Matte foundation fares poorly on my dry skin. My complexion seems to reject the stuff, which often devolves into a caky, crusty mess by midday. Ergo, I’ve opted for dewy, glowy complexion products over the years, avoiding anything labeled ‘matte.’ I hadn’t reconsidered until a beauty industry friend, whose skin is similarly dry, swore that L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation was an exception to the rule. After all, matte foundation does, of course, have its place — particularly for photos, as its finish fares better than glowy options, which can read greasy in the face of flash. I’ve since incorporated the product into my permanent collection, and you can, too, by shopping the formula at Amazon, where it’s on sale for $11 right now.

The L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation is a long-wearing, medium- to full-coverage face makeup. The finish, aptly dubbed “demi-matte” by the brand, is a departure from the flat, mask-like look I often associate with products of its ilk. Instead, it simply wears like skin — skin that’s been lightly Photoshopped, perhaps — without caking or drying for up to 24 hours, per the brand. Longwearing in the truest sense, it’s simultaneously — surprisingly — lightweight. 

Unlike many high-coverage picks I’ve tried, this one is truly transfer-proof, even without setting powder or spray. FWIW: I have a specific fear of ruining friends’ outfits (doubly so for wedding dresses) when I go in for hugs, lest my makeup end up smearing onto their attire. By proving truly transfer-proof, this formula has alleviated my woes and remains exactly where it’s meant to.

Perhaps most impressively, this $11 foundation wears like much pricier mattes I’ve tried. In fact, if I were to blind-test it among a lineup of labelless luxury bottles, I’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the drugstore formula from those four times its price (which speaks volumes given the bevy of foundations I’ve sampled over the years).

Shoppers are impressed with L'Oréal’s foundation for similar reasons. One reviewer says it “looks great in photos,” and they receive compliments on their skin when they wear it. Another shopper who has tried “hundreds of foundations at all price points” keeps “coming back to” L'Oréal’s. Yet another shopper says it’s “better than expensive brands,” while another says it provides “good coverage without caking.” A testament to its longwearing nature, another fan says the foundation remains flawless even “when [they] sweat a lot.” 

For a photo-ready, velvety skin finish with serious staying power, shop L'Oréal’s Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: An affordable formula that’s changed my perception of matte formulas as a whole. 

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