L’Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation in 235 Honey – Review, Swatch and FOTD

I have always loved the quality and textures of L’Oreal’s makeup products, more so because pretty often, some of them turn out to be affordable dupes of iconic luxe brands (check out my comparison between the YSL Glossy Stains and L’Oreal Shine Caresse here). So when I read rave reviews of their new Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation, I wanted to try it out myself. What was difficult was deciding which shade to order so I went ahead and got the shade 235 Miel/Honey (Miel, by the way, is Honey in French). Read on to know whether the new L’Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation lives up to the hype or not….

About L’Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation

“A makeup with superior hold and moisturising comfort for 24 hour flawless coverage, no touch-ups required. Fighting imperfections and shine without compromising on moisture, skin is left truly infallible. With the added benefit of Hyaluronic acid, skin is kept refreshed, hydrated and flawless with a foundation that lasts all day without ever caking or drying.”

The Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation comes in a no-fuss square-cylindrical bottle with a maroon cap. One of the best things about this foundation is it’s pump! Neither the L’Oreal Nude Magique nor the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundations have a pump and dispensing the product is often a messy, wasteful affair. I am so glad that The Infallible foundation has a pump, and one that which perfectly allows you to control the quantity of product you dispense! Two pumps of the foundation is all I need for medium coverage on my face and neck. Half a pump more if I want slightly full coverage.

To be honest, after using the EL Double Wear, I didn’t really expect to find a foundation that would surpass it in terms of coverage, longevity and finish. I was wrong because this L’Oreal Infallible one is really excellent. The first time that I wore it, I went clubbing on and through the heat and sweat, it lasted marvellously on me without fading/streaking/looking patchy. Neither did it make my skin look extra shiny. I was super impressed even though I chose a shade that isn’t the perfect match for me (more on that later). Last night, when I was wearing this foundation, I got a little wet in a light drizzle but when I dabbed my face with a tissue and checked the mirror, there were no streaks of foundation running down my face! Take note brides-to-be.

The texture and coverage of this foundation is really fabulous. It is a thick liquid  but is easy to blend either with fingers or with a brush. It sets to a satin-matte finish which doesn’t look flat or cakey. It covers most minor imperfections and also doubles up as a concealer if needed so I don’t really need to apply a concealer. Because of the lovely finish, I don’t even need to set it with a powder. I have applied it with my fingers, with the Sigma F88 as well as with The Body Shop Kabuki brush and when applied with either of the brushes, it gives a flawless, airbrushed finish.

While it claims to last for 24 hours, the max I have worn it is 10-11 hours and except for the oxidising part, it wore really well. My T-zone did get a bit shiny after around 5 hours but otherwise, it did indeed “Stay Fresh” as it’s name suggests.

My only issue with this is the shade but then that is my mistake. Rather than checking the shades in person rather than just going according to the shade names and numbers. Because as it turned out, 235 Honey is too light for me. Once blended on my skin, it also appears to have pink undertones as you can see from the swatch above. However, when applied on my face….

Unlike most other foundations that look ashy or give a greyish pallor when you use a light shade, this one just blended so beautifully and naturally and makes it appear like my skintone is a couple of shades lighter! No mask-like effect either that usually happens when you wear a light foundation.  And would you just look at the finish??? It isn’t dewy but is radiant, it’s matte but a luminous matte, not something that is a flat, uni-dimensional matte. I am not even wearing powder over this nor any highlighter!

Of course, it does oxidise a bit and within an hour of wearing it, it perfectly matches my medium-tan skintone. For once I’m glad that a foundation oxidises because that means that the shade I wrongly chose, matches me really well!

Priced at ₹1,325 for 30ml this is one affordable foundation that is sure to give the high-end foundations touch competition because of it’s lovely texture, finish and longevity. Add to that 11 shades with both pink and yellow undertones, I’d say we have quite a winner here.  I forgot to mention that it also has a pleasant, mild fragrance which lingers for a bit.

Have you tried the L’Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation? What has been your experience with it? Do let me know in the comments.