December 15, 2011

L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Review, Swatches, Photos

L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow has landed on our shores.

Released early last year in Europe, these shadows are making the rounds in drugstores here in the states. So far I’ve caught them at Harmons, CVS, and Walgreens with prices ranging from $7.99 to $9.49.

They got pretty strong raves on UK blogs when they were originally introduced and I was quite curious to try them out for myself so it’s nice to see them locally. L’Oreal has some pretty strong releases for Spring 2012 up their sleeves and I do believe Infallible Eyeshadow will get some strong raves across the board. The formula is very nice however it has a few hiccups worthy of a mention.

Let’s take a peek!

For me these are a cheaper version of Armani Eyes to Kill and Lancome Ombre Magnetique. These are a loosely packed pigment eyeshadow just like Armani and Lancome’s version. Think of a MAC Pigment and think of it pressed into a compact and you’ll pretty much have the formula for Infallible Eyeshadows.

The formula here feels like a cross between a cream and a powder. I find they are creamier in texture than Armani’s version and have a smoother more even glide. I also felt like they crumbled less and had less problems with fall out although fall out is still a factor here. Application is incredibly smooth here, they glide on beautifully but I do think it deserves mentioning that they’ll work best on a smooth lid. If your lids are uneven, wrinkled, etc…you might feel application comes across a touch patchy. The shadows are a heavy weight in my opinion, yes, they are weightless once in place but when color is built up the formula starts to get heavier and heavier so you’ll want to blend these out fully once you’ve added layers.

Wear time is incredible. I have drier lids and without primer they pretty much last from the start of my day straight through the evening with a little minor creasing, very minor, around the 10th hour in. I think they should fair well on oily lids but a little primer underneath will aid in the wear time for oily lid users.

The texture reminds of a buttery velvet somewhat like Stila Eyeshadows but with more of a creamier feel. The finish on all the shades I tried was very metallic, they have a liquid metal effect that’s very pretty. A few shades did come across a touch frosty but it blended out well enough.

The best application method here is with a sponge tip applicator as it smooths and builds color easily. Using this with a brush will cause some pretty bad fall out plus the colors don’t apply as nicely unless you’re patting them into place. Sponges work best in my humblest opinion.

I do think you might be limited to how you wear these as I feel like they don’t quite blend well or play nice together. I get a little bit of a muddy looking going on if I’m trying to contrast two shades. If you have some major skill in the blending department you can probably create a great look but I personally thought they didn’t play so nicely together so I limited myself to wearing a single shade.

The shades I purchased were:

  • Amber Rush (coppery bronze)
  • Bronze Taupe (taupe-y brownish bronze)
  • Golden Sage (sage green)
  • Eternal Sunshine (bright buttery gold)
  • Iced Latte (icy cream beige)

On the downside I think if your eyes are aging slightly you might feel these apply a bit unevenly. My lids are pretty smooth but my sister expressed a bit of irritation during application and felt they didn’t have as nice a glide as I was expressing excitement over.

I have to admit formula is amazing, pigmentation is incredible, and wear time is super but…I didn’t really love them as much as I thought I would. The formula is a little too much dare I say? Color pay off is really, really bold and the color on my eyes looked like I applied a little too much when in reality I hadn’t that was just how pigmented the product was.

Overall, these are definitely one to look out for particularly if you like strong, bold formulas. Personally they weren’t a complete win for me but I can’t deny L’Oreal did a very good job with them. I believe there are twelve shades total to choose from so variety is a factor here as well. If you love Armani Eyes to Kill these are an excellent dupe at half the price tag!

Anyone try?

What do you think?

Do share!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • alex

    are these loose powder product? i wonder if these are comparable to tarte cream shadows exclusive from QVC

    • the Muse

      they aren’t loose powder alexa and not comparable to tarte cream shadows hun. These are a loosely packed pigment shadow with creamy texture but not a full cream base so def not like Tarte’s version which is a full cream eyeshadow.

  • Shivani

    Hey Muse,
    I was curious to see what you thought. I got to review 9 of them on my blog. On me, however, they don’t fare well without a primer and I have dry lids. WIth a primer they are doable, but still fade as the day goes on. Another interesting observation: US has different names than Canada and also different shades. Interesting, no?

    • the Muse

      really? No problems here at all. I wore two days straight without urban decay primer potion and they wore at least 10 hours…I saw a little creasing action around 10th hour in but nothing noticeable or terrible. I’m surprise they creased on you particularly since you have drier eyes. my issue with them was the formula was a bit too pigmented…even with a single layer blended out I looked like I had a TON of eye makeup on. Yup, also euro release has different/ names too.

      • Shivani

        I totes believe you, its just me and my impossible lids 🙂
        Yup they can feel a tad cake-y, but I love them too. These are a nice change from same old!

        • the Muse

          that’s the word I was looking! cakey! ;-D yes! they just have a cakey feel on lids ;-D that’s actually why I didn’t LOVE LOVE them. Just a bit too heavy sometimes.

