Have you tried: L'Oreal Paris Infallible 24h Fresh Wear Foundation

I love that I get the opportunity to try so try so many different foundations- all different finishes and textures. I have promised myself that I'm going to give myself 6-9 months to write about ALL of them currently in my possession! It's a serious task but it has to be done. As a dark skin girl, do you know how hard it is to find swatches or true images online? I won't leave you hanging!

These days it seems like there are a lot of brands out there that who feel like they have everything that what we want in a foundation. 

But do they truly stack up??

Have you heard of the L'Oreal Paris Infallible 24h Fresh Wear Foundation ($19.99 CAN) ? If you've struggled to find the right foundation that hits a few of your must have lists- this might be the way to go. 

L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Glosses- SWATCHES

The popularity of matte lipsticks aren't going anywhere any time soon. One complain that I hear a lot is how "drying' they are. My recommendation would be the L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Glosses ($13.99 CAN).

Doe foot applicator perfect for sculpting your lips.

These highly pigmented matte glosses have a velvety texture when applied.

They're also long-lasting. Perfect to wear all night!

I received four colours but I swatched the two colours that would flatter my skin tone the best.
**Note: If these are too glossy for you- take a tissue- blot and you have a matte lip without the shine**

Shanghai Scarlet & Forbidden Kiss

Shanghai Scarlet

Forbidden Kiss

Which colour is your favourite?

L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation

Cushion foundations are all the rage lately – French cosmetics brands have perfected the launch, offering sheer, buildable coverage and a trusty compact that is perfect for makeup bags and traveling. I tried L’Oreal Paris’ take on the trend to see if it stacked up to the rave reviews.

APPLICATION
My favourite thing about this foundation is how true to skin tone it is – when I first opened the compact in my shade, I thought that there was no way this would work – it was way too dark. However, upon applying, I noticed it was a perfect match. So perfect that even swatching was difficult, you could barely see the product! What you see in this shot is several coats of foundation applied with a stippling brush.

This product also gives your skin a luminous glow, almost as though you’ve also applied a highlighter. It’s perfect for a fresh-faced look for daytime. At night, I add translucent setting powder to mattify things up a bit.

COVERAGE
The coverage for this product is sheer-to-medium – it takes a few applications to build it up. If you’re looking for additional coverage, add a creamy concealer to blemishes and under eye circles following your foundation applications.

SHADE RANGE
The product range includes 8 shades ranging from “Light Ivory” to “Suntan”. Unfortunately, I don’t think this foundation is a good match for those with darker skins.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is available in drug stores including Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall, as well as Walmart and Amazon.ca for approximately $24.99.

L'Oreal Paris: The Collection Exclusive Pure Reds by Colour Riche

It's been a while since I really fell in love with a red lipstick. I was truly excited to get this exciting information from L'oreal. I know so many people who freak out when they see a red lipstick. This collection may help some ladies get their first red inspired by their favourite celebrity L'oreal beauty ambassador. These lipsticks are available in November!

The collection features six matte red lip ($10.99 CAN) and nail colours($3.99 CAN) ranging from 

a Classic Red to a Fiery Red to a Ruby Red.

My favourites are Blake & Laetitia!

Must Have: L'OREAL PARIS Sublime Sun Silky Sheer Face Lotion SPF 50+

My stash right now is insane.. Sometimes I miss out on some gems/don't get to them in time. My regular facial moisturizer got misplaced- so I had to try something new. Some of you may think I'm being over dramatic but it was a life-changing skincare decision. Let me start off by saying that you should be wearing sunscreen daily no matter what your skin tone is. I usually go with about SPF 15 but I'm always looking for something better.

During my frantic rush to get ready one morning for work, I found a stash of sun products that were sent to me by L'Oreal Paris: Sublime Sun Silky Sheer Face Lotion SPF 50+ ($9.99 CAN).

Being a deeper skin tone SPF can sometimes show up white and streaky on me. It's definitely something that you can handle on vacation but not something that I can handle for every day use. The product comes and a slim orange bottle that is small enough to fit into your make up bag.

The formula is fluid and not thick like usual facial sunscreens  I use. The most important thing for me is that by the end of the day it doesn't leave me oily nor does it clog pores because the ultra-light texture is designed for your face.

Check out the L'OREAL PARIS Sublime Sun line:

Why you need it:

• Oil-free
• Non-greasy
• Water resistant 
• Won’t clog pores

Swatch:

Summer Pinks: L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color Rose Symphony

I've been talking about doing this post for so long. While working full-time and attempting to plan a wedding and of course trying to have a life.. I have been taking a bit of a back seat on the blog.

Summer is coming in right now one of the hottest colours out is pink. As a deeper skin woman of color, I feel that I need to be conscious about what pink I wear. Hear me out.. I personally do not want to be walking around with milky Pepto lips because it's not flattering to my skin tone. When When I brought up the idea of doing a pink lip series on Twitter, a lot of women of colour were really happy for me to do it.

This week's summer pink is:
 L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color Rose Symphony ($12.99 CAN)

Formulated with precious micro-oils and rich color pigments, 

Extraordinaire provides the ideal balance of color and care for perfect lips. 

