It does take practice to learn how this works best for you, but it's worth the effort, IMHO. Just a teensy bit on a well-primed and well-moisturized face can yield the most lovely look! It covers well used with a heavier hand, but can be blended over the entire face for a really air-brushed look.
The color #05 is a fair neutral with yellow undertone that cancels out a lot of the ruddiness in my skin, so I like to add back color with a light-toned bronzer and a rosy blush. I don't use a separate setting powder since I like a natural finish. It lasts all day and doesn't settle into pores or lines.
Tiny jar with a screw-top lid for $45.00. Since I only use an amount the size of a grain of rice for my whole face, this could last a year!! Excellent fun!

****UPDATE, this was a great spot concealer as that is how I was using it after time I noticed I was getting a zit right in the places I would put it on my face. At first I thought well it's my time of the month and it could just be that, but I spot treat about 4 areas on my fast and in all 4 areas I broke out with a zit or two in those spots so I stopped using it eventhough I wish I didn't have to. This formula doesn't work with my skin and I don't have super sensitive skin, so had to go back......so be careful if you tend to breakout from items, because I don't and I did from this.

Well I purchased this and will use out what I have but I only use it as a concealer. I am so used to powder foundations I just can't go back to putting all that on my whole face anymore. So I use this to touch up the couple spots I need a bit more help on. I have a small scar on my forhead from when I was little and this does a good job of covering it up and staying power seems to last a long time. This is a very thick cream and if you were to apply it as regular makeup I can see where you would need to be very careful on not using to much and spreading it out. I littlerally use the size of a pen head to do my one area and just pat it around. So this thing even though small will last a long time for me. Now if I were using it on my whole face I would of been happier with more product even if you only use a little bit, this stuff is not cheap! Also the color I picked for myself works but if I were to use this for my whole face I would have to do as many have before me and mix two colors together. I have yellow undertones and have medium skintone and my match is a bit too much yellow so I am sure I would have to mix it with the darker one but since I only use it as a concealer it really is OK as I put this on first that put on my LM mineral foundation over it, so works fine but maybe for the price they ask for this stuff and the size a bit more of a color range, just MO. Reason I say I won't buy again is b/c so expensive so I don't know if I will repurchse it just for concealing even if it will last me probably over a year.

This product will NOT blend, sits yuckily on my face, and collects in areas that need exfoliation. (Yes, I know I should exfoliate every day, but some days I just don't have the time.)

I have read glowing reviews and attractive ads about this product for years, and I finally broke down and spent the money for it from Sephora; and I am going to send it back. No matter how much moisturizer or primer I use, it does not smooth out. It clumps and doesn't cover my redness or freckles.

I have to write about this product, but my feelings about this foundation may sound very mixed and confused. I think it's an amazing product! The colour that the Sales Assistant tried on me matched me perfectly (I am hardly ever satisfied that instantly, even with MAC foundations). So yes, I was delighted. The product is also amazing because it's so concentrated and so lasts a long time. I haven't actually found something as unique as this in Australia. The skin looks so natural and dewy with this on. It manages to stay on long with a good primer underneath. The SA tried to sell me the Kevyn Aucoin primer, but it works fine with my MAC Prep + Prime. So yes, there are a lot of good things going on with it. But I only gave it four out of five and there is a very good reason for that.


I bought the product and it sits on my shelf these days and when I’m in a really good mood, I will put this foundation on. Why do I only put it on when I’m in a good mood and not every day? Well, that’s because this is one of the hardest damn products to apply! If you’ve read a few of the reviews here for this foundation already, then there’s a bit of information on how to/how not to apply this product. The SA was very helpful too with lots of handy hints. But the truth for me is that this product takes effort! It really does! Personally it’s not a foundation to quickly put on when I’m in a hurry. It needs to be blended and if your skin is a little flaky, it catches in some areas. It’s almost like a perfect foundation to use when you’re having a really good skin day. For me, the nose is the hardest part to apply this product. It never seems to blend enough. So why bother you may ask… Well, because when you do get it right, it looks absolutely amazing!!! Hope I’ve confused you all enough. ;)

Yes, as all the previous reviews mentioned, full yet natural coverage, a little goes a long long way; can be diluted with lotion/cream to stretch it as a sheer/medium coverage foundation. It doesn't look masky even using at full strength.
I am NC30-35, I purchased #7, #8, #11, by mixing these yellow based shades will be good for all year round.

#8 is described in the KA website as "medium shade with warm gold", which means it is medium shade & very yellow undertone.
#11 is described as "medium shade with gold tone", this is still yellow base, but not as yellow as #8, however the shade is darker than #8, and I will described it as medium-medium-deep.
#7 is described as "light shade with neutral yellow undertone", it is a shade lighter than #8, & definitely not as yellow as #8.
At present #8 with a touch of #7 is my best match.
If you are buying it in the store, please make sure the skin is well moistened b4 testing the colour or else it will not give an accurate match. In other words, if you don't spread it out well enough it may appear darker on your skin since the product/pigment is very very concentrated.
BTW, I also bought the Dewdrop fdn in #8, & it is lighter than SSE #8.
I only need the amount of 2 pinheads for the whole face & part of my neck. It will take a long time to use them up.
continued >>

