L’Oreal Paris True Match Mineral Foundation Review

This review is especially for those readers who might be in the market for a mineral foundation and want to weigh the pros and cons of all the available offerings before throwing their hard earned cash. So this review combined with Mrunmayee’s review of Maxfactor Natural Minerals foundation should give you a better idea of the mineral foundations out there. (Now someone please do a review of Revlon Colorstay Mineral foundation!)

I have been looking for a lightweight foundation, preferably powder based for some time now. But powders have not sat well with me. With my makeup application skills they end up looking, well, powdery. I prefer a medium to full coverage product, but I don’t want to smear liquid goop on my face just for getting through an uneventful day. I would rather set aside my liquid foundation for when it is unavoidable and rely on a lightweight powder for everyday use. Having heard all the hype about how good mineral makeup is for the skin, I tried the Body Shop minerals foundation at a The Body Shop store, but didn’t notice any coverage whatsoever. So I decided to check out drugstore brands. L’Oreal mineral foundation is my first such buy. This SPF15, non-comedogenic, oil-free, perfume-free, preservative-free product is 95% minerals. It claims to provide a foundation-like coverage and can be used as a concealer, a foundation and a finishing powder.

Loreal Mineral Foundation

My shade is W4 Golden Beige which is meant for wheatish skin. It was not a Herculean task to pick it out since they had only 3 shades available – fair, wheatish and dusky. This is my all-time peeve with International brands that want to make a mark in ‘developing markets’ like India – they only ever release a limited range of their caboodle. Probably they want to cut their losses if the product doesn’t fly. The L’Oreal mineral foundation version available in the U.S. comes under the Bare Naturale line which contains 10 shades! They are also preservative-free, fragrance-free and contain an SPF of 19 as opposed to an SPF of 15 of True Match minerals.
I shall now step down from my soap box and move on to describing the product. I paid about 1000 Indian rupees for it. The foundation comes in a stout plastic jar with a transparent lid. There are 3 parts to the packaging – a receptacle that contains the powder and has fine holes through which the product can be sifted out, a screw-on lid with an applicator brush attached to it and a top lid that covers the brush and snaps to the middle lid. I quite like look of the jar. I like it that unlike opaque bottles, this jar gives me an idea of how much of the product is still remaining. I also like the look of it more as compared to Revlon Colorstay and Maxfactor mineral foundations.

Loreal Mineral Foudation

The brush seems fatter and the bristles more closely packed than both Maxfactor and Revlon Colorstay brushes. So it picks up more of the product and provides denser application, thereby providing greater coverage than the other two brushes. Some users have found the brush to be scratchy. The brush is not the best brush money can buy, but it’s not entirely worthless. The trick lies in using the brush with a feather-light touch. Probably because of fear of powder not sticking well enough, people try to rub it into their pores and that’s what gives that abrasive feeling. I must admit that while tapping and buffing, I can’t shake off the feeling that it is actually a lid I’m using as a brush. 🙁  Though if you are just checking out if mineral foundations are for you and do not want to purchase the whole shebang (a separate kabuki brush could set you back by another 1000 rupees), then you could make do with this lid-cum-brush.
Loreal Mineral Foudation

The coverage is light, but buildable to a medium. The final effect is matte. If the moisturizer underneath gives you a little bit of shine, the shine+matte effect translates into a nice dewy finish, which I like. The staying power of this foundation depends heavily on the moisturizer you use underneath it. The foundation sticks on longer if I use my Fabindia Vitamin e SPF 15 moisturizer instead of my Kaya Daily Use SPF 15 Moisturizer. The Fabindia moisturizer takes about 30 seconds to absorb into the skin and it is during this time that I apply my mineral foundation. During these seconds, the skin is still sticky enough for the powder to take root. With this, the powder stays on pretty much all day. The Kaya sunscreen absorbs faster, leaving no residue, which is a good thing, except in this case. The minerals powder should not be used under a whirling ceiling fan. The particles fly all over the place and provide coverage to more than your face. Ask me how I know ;).

Some users have reported itching from the application of this foundation. That could be attributed to Bismuth Oxychloride, a filler that is used to provide a glow finish to the skin. But this reaction looks like a relatively uncommon one. My skin is acne-prone but not too oily or too dry. It is not sensitive in the rashes-redness-sudden-reaction sort of way. This foundation has not caused me to break out at all. The product is indeed very lightweight and breathable. I’ve been wearing this makeup everyday for a couple of weeks now. I haven’t noticed any skin dryness so far.

So is this my true match? I would have to say no. It is a no match. And I don’t mean it in a good way. The powder gives me a pinkish white effect, however light the application, which gives some of the darker areas on my face a grayish tinge. The good thing is, the product turns to a better matching yellowish tone after about 15-20 minutes of application. But I want my foundation to disappear into my skin the moment I apply it, not after it has been dissolved in my sweat, moisturizer, rose water and rain.

