There is a particular kind of light in Paris that is cinematic glow you might expect, but something more diffused, almost withholding\u2014a sense that the sun exists, but held behind a sheet of cloud. It is, as Gregoris Pyrpylis, Creative Director of Herm\u00e8s Beauty, describes it to me, \u201ca kind of light that you never see…with a diffusion that shows every imperfection.\u201d Perfect, I think to myself, as our interview begins at the Herm\u00e8s HQ in Paris. That\u2019s precisely the kind of light that exposes a foundation for what it is\u2014the ideal environment for me to test run Herm\u00e8s\u2019 latest launch.<\/p>\n
And so it begins. I\u2019m in Paris for fashion week so I wear the foundation across a day that moves fast and excruciatingly. From early morning shows to speedy coffee breaks, more shows, and then long stretches of walking. Make-up, here, is the only thing keeping it looking like somehow everything is magically held together.<\/p>\n
The idea for the testing is simple (if slightly unforgiving even): to observe how it behaves when not used in its controlled conditions, but rather in motion\u2014on Indian skin, across changing light, over hours that tend to unravel even the most well-intentioned formulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cHerm\u00e8s is a house of restraint and luxury is not in the excess…it\u2019s about the essence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Jacques Brun<\/p>\n
Plein Air, as Pyrpylis explains, is named after a philosophy rooted in Impressionism\u2014when masters like Claude Monet stepped out of the studio to capture the light around them. \u201cPlein Air, quite literally, means open air,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt evokes this kind of synergy, love, an respect that Herm\u00e8s has with nature, with being outdoors,\u201d he says. Within Herm\u00e8s Beauty, this translates to a complexion that is \u201celevated by natural light,\u201d\u2014an idea that becomes increasingly tangible as my day unfolds.<\/p>\n
Similar to the Plein Air complexion balm that launched in 2022, the foundation stretches the formulation further. While the balm was about the lightest touch, this is, in Pyrpylis\u2019 words, \u201ca pigmented fluid with medium adjustable coverage, that you can sheer out or build up. Yet it always looks and feels like second skin.\u201d It is designed, above all, to adapt. In this case, to my day, and the hours spent in between fashion, and (elusive) rest. Applied in the morning\u2014somewhat hastily\u2014the foundation feels disarmingly light. It covers the skin like a light veil, and there\u2019s a moment where you wonder if you\u2019ve actually put anything on at all. \u201cThe best fit for a foundation is the one that you forget that you wear,\u201d says Pyrpylis.<\/p>\n
There comes a point, when foundation starts to feel like something you\u2019re ready to remove. Typically, it\u2019s the end of the day, and your skin starts to feel dry, sprawled like cling film. It\u2019s the moment you know it\u2019s time to take the day off. The moment to return to yourself.<\/p>\n
After a day of Schiaparelli and new designer showrooms, and a cheeky Aperol Spritz (or two), when I swipe the cotton pad across my face at night, my skin underneath feels unexpectedly…fine? Better than fine, actually. \u201cYou won\u2019t have the same experience,\u201d I remember Pyrpylis\u2019 words. \u201cYour skin is going to feel very soft, supple, hydrated.\u201d Of course, I\u2019d mentally filed the words under cautious optimism.<\/p>\n
How can a vial of make-up, especially foundation, be something that is good for you?<\/p>\n
It comes back to how Herm\u00e8s approaches beauty. A large part of this good-for-you effect lies in the formulation of the foundation itself, which leans heavily into skincare. \u201cEighty-two percent of the base formula is skincare,\u201d Pyrpylis notes, emphasising that the intention is not simply to embellish but to improve. \u201cHerm\u00e8s is a house of restraint and luxury is not in the excess…it\u2019s about the essence,\u201d he further explains. In the context of foundation, this translates to a product that does not seek to obscure or correct aggressively, but to align with the skin as it is.<\/p>\n
The thought has been evident in the way the brand has approached lipstick, eye shadow, the balm, and even blotting paper. If it exists, it must have a purpose.<\/p>\n
The same can be said about the application kit within which the world of Herm\u00e8s Plein Air foundation lives. Typically, foundation is a step in a series of lotions and potions applied to make your skin look undulating and even. Here, it\u2019s positioned as something closer to a \u2018gesture\u2019\u2014the wonderful French word that means the act, the art, the ritual, of doing absolutely mundane things.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s part of a ritual, not a routine,\u201d Pyrpylis says, describing a system of application that includes a primer (if you want a longer lasting and matte look), a beautiful weight-y bronze palette (that has the H libris embossed), a silicone-tipped spatula (for those who prefer to use a tool rather than their fingers to mop up product from palette).<\/p>\n
The loveliest feature though, is a brush shaped like a horse\u2019s hoof. Designed by Creative Director of shoes and jewellery for the House Pierre Hardy, it is the perfect anatomy of a make-up brush, made to ensure zero product waste.<\/p>\n
It all sounds quite elaborate, I know. But in practice it\u2019s less about adding time and more about shifting how you use make-up. \u201cIt just makes that moment more precious… a moment where you reconnect with yourself,\u201d Pyrpylis explains. And this much is true. I didn\u2019t find myself feeling rushed, but rather, more present. And although, over the next couple of days, I found it easier to want to skip the extra tools, I reached for the beautiful objects of brush and palette, bottle and spatula, almost like a grounding ritual ahead of a rushed day.<\/p>\n
Photo credits: Tim El Ka\u00efm and Pierre Hard<\/p>\n
As the hours slipped between Schiaparelli and showrooms visits, sips of wine and meetings, I\u2019d given my skin the harshest tests. And yet, my skin always came out on top. Outside a show venue, in the late-morning Paris light, my Herm\u00e8s Plein Air skin read as skin. Later, in the inner caverns of a Parisian bar, no harsh shadows and visible layers of product covering my skin showed. At the end of the day, in front of the mirror\u2019s harsh lighting that tends to magnify every pore, my make-up, magically, still held together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to create something that can look perfect under the hot, raw sun of Athens, the humidity of Singapore, and the drier winter of Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herm\u00e8s calls the finish \u201cluminous matte\u201d, which sounds like the kind of contradiction beauty marketing loves\u2014but somehow, it lands. \u201cIt\u2019s an interplay of texture and light. Finding this perfect harmony between radiance and the matte finish,\u201d Pyrpylis explains. It doesn\u2019t glow in the obvious sense, nor does it matte in the way that drains life from the face. It kind of sits somewhere in between catching light and absorbing it.<\/p>\n
Pyrpylis describes the foundation\u2019s ambitions succinctly: \u201cI wanted to create something that can look perfect under the hot, raw sun of Athens, the humidity of Singapore, and the drier winter of Paris. A foundation that adapts to you.\u201d Mission accomplished. Herm\u00e8s Plein Air is the kind of product that will accompany you across climates, hours, and conditions that range from the unforgiving to the unexpectedly kind. And all we can do then, is look up to the sky and let the light in.<\/p>\n
Image credit:\u00a0Courtesy the brand<\/p>\n
Artwork: Trushieta Naringrekar<\/p>\n
Photo credit for brand image): Tim el Kaim<\/p>\n
Photo credit (for Akanksha Kamath\u2019s portraits): Shubhie Agarwal<\/p>\n
Edited by Pauline Gayat<\/p>\n
This article first appeared in the April 2026 issue of Harper’s Bazaar India \u00a0<\/p>\n
Also read:\u00a0From Simply Nam, Kiro to Kay Beauty, 7 inclusive brands that work across Indian skin tones<\/a><\/p>\n