All make-up is an illusion, designed to create the appearance of something that, once it’s removed, no longer exists. At least, that was the case until a few years ago, when brands started creating make-up that left a lasting effect on the skin. Case in point, Hermès’ latest product, the Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation – honoured among other standout beauty launches in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 – which is formulated with an 82 per cent skincare base to improve skin health with every wear. Essentially, when you wear it, skin looks poreless, bright and blemishless. When you take it off, skin is more hydrated, smoother and plumper.
‘It’s a paradox that my team and I spent years working to create something you barely see,’ says Hermès Beauty’s creative director Gregoris Pyrpylis. ‘I didn’t want it to feel like a band-aid, something just to fix a problem. It isn’t meant simply to correct visually, but to help the skin improve over time. That’s the only way Hermès could do a foundation. It had to be done that way.’
Pyrpylis began developing the foundation when he took up his position in 2021. At the time, Hermès was formulating its Plein Air Complexion Balm, a hydrating cream that provides a lightweight veil of colour and SPF protection. Pyrpylis saw what the team was doing with that product launch – namely, creating make-up that benefited skin long-term – and knew he wanted to channel it into a higher-coverage foundation.
Five years later, the final product is formulated with a core trio of active ingredients: niacinamide to nourish, hyaluronic acid for moisture, and white mulberry extract for brightening skin and reducing pigmentation. Recognising that each individual’s skin shade is a unique blend of surface colour and undertone, Hermès has developed five colour intensity groups – light, light-medium, medium, medium-deep and deep – and three undertones for each (cool, neutral, and warm). All 35 shades have a matte finish and medium coverage, making them ideal for those looking to improve the appearance of discolouration and pores.
I wore the foundation over the course of a few particularly cold winter days, and can attest that it evened, brightened and kept my skin moisturised, even as I moved between icy outdoor environments and drying, indoor heat.
The foundation launched is accompanied by a Perfecting Primer that can be worn underneath for extra coverage, or alone for a subtle, pore-blurring effect on days when you need less coverage. The collection also features an application palette, a spatula and a brush, designed by Pyrpylis to make the act of putting on your make-up feel like a special, ritualised moment of the day.
‘We are a house of craftsmanship, and I understand how important tools are in any discipline, including make-up,’ he says of the application tools. ‘I wanted to honour that moment each day when a woman or man decides to apply their make-up. I know we all have busy lives and often feel pressed for time, but I wanted to create a ritual – not just a foundation and primer that work perfectly together, but also a moment. Whether you take five, ten, or 15 minutes is up to you, but the idea is to elevate that moment into an act of self-care.’
Like all Hermès Beauty products, the packaging has been designed by the creative director of Hermès jewellery, Pierre Hardy. The foundation and primer come in frosted glass bottles, with a black-and-white lacquered metal cap topped with the house’s ex-libris motif in gold. The Le Perfecteur blending brush has a bevelled shape that nods to the appearance of a horse’s hoof and is engineered to evenly distribute product around the skin. Meanwhile, the make-up palette is inspired by an artist’s palette, with an easy-grip indent and an accompanying brush designed for mixing, collecting and applying the products.
As with everything Hermès does, the emphasis with this collection is on taking the time to do a few things perfectly, rather than hurrying to do many things well. For creatives like Pyrpylis, this slow pace can sometimes be frustrating, especially in a world that encourages the opposite; but ultimately, it’s a blessing more than a curse.
‘We often talk about “Hermès time”, [a pace] that means we can come out with more deliberate and intentional collections,’ he says. ‘[In a creative field], sometimes you have this vision and want to materialise an idea [quickly], but it can have more complications than expected. Still, when you take the time to do things well, the idea is executed in the most impeccable way. Even if it means the product comes out a year or two later, then it is worth the patience.’
The Hermès Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation will be available to purchase in the UK from 23 January 2026 from hermes.com.
In the US, you can order already, $145 at hermes.com
