This week, I’m doing a brand focus on L’Oreal to celebrate the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (formerly known as L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival). This brand focus is not sponsored content.
When I first heard that L’Oreal has come up with a foundation very similar to Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Fusion Makeup, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t entirely impressed. I don’t have the Giorgio Armani Maestro but I have tried it out in store, played with samples of it and I didn’t like it. The not-quite-foundation, not-quite-primer thing from Giorgio Armani sank into my fine lines and exacerbated them like nobody’s business. Good thing I didn’t drop a lot of money on it!
When L’Oreal launched the Nude Magique Eau de Teint, I swatched it on the back of my hand and first thoughts were “oh dear, it’s like that Giorgio Armani Maestro”. It took me a while to finally try it out on my face. But when I did, I had a 180 degrees change of mind. Turns out, I absolutely love it!
INGREDIENTS: DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, ISODODECANE, ALCOHOL DENAT., VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE,PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, ACRYLATES/POLYTRIMETHYLSILOXYMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, AQUA/WATER, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, [+/- MAY CONTAIN: CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77491 , CI 77492, CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES] (FIL B160492/2).
Now, just to be clear, I don’t have a bottle of the Giorgio Armani Maestro so I cannot compare the two foundations side by side. But what I can remember about the Maestro was how I really didn’t like how it accentuated my fine lines. Coverage was also poor. However, the Eau de Teint looked great on my skin. There was no emphasis on fine lines, applied like velvet (with a semi-matte, slightly powdery but not chalky finish) and my skin looked flawless yet natural. It didn’t look as though I had any foundation on. It was my skin but 100 times better.
The lasting power of this foundation is also excellent. I’ve had this on for well over 12 hours without it fading. Coverage is a medium but easily buildable to higher coverage without making the skin look dry and cakey.
Mixing #120 with #170
The Eau de Teint would have easily, EASILY shot to Holy Grail status for me if not for one thing: the damn packaging. This is something I don’t understand. It’s a very watery foundation (think microfine powder in water). When you shake the bottle, it sounds like water and not cream inside which isn’t hard to figure out that the fluid that is dispensed is going to be very runny. Yet the bottle doesn’t come with a pump but in one big hole.
It’s very difficult to dispense on the back of the hand without pouring way too much foundation out. There have been times when too much foundation was dispensed despite very careful pouring, spilling over and landing on my desk. By the way, when you’re using this foundation, do not do it while standing on a carpet. I’ve had near misses of this landing on the carpet. The packaging is frustrating to say the least.
To make it easier for me to use the foundation, I decided to decant some of it into an old contact lens case. I was sent two shades to try out, which are #120 and #170. The #120 is a tad too light for me and the #170 way too dark. So when I decanted the foundation into the contact lens case, I mixed a bit of the #170 to the #120 hence giving me the perfect shade. No more fiddly pouring, no more spilling accidents. Eau de Teint packaging, you lose. I win.
Toothpick was sanitised with rubbing alcohol before mixing the foundation
Other than that, I love this foundation. It was love at first application and I’ve been using it consistently ever since I got it. This would have been instant Holy Grail if not for the lousy packaging. If they add a pump to this, then there’s no doubt about it. I’ll give it my HG stamp of approval right away. That’s how much I love it. If you decide to try this out, I highly suggest decanting it to a pump bottle or something similar that you can get from DAISO or MUJI. Makes life a lot easier.
L’Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint retails at AU$24.95 for 20ml. Highly recommended for combo skin. LeGeeque has dry skin; she has tried it and loves it too.
What I like about it: Flawless yet natural finish, goes on like velvet, great lasting power, does not accentuate my fine lines despite the formula, gives your skin the “your-skin-but-heaps-better” look.
What I don’t like about it: Stupid @$#% no-pump packaging.
Have you tried the Nude Magique Eau de Teint foundation? Your thoughts? Yay or nay? If you have the Giorgio Armani Maestro, how do they compare?
Disclaimer: This product was sent for editorial consideration.
I’ve always heard about this foundation and I’ve also wanted to try it until a blogger (allura.com) pointed out how high alcohol is on the ingredient list which gives it it’s matte finish.
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To be honest, I don’t believe it’s the alcohol that gives it the matte finish although I will say that it does give the impression of a very quick-drying velvety texture.
Homai! This foundation is the shiznit! I’ve not tried Maestro with a great deal of seriousness but I do think it’s highly-overpriced. Unless it makes me fly, I’m finding it hard to sink $90 on a foundation.
But this! This! This! It’s so buildable. It stays true and stays on for hours with no rubbing off or fading. I went for a 40min walk one day in 27-degree heat and it held up fine! When I got back to work, I was ready to dust on a layer of Meteorites to re-set the foundation – none of that required. I did sweat, but it stayed on fine. I love it!