Overall, my first ‘brush’ with mineral foundations has been more of a success than a failure. So whether or not mineral foundations stick to my face, I’m sticking to them for their ease-of-use, do-less-evil approach and the look-ma-no-makeup finish. Oh, and I get a certain satisfaction out of buffing my face with a foundation brush. 🙂

Rating: :-* :-* :-*

Is L’Oreal Paris True Match Minerals on your wish list?

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45 thoughts on “L’Oreal Paris True Match Mineral Foundation Review

  1. I’m using body shop’s all in one face base – it’s a pressed powder foundation that does give a very sheer look so maybe you could try that sometime. :))

    I didn’t try the TBS one as Rati said it’s not meant for oily skin but since this is oil free, I may give it a try sometime. 😀
    .-= ki.´s last blog ..Don’t quite know what to write =-.

  2. Hi Sonal, I love the way you write.. I have been very busy the last 2-3 days and read all the posts today.. I liked all your posts..

    I tried loreal true match at a mall some six months back.. The reasons i chose Maxfactor over Loreal were these-
    1. MF was cheaper, so for first timers who just want to try out it is a better buy.
    2. MF has subtle shimmer.. Loreal being truly matte finish would accentuate my dry skin.
    But, now I am completely over the mineral foundation craze. I would rather invest in compacts.. Loose powders did not do much for me and my skin felt drier and almost bare. I need a medium and more coverage anyway. And I have come to believe that Mineral foundations will work only for people already having a clear skin.

    1. Sorry I’m commenting on something a bit unrelated but I owe you lots of :-* :-* :-* M! Your pan stik post totally revived my chambor stick foundation that was too heavy and a shade lighter for my skin!!! :kissing: :kissblow: :-*

      I added you on FB btw (Kirti Aparajita Kumar) :-))
      .-= ki.´s last blog ..Don’t quite know what to write =-.

      1. :kissed: :kissed: :kissed: Awwww… Thank you Ki.. I’ll check my FB account today.. Was a little busy..

        Glad it worked for you.. :blush:

    2. M, I might give Maxfactor a try before giving up totally on minerals foundations. I quite like L’Oreal, except for the shade mismatch thing. I want loose powder to work for me also because I like using a foundation brush on my face. 😀

      1. Hey Sonal, many people complain abt shade mismatch with mineral foundaqtions… In fact i myself was convinced that the Bronze shade from MF was perfect for me… But now somehow it seems too dark for my complexion… So much so that I am using it as a bronzer now!!!

        Don’t know what the mystery is!!! ?:-)

        1. I think mineral foundations tend to oxidize and that is why they change the colour. A shade lighter would have been better. :-/

    3. Hey Mrunmayee,

      please tel me hw much does Maxfactor cost? N also that as I am having skin type which is very sensitive to weather :waaa: , right now it’s oily due to monsoon, n in winter it’ll turn dry.. n I have pretty clear skin too. I am looking for a fondation ( or bronzer may be :methinks: ) . which would give my skin a glow effect n also last long! Actually need for a party/club look! :makeup: :jiggy1: Which one acc to u should I opt?? Maxfactor OR Loreal???

      Thanx in advance! :blush:

  3. M, feeling proud of you. 🙂

    Sonal,

    I am so glad that we have a mineral foundation in our Indian markets that is decent. I am also kinda over with the craze for mineral foundation. I like my loose powder a lot and once it gets over I would buy another tub of it. 😀

    Anamika,

    Would you believe I yesterday I taught the LAkme SA how to use the Lakme tint. Then she applied it the way I told her and she was happy to see how nice it looked on her cheeks. 😀

    1. Awww Thanks Rati… :blush: :blush:

      And :rotfl: :rotfl: for the SAs.. But you are there for everybody.. Be it us or the poor SAs..

  4. i seen 3 shades of this foundation at the store & all seemed darker 2 my skin tone.will chk it again if there is any lighter color.for now i m liking loreal true match compact foundation & it gives a good coverage so 1ce i get it finished,i will chk this 1.nice review

  5. 🙂 After Mrun’s and sonal’s review, I would have to say no to mineral foundation, not ready for another disappointment too soon. Good write-up sonal….you explained every aspect of the product.

  6. Off topic, but how do you get your avatar to show up in these comments? I have a Blogger avatar that shows on my blog, but not here in these comments. 🙁

  7. Hey Sonal,

    Good writeup. However, L’oreal’s mineral foundation was a disaster on me. It gave me itches, accentuated pores, the brush scratched and what not :-(( . Am currently having MF mineral foundaion and am liking it. The only qualm is that they limited shades.

    Ya but as you said, maybe am an oneoff case 😕 . Good that ’tis suiting you. 🙂

    1. But the L’Oreal shade isn’t matching my skin tone. 🙁 Everything else is OK. I could try MF next..

  8. i just chkd colors frm above the packet.i think i need to chk them again.is that too much glittery. do try loreal true match compact foundation.its faband i don’t find it gettig melt when u step out.i use it without putting primer on still it blends very well.

  9. i hav heard alot gud abt maybeline mineral foundation….but it is so sad tht its not available in india 🙁 …can nyone suggest me a gud mineral foundation..and which is cheap ?

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