L’Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation review

As a longtime devotee to my MAC Studio Fix foundation, just recently I’ve started to branch out. My main problem with MAC is that NC15 – the lightest shade – is still too dark for my extremely fair complexion. If I’m not wearing a layer of tan (or a few), I have no hope of getting away without a tideline unless I blend the product way down my neck which isn’t something I like to do every day. For one, it wastes a lot of product and for two, it just really isn’t ideal.

I’d seen the L’Oreal Infallible foundation doing the rounds on both blogs and YouTube videos and the general opinion seemed to be positive towards the formula and wear time. I decided to order a tube online and picked the lightest shade that’s offered which is 10 Porcelain.

The foundation promises a matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours and is both waterproof and steamproof without the cake effect some mattifying foundations can cause. The foundation is enriched with perlite technology – an Ultra Absorbent Mineral Technology which captures oil and water. Among the fillers, perlite acts like micro sponges and is able to absorb 4 to 5 times its weight in water! So, here we go with my L’Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation review!

My first impression was that the foundation has an almost powdery feel once applied to the skin so skin preparation is key – I tend to suffer with combination to oily skin so I do have a few dry areas which turn into oily patches throughout the day. I found that using a moisturiser followed by my primer worked best with this foundation and applying it with a BeautyBlender gave a beautiful, even, full coverage to my skin. I powdered under my eye area after using my concealer, and I would normally powder my whole face but today, I gave it a miss seen as my skin felt perfectly matte and comfortable.

Now, lets discuss the colour…for all you fair ladies out there, you’ll know the struggle trying to find a foundation light enough to match your complexion. In a world where ‘Ivory’ means orange and ‘Neutral’ means Ooma Loompa, L’Oreal have created a Porcelain that is well and truly fair without the orange payoff. I can’t even tell you how happy this makes me feel! Slightly lighter than MAC’s NC15 with less of a yellow undertone and more of a pink but not unbearably so, this shade was pretty perfect for my skin tone and there wasn’t a tideline to be seen! My skin still looked like skin, but even and better. I applied the foundation at 8am and by 12:30 when I’d normally be sporting more than a healthy sheen, the foundation was firmly in place on my face and looked as perfect as it had done when I first applied it. Bear in mind, I’d been working in a hot studio all morning on a shoot with our lovely seven-year-old model dashing about for outfit changes and refreshments so this really is some achievement!

Fast forward to 6pm (that’s ten hours wear!) and the foundation is looking a little worn on me. From a distance, it still looks great and I even had two compliments on how ‘beautiful’ my skin looked which is lovely! Up close, I can see oily patches starting to come through and the foundation is parting a little on my skin. Even so, I’m still impressed with how long the foundation stayed flawless for in the first place.

Fast forward to 8pm and the foundation looks just the same as it did at 6pm but this time just a little oilier. If I were to stand chatting to somebody, I’m not sure they’d even notice the little imperfections but up close and to my eye, they’re starting to stand out a little and I feel like I need to powder my face a little – to the touch though, my skin still has the powdered texture that it did this morning and smoothing it over with my finger rather than a powder is all I need to even things out a little.

I never expected to get 24 hours perfect wear from a foundation but this gorgeous formula comes pretty close with a good bash at 12 hours, and I have to say, it does rival Estee Lauder’s Double Wear (in longevity – the formula is quite different). The formula isn’t quite like any other that I’ve experienced – it’s not as thick and heavy as Studio Fix and it’s feels thinner and easier to work with and blend than Double Wear. The foundation feels light on the skin once blended and has a powdery feel to it rather than a dewy or sticky feel which is just what us oilier girls need.

What’s more, this amazing little foundation is £7.99 which makes it very affordable. For all of you ladies who suffer with oily, fair skin, this foundation will be a dream for you. Just remember to prepare your skin properly before use and you’ll be well on your way to fuss-free, beautiful makeup all day long.

L’Oreal’s Infallible 24H Matte foundation is currently under a 3 for 2 offer on Boots online for selected L’Oreal Paris products.

© This post is copyright of Rachael Divers 2016.