L’Oréal True Match Liquid Foundation in N3 Nude Vanilla

The bottle is glass; it's quite heavy.

I was initially looking for the Revlon PhotoReady Liquid Foundation as I had been reading about it and thought it might be what I wanted. But, after visiting two stores and both did not have any testers; saw the L’Oréal True Match Liquid Foundation, and they did have testers, I thought maybe I should give one a try.

It seems like a recurring incident for me that I end up with a foundation that is not quite right for the colour of my skin. The problem is I have two colours - yellow and red. On my face the predominant colour is red with odd yellow/beige here and there, and my neck is mostly yellowish beige - whatever that is.

I have bought the True Match in N3 Nude Vanilla, and to be honest this doesn’t quite solve my problem. But the good thing is the shade is rather forgiving and since I only wear a thin layer, whatever ‘wrong’ there is, it doesn’t quite show.  

For the other things about this foundation, here’s my thoughts:

Texture

Testing the tester the texture was liquid but not runny, but upon using my newly-purchased foundation it was a bit watery and the colour had separated a little bit. So I usually shake the bottle before using. 

Finish

The finish is not quite dewy but not quite matte - somewhere in between. I was quite worried when I saw a hint of glitter on the bottle, but upon application there was no visible trace of glitter whatsoever, which was a bit of a relief. The foundation doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. But since I have oily skin, my skin can get oily after application; a bit under an hour if I don’t use my primer, and if I use my primer it can hold up to maybe around two hours before it gets shiny.

Coverage

I think the True Match gives a medium to high coverage. I notice that my pores and blackheads especially around the nose get covered up pretty nicely when I wear the foundation alone, and even more so if I have a primer underneath. But the dark circles under my eyes will need a higher coverage than this, even if I say it covers not too badly. 

Application

Brush

I definitely don’t like the way the foundation spreads with a brush. It doesn’t settle and cover but simply spreads around and around, which doesn’t get better if I use a primer.

There's a bunny in there somewhere or a squirrel.

Sponge

I find that I can achieve an even and thinner coverage when I use a sponge. I get an even thinner layer if I moist the sponge up; but with this method, I find that I waste a lot of product, which is true with any foundations, and I think this might also remove most, if not all, of my primer or whatever skincare I have underneath.

Finger

In the end I think using my fingers is the quickest and simplest method. I like using the dabbing or patting method to apply before blending it out.

I’m happy to report that this foundation doesn’t make my skin break out and I don’t have clogged pores afterwards. With my Estée Lauder Primer underneath, it seems to stay put well over five hours with some fading. But this is not a waterproof foundation, so I’m sure any activities that produce sweat will wear off the foundation quicker.

& Buy

- Revlon PhotoReady Makeup [Amazon]

- Revlon PhotoReady Foundation [eBay]

- L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation [Boots]

- L’Oréal True Match Liquid Foundation - Various Shades [Amazon]

- L’Oréal True Match & Infallible Foundation Shade Finder [Ulta]