Saturday 7 May 2011

Review - LOreal Infallible Brush Foundation in Natural Rose

Once again, I have totally not been given money or free products by the company in order to write this review. I bought the product with my own money and always come up with my own opinions as to whether or not I like the product and if I will be purchasing it again. So here goes...
The claim made by the company with regards to this product is as follows; 'Infallible, the well known range for long lasting make-up, introduces it's latest innovation: a combination of a non-transfer long lasting foundation with a high precision brush, for easy application and a perfect looking finish. Even, Breathable, Undetectable.' Do I feel that this is an honest claim? For the most part yes, but there were (as always) some areas where I was slightly disapointed in this product as an everyday foundation.
I have been using this foundation for a couple of weeks now, to a variety of different events. I've exercised, slept and worked wearing this product. I bought it from Boots where it retails at £12.99 which is pretty standard for a good-quality drug-store product. However, whether this product works out as generally cost effective is another question entirely...
I only say that because I believe I will get through this bottle in no time, due to the application process. When you take the lid off this product you find a foundation brush attached, so you need to turn the barrel to the left for a couple of clicks for the product to be dispensed. The instructions given on the side of the bottle suggest painting the product onto the back of your hand, then dipping the brush in so that you can get the desired amount of foundation on the brush before applying it to your face. Honestly, despite the fact that this brush feature is the novelty which sold this foundation to me, after my first go I kind of wished that it wasn't there! What was the problem? I hear you ask. Well, firstly as I turned the barrel, the product didn't come out. No big deal, upon first application you may well have to turn the barrel a little more. However, anxious not to get too much product, I tentatively twisted it for about thirty clicks before the product eventually came out. Of course when the foundation did arrive, it kept coming, giving me at least double what I would usually use. Great. This is why I don't think the product will work out as cost-effective as I've had this problem every time that I have used it since that first time.
The brush is described as being of 'high precision'... it's a nice brush, especially for being provided with a product (I often don't like brushes that come with products as they are of cheaper quality than when sold individually). The bristles are soft and it feels so gentle when you are applying the foundation. However, I'm not sure if this is a 'high precision' brush if only because I noticed various nooks and crannies which seemed to be void of product, for example around my eyes and the sides of my nose it seemed that the product hadn't quite reached them. Also, after a couple of uses, some of the bristles began to clump together which happens with most foundation brushes... Without fixing this, I found that the foundation was going on much streakier, and needed more time to be blended so I had to get this sorted! Usually this is a problem easily remedied by simply cleaning the brush in a mild formula baby shampoo, but with this brush being attached to the product I had to be really careful to avoid contaminating the formula. This made washing the brush a bigger more detailed job than it usually is, causing somewhat of an inconvenience to say the least.
Another problem with the whole Brush Feature Dilemma was the fact that it was necessary for me to put the foundation on my hand first, which was a bit of a hassle as I then had foundation all over the back of my hand. Plus, this foundation is really hard-wearing, so when I went to rinse it off my hand with some soap, it stayed, which meant I had to take a make-up remover wipe out of the packet just to wipe it off. Of course, this is one of those sort of Catch 22 problems, as it showed me at least that the claim that LOreal made about the product being 'long lasting' was true!
Seriously, this product does not budge! One time, I applied it at ten in the morning, went for a half hour jog, came back, had a shower, studied for five hours, took a nap, worked a busy six hour shift at the pub where I'm a bar-maid, then when I got home there was a party I wanted to go to and assumed I would have to do my make-up all over again, but upon looking in the mirror I was pleasantly surprised that my skin looked as fresh as if I'd just applied the foundation! Result.
However, and I know it is annoying that I say this about most liquid foundations but... I really don't like a 'dewy' finish, and this is what I got with the LOreal Infallible Brush Foundation. At least this is what I got when I applied the product with the intended brush. I just think that finish looks sweaty, sticky, and slimy and what with my T-zone being by no means perfect, even as soon as I'd applied the product my nose and forhead reminded me a little bit of a horrendous oil slick. But like I said, that is completely down to personal choice as I know that a lot of you guys like a 'dewier' look.
In order to fix this, I used my powder brush and applied a little of my Holy Grail Foundation, Hello Flawless by benefit in I'm Cute as a Bunny!: Natural Honey retailing at £24.50 at any benefit counter. I only needed a little to take away that sheen and once I'd dusted some of this over my problem areas I was happy with the finish although would still not call it 'perfect' as I had to use another product to counter its negative points... Some might argue that I could use this product almost as a tinted primer as that's sort of what I did, but I'm not sure that's a good idea because even though the product is relatively light-weight it is still too heavy for everyday priming.
I also found that once I started applying the product with my fingers, the finish was a lot more matte so that's what I've been doing, which is a shame really because if I'd known I would end up abandonning the brush I perhaps wouldn't have wanted to pay so much...
The formula is really easy to wear, it feels almost as if you don't have anything on, and it makes my skin feel and appear very smooth and soft. 'Even, Breathable, Undetectable' is right, particularly if you have the correct colour for your skin which everyone should have. I used Natural Rose after trying three shades on my jaw-bone. It literally looks like I have perfectly even-coloured skin which is a definite plus!
As for the product being a 'non-transfer' foundation, this is simply untrue. I only had to brush my face against a colleagues shirt during a quick cuddle at work and it left a powdery residue behind. Also, this was before I started applying my powder foundation over the top, so there is really no excuse. However, this is not by any means the worst of this kind of experience I have had, but it does contravene the brand claim which is a big deal to me.
Conclusion. Would I buy this product again? Maybe. I won't be rushing out for it once I've finished this bottle. But then again, I might consider it if I need a quick fix familiar foundation if purchasing in a rush, as my experience has had more positives than negatives I think.
Let me know if you've tried this or a similar product! As for me, my quest for the perfect foundation... continues.
gabriellasofia

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