Purchase it here:

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil + Swatches

Since I'm West Indian, I'm so happy to see oils being celebrated and now on the market. 

They have various purposes and a lot of benefits. 

This is definitely the year of the cleansing oils. 

Almost every brand has one out or coming out with one right now.

For anyone new to Cleansing oils they're pretty awesome. 

Apply them to dry hands- massage it into your makeup and rinse off. Super easy!

One cleansing oil getting a lot of buzz is L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil ($11.99 CAN). One of the most smooth oils that I've tried in a while. When I say smooth I'm referring to the viscosity. Not too thick- Not too thin- Just right.

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, high performance cleansing for all skin types. Instantly dissolves even waterproof make-up, skin feels perfectly clean with a non-greasy finish. The oil formula helps to re-balance skin's natural oil production for healthy-looking skin.

I applied waterproof eyeshadow to my arm and set it.

Then applied 2-3 drops to dry hands and massaged it over the eye shadow.

It immediately started to "break up".

Then it washed off clean. No shimmer left over.

LOVE!

Have you tried a cleansing oil before?

Must Have: L'oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

There comes a time when a mascara comes on the market and

 you are completely obsessed with. This is it!

L'oreal Voluminous® Butterfly Mascara is worth obsessing about!

At least once a week, I get asked where do I buy my lashes. 

People look at me crazy when I tell them it's just mascara.

The mascara does everything it claims:

Lenghtens.

Stretches.

Volumizes.

If you have patience and have no problem building coats, this mascara is definitely for you.
Just look at the wand!

Check out L'oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara on sale:

Its revolutionary Butterfly Brush™ with asymmetrical lash line shape extends and lifts outer corner lashes to give you a winged-out effect, instantly volumizing lashes at the roots and stretching lashes outward. The unique Cocoon Fibers™ instantly wrap lashes in a soft, delicate veil to create silky, spectacular lashes that flutter.

Sorry for the odd shot.

I just wanted to show how long my lashes look.

Totally looks like I have a thick set of falsies on.

L’oreal Voluminous Power Collagen mascara

L’oreal claims its Voluminous Power Collagen mascara delivers Volume like never before, dramatic volume that lasts 24 hours. They also claim the volume-building formula delivers up to 15X lash impact.

I was pretty excited to try this mascara as I happen to really like L’oreal mascaras for the most part and volume is the name of the game with my lashes.

I need to be honest here. The first time I used this mascara, I wasn't sure what to think. There is something that makes this mascara thick and wet but not liquid in texture. It’s almost got an elastic quality to it. Which makes sense since the word collagen is in the name. I am all about really testing a product though so I put it through its paces and in the end it turns out I really do like this mascara.
On first swipe of this mascara you may not get a lot of volume, you will probably go back for a 2nd coat, heck maybe even a 3rd. (I always encourage the second mascara coat, actually if truth be told I encourage layering all kinds of mascaras) Once you have added another layer or two you will finally see the volume this mascara is talking about.

I tend to like L’oreal mascaras because they separate and add thickness and this mascara does both of those things. I cant speak to the 24 hour claim but I can say after a good 12 hours of wear incorporating staring at a computer, commuting and standing in front of a hot stove my mascara stayed in place. I also can speak to the 15X lash impact all I know is that my lashes looked way more voluminous after the application and that’s something I can get behind. All in all once I got used to the texture of this mascara I enjoyed it and will definitely keep using it.

You can buy it here:
Canada
USA

My Top Five Favourite Products for Fall

Time for me to get back on track with my monthly favourites. This month was really good for me. I kept my makeup at a minimum but have five favourites which I brought with me everywhere! Thank God I carry a large purse.

Mary Kay® Kohl Eyeliner in Golden Illusion ($18.00 CDN)
In almost every makeup look I do, I highlight my inner corners. I love using rich golds because they make my eyes pop. This kohl applies so smoothly. Which is important when you're dealing with delicate areas like your eyes! Plus it's smear-proof.

Victoria Secret Sheer Body Lotion ($24.00 CDN)
I wash my hands a lot. It's Fall and I'm trying my best NOT to get sick! I love the scent of Victoria.
Key notes are: Red berries, Victoria rose and crème brûlée. Isn't that yummy! It's a sweet and sexy scent which is not too powerful to be worn in the office.

Almay color + care liquid lip balm ($8.95 CDN)
I've been in love with these for months. I got a sneak peak  back in June at an Almay event. LOVE them! They're non-sticky, shiny, conditioning and pigmented. They also show up on pigmented lips like mine. I should add that they are gluten-free & hypoallergenic.

Clinique Superprimer Face Primers ($29.99 CDN)
It's very important to use a primer when you're going to wear foundation. Primers make your foundation last longer and usually have some additional benefits. Clinique has come out with a long list of primers. I should add that there is one that colour corrects dullness in deeper skin tones!  It's not chalky like other primers and it's very lightweight. In the formula, there are very tiny micro-crystals which I assume make your skin took more illuminated.  I would definitely add this to my list of top 5 primers for dark skin.

L'oreal Super Slim liquid liner (10.99 CDN)
I love slim liners. They give me more precision to choose the type of liner I want. This formula is quick drying and long lasting. This is really important in the winter. It's also suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Have you tried any of these products?