I could not make this work for me, as much as I wanted to. I, too, wanted the full coverage that looked like natural skin! I tried various ways of applying: 1) moisturizer first, then SSE on top with a foundation brush 2) SSE mixed with moisturizer 3) moisturizer, then stipple SSE with sponge 4) as a spot concealer. It just looked..okay. For the price, I had high expectations, and this did not live up to it.
COVERAGE: was not that great! It didn't even cover my darker freckles like my Becca concealer (or even my Everyday Minerals concealer)
FINISH: a little shiny; I still finished with loose powder (which I always do anyway) - BUT, it still didn't set it. Throughout the day I felt greasy, and when I would lightly scratch my face, it would come off in my fingernails! That was a huge negative.
BLENDABILITY: foundation brush made it easier. But if I had to apply so little, or dilute with moisturizer, just to avoid it looking too heavy, and therefore give up coverage, then why bother?
OVERALL: For 1/4 the price, I would make do. But for this amount of money, there are so many more (and better) options out there.

Long time member of makeupalley, this is my first review

color selection - excellent although it can be hard to choose from the web site. I was lucky enough to have a stockist locally so I could actually match colors. Chose x03 which is possibly the best color match I have ever had with a foundation before. This shade really does look like my skin only better. For reference I am Clair in Chanel.

coverage - again, excellent. I have a port wine birthmark covering the right side of my face, so coverage is very important. Having said that, I don't like heavy looking makeup and would rather my birthmark show than be covered in thick foundation. With SSE, I get the coverage I want without the appearance of heavy makeup. It does take a little while to get the hang of application - as previous posts mention, this is very concentrated stuff and there is a risk of looking like a mask if you aren't careful. But applied properly, it looks natural whilst still providing fantastic coverage. This is the most natural looking makeup I have found to cover my birthmark.

finish - I use this without powder and just spritz with +Fix (MAC) or skindivania finishing spray. The combination provides a dewy finish.

duration - well, unlike a lot of previous postings, this doesn't last all day on me. But then nothing I have tried does (EL doublewear, LM satin finish, Shiseido sun protection makeup etc, PX flawless finish, Chanel DP). Having said this, it lasts as long as anything else I have tried - maybe 6 hours before a touch up. More importantly though, it doesn't separate or oxidize. the color I start with is the same color as when the foundation starts to fade.

Overall I am ecstatic with this foundation. it gives me the dewy natural look i want without sacrificing the coverage I need. Nothing else has managed this - the closest being shu uemura powder foundation natural glow (which gets an unjustifiably poor write up on this site in IMHO). the fact that this is the first product I have felt the need to write up in over 4 years of perusing this site speaks volumes to how great I think SSE is.

This stuff rocks! I was debating between this and MUFE's Face &Body Makeup, b/c MUFE matched me perfectly. I settled on SSE b/c it doesn't make my normal skin oily (seriously MUFE??? and I even tried the new non-mineral oil version of Face & Body). I'm NC 35-40ish, but MAC has never been able to match me exactly, and neither can Kevyn Aucoin. I have to mix SX8 and SX11 to get a nice match, but the finish is impeccable, no powder needed over this, it really looks like my skin w/o the acne scars and discolorations.

The tiny little box scared me when I saw it in my mailbox, it's smaller than the Dermablend Cover Creme, which is what I thought it would be similar to. This is a completely different animal, smooth, almost like a non-oily margarine but not viscous (if that makes sense), not thick at all. It doesn't spread all that well when you put it directly onto your face, so I mix a bit of moisturizer with it to help with blending. The pot is about the size of a Carmex lip balm container. It is uber expensive though, but as others have said, you need a minuscule amount, so it should last at least a year if not longer. continued >>

Getting on and off planes, getting only 4-5 hrs sleep a night for weeks on end can give one the darkest under eye circles... and you stop wanting to look in the mirror... because every time you even glance at yourself, you can barely recognize yourself. This concealer from Kevyn Aucoin has left me speechless.. I can actually look at myself in the mirror and remember who I am again. Just a tiny dab under my eyes makes my eyes *pop* in delight. When I mean a tiny dab, I'm talkin' itty bitty dab... because a little goes a long way. Make sure to moisturize before application. If you're over 30, overworked, underpaid, but climbing the corporate ladder, let this concealer take you to the top!

Practice with this product. Here are some tips on how I came to master the use of the sensual skin enhancer:

1. Make certain your face is well moisturized - best to use a product with lots of creaminess. If you have any flakiness - make certain to exfoliate before hand.

2. The colors can be blended. Do not feel that you MUST use just one color for your entire face. To ensure that you don't get the geisha flat face look, use two varying shades and blend a super small amount together (think 1/5 of a small pea size). A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!

3. Mix the product well - and use a small concealer synthetic brush to apply in small dots or strokes. Then blend with your fingertips or foundation brush (I actually had better results with a foundation brush - but you have to work it in and buff afterward). Use lighter colors in the middle of the face and for concealer. Use the darker shade along the outer parts of the face (or use a contour creme or bronzer).

4. Buff the face. If you want a dewy finish - let the product set naturally. For photographs, use a superfine translucent powder and lightly dust over the face - and buff.

5. Use a light bronzer to round out the face to give it dimension. Place on outer section of the face and along the bridge of the nose.

This product, if not used properly can make the face look cakey. However, once you master this technique, the foundation has great lasting power and has great hi-definition to the skin. Without the powder, it leaves a nice dewy finish. This item works best with normal to dry skin.

Good luck!