L'Oreal Paris Infallible 24 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation Powder

This had quite the hype moment in a while ago and it was high on my wishlist to try, though it took some time to get to online shops around here. I was too curious not to try it, even though I've read reviews that say this is not a formula for dry skin. I was swayed by a review with a before/after where I saw how amazing it looks on the skin, as well as a review where someone with dry skin said it's ok for them. Its effect has been described as a soft focus filter, so that is has a nice blurring effect, which always interests me and I heard it's also quite high coverage, which you don't really see often at a powder. It's supposed to be more like a liquid foundation, so I imagined it as a type of a compact mineral foundation, but this didn't convince me and months later I'm still baffled by this formula.  

Texture, coverage & finish: This is nothing like a liquid foundation on my skin. It's a powder that is more loose than powders usually are and a brush or sponge picks up a lot of product at once, but even when I use the added sponge, it has only light coverage. I can't build this up, since trying to add a layer just ends up taking some of the powder of. It's likely those with an oily skin don't have such an problem. I've had such a different experiences with this one. First time it felt dry because I forgot to use a moisturiser on that day and it just wasn't sticking on the skin, so the coverage I got was almost none. On other attempts it made my skin look so old; over a regular foundation it made it look super fake and cakey; then on a day I took pictures before/after, it looked it's best with an even light coverage and a not too matte finish, but it looked cakey on the sides of my nose. Never has it looked the way I expected and I'm just struggling to make it work. I always use the added sponge, which I hear is the best way to apply this foundation, while with a brush I wasn't getting any coverage. Once it hid my smile lines, but only for a few hours and when I tried it next time, it made them look like canyons - I just don't get this product. Finish is powdery matte and it's obvious/looks like it's just sitting on the skin.

Staying power: It's not very long lasting on my skin. The coverage is low to begin with, but also it doesn't stick well to my skin - even with a moisturiser under it. My skin is dry and through the day my natural oils don't really come through, but I have a feeling this foundation might work better for those who get at least some oil.

Shade: I got shade 20 Ivory, which is the lightest shade I've seen in European web shops (we still don't have this in our drugstores), however in the US lighter shades are available. It's not a good match, as it's a shade or two too dark, but the problem is actually like pretty much all L'Oreal foundation I've tried it has this orange tone to it. It especially stick out as an ugly orange patch when I apply it over one of my foundations.

Packaging: It has two compartments, one with powder and one with a mirror and sponge. Other reviewers say that this sponge is the best way to apply this foundation and I haven't found one that would be better or help make this work better for me.

 

Price and availability: I ordered this on Look Fantastic when there was a 3 for 2 offer. It's expensive for drugstore, on LF it's 15 €, but it's even more expensive in DM Austria (almost 19€! It's cheaper in German DM, about 13-14 €).

Overhyped and overpriced. I regret my purchase of this, though I'm hopeful I'll find a way to use it. I'm mostly bothered by the shade because otherwise I'd be able to use this as regular powder in a small amount, though it's very fickly, but now it just looks orange, especially when I apply it over a foundation or skin care, so it sticks more to the skin. I don't get the blurring finish I was hoping for - if anything it has the ability of making my skin look worse. I think it's best for those with oily-combination skin because it just sits on my dry one. I dislike the liquid foundation from this line too and I'm not a fan of Infallible concealer. 

Have a great day!

Posted in: Skincare