Foundation Friday for Over 50s | #4 | L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte

Foundation Friday for Over 50s

This is the 4th post in my series “Foundation Friday for Over 50s” in which I’ll be testing a different foundation every friday for over 50 year old skin! In the past I’ve tried around 70 Foundations and of those I’ve liked about 5-7 which just shows how hard it is to find a foundation that looks good on more mature skin (or it shows how picky I am. . . )

Older skin comes with it’s own set of problems like uneven tone, age spots, enlarged pores, surface roughness and wrinkles, and I’m sad to say I’ve got them all. So the ideal foundation would help to disguise those things and hopefully make my skin look better than it really is! So check back every friday to see if I’ve found the elusive “holy grail” foundation yet. . .

Today’s foundation is L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte ~ $13 for 1 oz., comes in 12 shades

L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte is having a moment on YouTube and all the younger beauty gurus are singing it’s praises so this one has been one of the most requested foundations for me to try for Foundation Friday!

The description from the L’Oreal website reads: “Achieve a matte finish that won’t fall flat with this air-light, longwearing liquid formula. Lightweight and creamy, foundation goes on smooth with a demi-matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours—hiding imperfections for a smooth, clear complexion.”

It comes in a squeezable plastic tube with a small opening to dispense the product. The outside of the tube has a matte finish so it alters the look of the foundation inside making it harder to choose a color just by looking at it. The nozzle under the cap is sealed so there is some guess work involved in selecting the right color. I had good luck with shade 103 Natural Buff.

Ingredients:

This is an oil-free, water based formula that doesn’t rely heavily on silicones. It’s supposed to control oil and resist heat and humidity. It doesn’t contain sunscreen or anti-aging ingredients, and it’s fragrance free.

Application:

I tried the L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte three times with different application methods. L’Oreal’s pro tip for application is to “smooth onto skin in rolling motion for flawless coverage”. I wasn’t sure what that meant so I applied it with my fingers and tried to roll/pat it in to blend with mixed results. The 2nd attempt was with a damp blending sponge, and for my 3rd and final try I mixed a drop of coconut oil into the foundation (to sheer it out and make it less drying) and applied with a flat-top kabuki brush today.

My first try applying with the recommended “rolling fingers” method. . .

Applying with fingers made the foundation difficult to blend. It sets up quickly and doesn’t layer well leaving a patchy result.

Of the 3 times I used it, the sponge offered the smoothest, most buildable coverage but it was also the sheerest and shortest wearing. The rolling finger method gave uneven coverage and was difficult to layer. This dries fairly quickly so working in sections is the best way to apply it. Mixing it with oil was probably not a good idea since it’s an oil free formula and the combo of the oil and the brush was the worst for blending and looking good up close.

2nd try using a damp blending sponge . . . definitely the best result because it goes on less opaque.

Using the Sponge gave the smoothest result with pores being filled and diminished!

Coverage:

This is a very opaque medium coverage foundation. One coat evened out my skin tone and even covered over a blemish without the addition of concealer. Discolorations are still visible up close but from a distance they are well camouflaged. I was able to build it up with the sponge to full coverage on the side of my face successfully, but it looks cakey with two layers on skin that moves (under eyes and forehead), so I’d recommend building it only on flat smooth areas of skin.

3rd time’s a charm? Not so much… I mixed it with a drop of oil and applied with a stippling brush

Was it the oil or the brush? Hard to say, but either way it broke up on the surface. . .

Finish:

As stated on the package the finish is demi-matte so it gives the look of adding a mattifying powder without adding the powder. It feels smooth and powdery to the touch, and feels dry on the skin. On it’s own it looks flat because of it’s opacity, but adding bronzer and blush definitely help. It’s supposed to be oil, heat and humidity resistant so I sat in my hot car for 5 minutes to see if it would sweat off. . .  Good News! It didn’t budge or get shiny, so I think this may even last through a hot flash!!

Pores & Wrinkles:

Pore coverage was a mixed bag depending on how it was applied. The finger method left white polka-dop pores, but when applied with the sponge, the pores were smoothed and minimized. The lack of shine kept pores looking less noticeable for hours. The foundation settled into wrinkles with heavier application, but not with the sponge. It made wrinkles appear magnified throughout the day because it’s very drying to the skin.

Applying with the fingers make pores look white and polka-dotty

Wrinkles were accentuated and magnified by the drying effect.

Wear:

The advertising says it’ll wear “up to 24 hours”. Fortunately, I didn’t have to sleep in it to find out that it doesn’t wear for the full 24 hours. It lasted pretty well for about 8-10 hours during which it stayed pretty matte, didn’t move around, and didn’t wear off (except on the sides of my nose when I had on sunglasses). But by the 12 hour check-in it had started to wear off so my redness was showing through on my nose an chin.

It settled into the bottoms of my chin “ripples” after about 4 hours.

Feel:

I wouldn’t call it an “air-light” texture. I found it to be a little heavier than I’m used to and for most of the day I was aware of it. It felt and looked like I was wearing makeup. Over the course of the day my skin felt dry and uncomfortable and I had flakes around my mouth and nose by the end of the day. So it would not be good for the majority of mature women who have dry skin. It could be great for those with oily skin, or those suffering with frequent hot flashes since it kept me matte for most of the day.

It is long wearing, but not 24 Hours long… by 12 hours it’s starting to wear off and look dry and flaky

Phone Test:

Not perfectly clean, but not the worst I’ve seen either… I’m gonna give it a passing grade.

Flash Photography:

It looks fairly mask-like in photos

Rolling with Fingers Application Pics:

Sponge Application Pics:

Mixed with Oil & Applied with Flat-Top Kabuki Brush:

The Verdict:

This foundation has a lot going for it and it did look quite nice for the first 5-6 hours. . . but the way this foundation dries out the skin makes it a deal breaker for me (and probably most mature women for whom dry skin is an issue). It was nice on the pores, but magnified wrinkles, making them look bigger and deeper. 

And so the search continues. . .

Click Here for My Picks for the Best Foundations for Mature Skin

Shopping Links:

L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte at Ulta*

L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte on Amazon*

L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte at Drugstore.com*

* Marked links are affiliate links. If you click the link and buy something, I receive a commission for the sale, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra. You are free to use the link or not as you choose.

This is not a sponsored post.