Last but not least, some food for thought, L’Oreal owns Giorgio Armani beauty and fragrances line. I’m not saying anything but I’m sure your readers are intelligent enough to draw some conclusion 😛
PS- I think #120 was a bit too yellow for me. Do they come in other shades?:P
It’s good right? The thing with the GA Maestro is that it’s not actually marketed as a foundation. It’s sort of like a primer but it isn’t. The coverage is so light you might as well not be putting it on. This one actually has coverage even though it’s light. Yeah it does come in other shades but sadly, #120 is the lightest.
oh this is so tempting now, I almost bought it during the big priceline 40% off but I feared it would accentuate dry patches on me. It sounds really nice and the bottle is pretty but why do they always have open tops like that – is there anyone who actually prefers them?!
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I know, right? Who wants packaging like that beats the hell out of me. Pump packaging is more expensive but given that we’re already paying a lot for L’Oreal cosmetics here, it’s not a lot for me to expect better packaging, is it? Sigh.
Man, that’s the smartest idea for these silly pump-less foundation bottles. I’m gonna get a contact lens case too. This foundation does sound good and it looks great on you.
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Yeah, contact lens cases are best for situations like this. I cannot be arsed with the stupid packaging. Imagine my horror when I almost dropped this on the carpet. Who should I send the carpet’s steam-cleaning to, eh? 😛
YES! I hated this at 1st because it settled into my fine lines, but it seemed to some how fix itself. I love it, But the bottle…. And worse than that, the directions Loreal give you are worse than useless. I am fussy about my fingers touching product in the container, so their directions do not sit well with me.
I think I’m going to have to decant it, sad that the packaging lets it down to much.
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Sigh I know right? I’m NOT putting my finger over the top to get product, that’s just disgusting. Best to decant it to use. At least I don’t have to worry so much about spilling foundation anymore.
Great review! Will you be a darling and upload a shot of the ingredients list? Can’t find it anywhere online.
Also I used to use Revlon’s colorstay. I find if you just cover the hole with your finger and give it a shake the amount left on your finger is usually perfect to dab on. Two shakes should give you a full face.
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Hi sweets, I updated the post with the list of ingredients but here it is for you:
DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, ISODODECANE, ALCOHOL DENAT., VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE,PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, ACRYLATES/POLYTRIMETHYLSILOXYMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, AQUA/WATER, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, [+/- MAY CONTAIN: CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77491 , CI 77492, CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES] (FIL B160492/2)
It looks like you are preparing a cup of creamy latte (toothpick mixing foundations). 🙂
Great idea. I have been looking out for this foundation but it looks like we don’t get it here yet… 🙁
Hahaha damn, I should have tried out “coffee art” on the decanted foundation, shouldn’t I? 😛
I love the idea of decanting the foundation in a contact lens case. Brilliant 🙂 It could be the lighting but the foundation seems to make you look darker? I have seen most of your foundation photos and they always make your face look brighter.
Ooops it’s just the lighting. It does make my face look brighter 😛
Have to put up another vote for the ‘genius contact lens case useage’ idea!
With formulations like that I tend to put my finger over the top of the bottle and do a single violent ‘shake’ upwards, coating my finger with the foundation but not allowing for spills (bottle stays upright throughout) I think that’s the same method as Kahani mentions above? – as I like to apply and spread with my fingers this works well for me – obviously fingers have to be scrupulously clean for this to work without getting a bottle of ick – or alternatively using a clean, thinish handled concealer brush to transfer from bottle to face. But the contact lens case sounds a much better idea lol!
Think I will go play with this – if I can get a good shade we might have something to knock Revlon Nude off its HG perch! 😀
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Yeah I know what you mean but I reckon it’s better to just decant it to a much smaller case. Seriously, the chances of spilling this is crazy high, given that it’s so liquid-y. I love using old contact lens cases (or just getting cheap new ones from DAISO) to decant stuff like foundation, BB cream, a bit of eye cream, etc for travelling. You get two compartments for the price of one! 😛
I don’t own the Maestro but definitely will be picking this up after trying it on for a full day on half a face and found it knocked the Chanel CC cream I was wearing on the other side of my face out of the water!
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Oh yeah. I definitely prefer it to the Chanel CC cream. It wins hands down. 😛
What a great idea to use the contact lens case. I have so many spare ones at home and I never would have thought to use one for something like this.
Oh, the possibilities!!
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Spare contact lens cases are amazing to bring beauty products with you for travelling. Eye cream, serum (anything that is packaged in opaque jars or bottles) are also great to decant to contact lens cases. You can also pop in small rings or earrings. Like you said, oh the possibilities! 😀
Would you say that this is similar to MAC face & body or is it totally different?
Hi Kai, I’ve not tried the MAC Face and Body on my face but I’ve tried the texture. They’re both completely different foundations in terms of texture. The L’Oreal one is a lot smoother, more velvety, liquid powder in texture due to its high content of silicone whereas the MAC’s foundation is creamier (like the usual foundations we’re used to).
Great review! I don’t mind the open top. If you use a beauty blender sponge (or another make-up sponge), just keep it on the top and shake one time or twist the bottle to get a drop on your sponge. I’m using this product for more than a 1/2 year now and I don’t want anything else anymore!
For some reason, I didn’t like using this with a sponge. For me, it soaked through too quickly (I was using the Real Techniques sponge). I love using this with my fingers. I’ve come to a point where I couldn’t even be arsed with the open top any more given that the foundation is that good for me to still want to use despite the packaging. 🙂