L'oreal Paris Infalliable 24H-Matte Foundation

L'oreal produces some of my favourite drugstore foundations! This one I must say has been added to the list! This foundation is not perfect but it is definitely close to it!

In Australia, there are 7 shades in the range. Unfortunately they only range from very fair to a light medium complexion. I have the shade 30 Honey.  It comes in a handy squeeze tube which makes it easy to get ALL of the foundation out and each tube contains 35ml of product, which is a bit more foundation than you get in a typical foundation bottle.

What makes this foundation different from the rest of the foundations in the L'oreal Paris line is that it is a matte foundation. The formula is slightly thicker compared to the Lumi Magique and True Match foundations. It does not have a scent or a cosmetic clay like scent to it which is great.

One of the bold claims this foundation has is that it is a 24 hour matte foundation and it is water resistant. In addition to that, they also claim it is an oil resistant foundation which is useful for those with really oily noses that foundation just does not want to stick around. Very big claims for a foundation in general and its claims reminded of the Maybelline Superstay foundation with regards to the 24 hour hold. 

My Experience

I have a normal skin type with a slightly oily T-zone and I can get a few dry spots on my face during the colder months. This foundation read amazing on paper and I must say worked as amazing in real life. The lasting power of this foundation was incredible. I have used it with or with a primer and it lasted really well on the skin regardless. It blended really well with or with a primer as well, though I did find without a primer I sometimes could see my pores. Oil control was brilliant, did not see oil peaking through around the 6th hour mark in a well heated room (It is winter time as I time this post). You can choose not to set this foundation as it dries matte.

I have not been able to test out the 24 hour claim, the most I can tolerate wearing makeup is 10 hours and I have worn it for that long and I must say my face just looked a bit dewy and not overly greasy after a few hours. That being said I can definitely say you won't be completely matte for 24 hours. 

The other claims are that it is water resistant as well as oil resistant. This definitely helps with the wear of the foundation throughout the day. I did swatch this foundation on the back of my hand and went out in the rain, my hands got wet and the foundation did not budge at all! As for oil resistance, usually foundation does break around my nose but I did not see this happen to me when I wore this foundation.

As for removal it can be a little bit tricky as it has all these resistant features. You really need a good cleanser to remove it from your skin completely. This I do not mind as it is a long wear type foundation. I have used eye makeup remover/oil based on my face to remove it, it does take a little bit longer and a bit of rubbing if this method is used due to its oil resistance. I have used a really good facial cleanser and it removes the foundation really well. I do not recommend using micellar water or facial wipes with this foundation as I found I needed to go over it all again with a facial cleanser.

Now for the cons of the product. The product line here in Australia only has a limited shade range, Honey is the darkest shade available in Australia which is quite disappointing as their other foundations go a bit darker. I am a W6 or N6 from True Match and this foundation I would say is more of a N4 - N5 in my opinion. In addition to that Honey is not my skintone match either. I am more yellow based. I am a NC42 from MAC for a reference. In order for me to wear this foundation properly I have to either use a yellow powder on top to neutralise the pink tones in the foundation or mix in a yellow corrector in with the foundation. 

Overall

I am very happy with this foundation! Despite the cons I have mentioned, it is an extremely good matte foundation. It is formulated differently to other drugstore foundations in the sense that you will never look cakey or make your skin look dehydrated. I highly recommend this foundation if you are able to find your shade match! I really hope L'oreal Paris releases more shades of this foundation in the Australian market as it is definitely comparable to the higher end mattifying foundations out in the market.  This product retails for AUD 29.95 at selected pharmacies, variety and department stores from July 2015. I highly recommend this foundation to anyone that requires a long wearing foundation and may need assistant with oil control.

Disclaimer: This foundation was sent to me by L'oreal Paris AU for review purposes. My opinion on the foundation was not influenced by the company in anyway. I tested the foundation without the colour corrector and yellow powder to test the formula alone at home despite the colour mis-match. If the company releases more shades from the range I will DEFINITELY purchase it with my own money.