:

Swatches of Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation in I10, B10, O10 and O30.

I10 and O10 worked the best for me, especially I10, which is a fraction lighter and more neutral; I think that makes it cover my redness best. In comparison, B10 is quite pinkish, while O10 is on the yellow side. 

The coverage level is light to medium, and since it's on the sheerer side, I think you have a bit more leeway with the colour-matching. Here is what O10 looks like blended out, so you can get a feel for the texture:

Blended swatch of Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation in O10.

As for the luminosity, I didn't get a whole lot of that from this foundation (which I am thankful for); it simply gives you a naturally perfected skin look with nothing gleaming or annoyingly dewy about it. I love that the liquid dries down to nothingness, so you can't even feel it on top of your skin. Something magical happens within a minute or two of application, where it just melts right in.

Longevity has been a good four or five hours before I need a touch-up and some blotting, which is about standard for me or just a bit better than standard.

The only thing I don't like about this foundation is its heavy, sorta “old-lady-ish” fragrance. Ugh, why do brands DO that?! At least does dissipate fairly quickly, and doesn't stay with you throughout the day. 

So what can I say? I'm sorry to do this to you, but this foundation is $125 well spent.

Where To Buy

Find Clé de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation online at:

  • Nordstrom
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Bergdorf Goodman
  • Saks Fifth Avenue

Where To Buy

Are you a Clé de Peau Concealer fan? Have you tried this foundation?