  • Eli

    A few days ago I reviewed this eyeshadow in 013 Eternal Black. To me, these are one of the cheapest GREAT eyeshadoows here. they blend like a dream, and the shade I got is really amazing, don’t know whether you’ve got it there.

  • Jess

    I’ve been buying these for several months in Canada now– I live in Buffalo NY, so the mecca that is Shoppers Drug Mart is a mere half hour drive. I have all the darker shades for lining purposes, and I just love ’em.

  • Ruthless

    Ha did you just say your sister has aging eyelids?

    I have a couple of these, the main line colors aren’t exciting but the new release ones are fab. I thought these might be good for layering under shadow but they are best as is-and primer helps for oily eyelids

  • Mary the Muse Militant

    Love this product. I got the Burning Black colour a few months earlier this year and love it. It’s a smokey burgundy black and stays put, blends great and is very pigmented.
    The Bronze Taupe one looks so nice on you.

  • jenn s.

    Uh oh. I can tell by the way the Sage looks on your brown eyes (quite pretty) that it is not a color for my light blue eyes. Sooo hard to find a green shade for blue eyes, and this one intrigued me initially due to the formulation and color in the pot. It certainly suits your coloring, though! 🙂

    • the Muse

      jenn I actually didn’t like it :-/ I prefer more forest-y shades of green so I hear where you are coming from!

  • Sara

    I’m crazy off the charts excited to find and try these. If my Armani shadow (Lust Red *drool*) were a person I’d kiss it every day. I doubt these L’Oreal versions will have the same beautiful colors and nuance the Armani’s do…but still… I like a punchy eyeshadow with staying power. A punchy eyeshadow with staying power and a cheap price tag? Yes, ma’am, I can bend my eyeshadow ban for that. 😉

  • Hilary

    I can’t wait to find these!
    I’ve been hunting but sadly nothing yet. I wanted to try the etk but just too $$$ for me so yay!

  • SJG

    Saw them in Giant Eagle today – they were pretty but the packaging looks like a pain in the ass. I was looking for these and the new L’oreal gloss balms at Ulta, but they were nowhere to be found since Ulta felt the need to fill the shelves with crappy Christmas gift sets! DISLIKE. There is a 20% off everything coupon going on right now so that’s probably why they didn’t put anything new out.

  • Mia D

    Muse- These along with the L’Oreal Magic Lumi, Maybelline Color Tattoo, and new Maybelline lip products (one was a stain & one was a lipstick) are at CVS. I just stopped in tonight and they have a lot of new stuff! Sadly though I didn’t see anything about the Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse. My local BB&B does not carry make-up 🙁

    • Mia D

      I also found the Maybelline Master Shape (drama eye brow pencil). I tried it tonight and OMG HG! It’s the best I’ve found and looks sooooooo natural.

  • Jane

    I wish they weren’t so frosty! colors look lovely but there’s too much frost for me 🙁

  • EsteeDarla

    I had to buy all of them and love them trying to post my videos and pix up been sick so I am behinde in everything LOL thanks for shareing

  • Beauty and the Scientist

    Great swatches, I have to see if they are at my local drugstores. So far I’ve heard people finding them at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I must get them!!!!
    They are most comparable to the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill which go for $32.

  • nikki

    These are the best drugstore shadows I’ve ever used! They are so pigmented and long lasting. I love how smooth they are to apply and they look so pretty and shimmery. I have iced latte, continuous cocoa and bronzed taupe. These three colors look great with my hazel eyes and create a goregous natural Smokey eye. I’m itching to get more colors, especially the green and purple. Oh and that amber color is calling my name!

  • Patti

    How did you apply these Muse? With a brush or finger or sponge? I feel like I don’t really understand the texture.

  • Lisa

    I have almost all of the shades they make 🙂 It was a fluke, I started(it always starts with just one, don’t it? lol) with the black one spangled with silver glitter just because a good black shadow is hard to find. I saw the ’24 hour’ thing and thought, yeah right, more like 2-4 hours. I’m a hairdresser, and in our humid salon with hairdryers constantly blasting and me running all over the place, it lasts from noon to 10 pm! I love metallic/sparkly shadows as I have thick glasses that need extra shadow to make eyes pop. I have oily lids and no prob whatsoever even sans primer. They make glorious liners as well with a teeny liner brush 🙂 I give em 8.5/10! Much better than the Maybelline Tattoo shadows, those get grody on me in no time. These are the only shadows I use now 😀 <3

  • Felicia

    so you do not use these wet? they are ready to wear?
    I just got two last night and ihave yet to try

  • Beth Maiorana

    Just picked up a couple of these today for the first try- I’m “old” you guys!! Fifty eight years old: I will report back on the application, blendability, pigmentation, and durability for more mature eyelids here. xoxo Beth in Pgh 😉

    • the Muse

      looking forward to hearing about your thoughts beth and no you aren’t old silly ;-D

  • Jill Thomson

    I have looked everywhere for L’Oreal infalible Endless Pearl eye shadow that I have worn for years because it does NOT glitter. I don’t like the what L’Oreal has out now.
    Where can I find Endless Pearl which is matt? Surely someone still has it!
    Thanks.