Can I Make This Full Coverage Foundation Stick Work On My Dry Skin?

Hi friends!

Me use a full coverage foundation stick?? Yup, you read that right! If you’ve been with me for any length of time on here you’ll know that I’m thoroughly in the camp of light coverage bases and/or tinted moisturizers. That’s for a few reasons. Firstly – and this is not meant as a humble brag – I don’t feel I need to cover up much. Secondly, my skin is quite dry and dehydrated so I like to use liquid bases that are really juicy and have built-in skincare benefits (like the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint, for example).

But I’m nothing if not experimental, so when my mother handed me the L’Oreal Infallible Longwear Foundation Shaping Stick (because she picked the wrong shade for herself in-store) I was both apprehensive and intrigued. It claimed to be creamy and lightweight in texture, but primarily a very long-wear, medium-to-full coverage foundation stick. I don’t have much experience at all with cream foundations, and even less with sticks; I’ve always had it in my head they were too dry and cakey for me. I was game for the challenge though, so I set about testing and experimenting and now I’m here with the results.

In today’s post I’ll take you through my process from skin prep, to application and beyond, and then share my thoughts on whether or not I made this full coverage foundation stick work for me. Let’s dive in!

OTHER FOUNDATION POSTS

Are They Dupes? Neutrogena Radiant Tinted Moisturizer vs. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

Take a tour of my (ranked) foundation collection 

Makeup + Skincare + SPF 40 – ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint Review

How I achieve a light, barely-there base 

 

WHAT IS THE L’OREAL INFALLIBLE LONGWEAR FOUNDATION SHAPING STICK?

Cover, define and enhance your features with Infallible Shaping Sticks from L’Oréal Paris. Up to 24 hours medium to full coverage, contains SPF 27.

Cover, define, and enhance your features with the new Infallible Shaping Sticks from L’Oréal Paris. Achieve a perfectly sculpted look with buildable, medium to full coverage that lasts up to 24 hours. The creamy, glide-on formula of Infallible Shaping Sticks melts into skin and provides weightless, long-lasting coverage that doesn’t cake or drag. This multi-use stick allows you to easily define features without sacrificing longwear coverage. Infallible Shaping Sticks are available in 12 shades to cover, conceal, contour, and highlight features. Discover your perfectly defined makeup look that lasts all day and night.

– L’Oreal Website

 

 

THE SKIN PREP

Taking into consideration the texture of this foundation (cream), and my skin type (dry as a bone!), it’s imperative for me to prep my skin correctly here. That means I need a product that will give me moisture, slip, and glow so the foundation doesn’t patch or cake-up. I tried nearly all my skin prep go-to’s, but I found that thinner consistencies really work the best with this foundation. For me that means MAC Strobe Cream, L’Oreal Lumi Glotion, or a generous layer of my serum of choice du jour, the Serumkind Black Blossom Drop Serum. The foundation glides effortlessly over top of those primers, and sits beautifully on my skin throughout the day.

Whenever I apply thicker, super emollient moisturizers like the Weleda Skin Food Light or The Sexiest Beauty Rose Face Balm underneath, I find the foundation much harder to blend. It patches up in spots, particularly around my mouth and forehead.

RELATED PRIMER POSTS

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This illuminating moisturizer is keeping my skin lush this summer!

 

THE APPLICATION

It’s hard to say how much I actually use at a time since this is a stick format instead of a bottle with a pump. But for reference, I usually draw a “V” on my forehead, a little mark down my nose, about four lines per cheek, plus a dash on my chin. I can use my fingers to blend this formula out but I much prefer my aDesign Professional Blush Brush here, which is just a densely-packed synthetic brush. (Just FYI, this was gifted to me but not by the brand.)

The texture is indeed creamy and lightweight, but it doesn’t lend my skin a feeling of hydration throughout the day, if that makes sense. So I definitely need those dewy, luminous primers underneath. I like to really sheer out the product as much as possible with the aDesign brush; that way I can manipulate the finish from matte to something more satin or natural, which I much prefer for my skin type.

The coverage is definitely buildable, which I love. I’d say I can get a solid medium coverage before I start sheering things out with my brush. But you could certainly build this up even farther if you need or want to.

 

THE WEAR

Overall I think the L’Oreal Infallible Longwear Foundation Shaping Stick gives me what I like (i.e. natural-looking makeup) but more amp’ed up (i.e. more coverage). It stays on my skin throughout the day with very little wear-down, but the question is will it still look fresh at the end of the day? Or dry and cakey? Honestly I’ve had both experiences with this foundation. The wear I get seems to depend heavily on the skin prep I’ve done beforehand. So if I’ve applied the Black Blossom Drop Serum, or the MAC Strobe Cream, it still has a freshness to it. But on a few occasions I’ve noticed it sitting obviously on my skin, clinging to dry patches. That’s usually when I’ve used the Weleda or The Sexiest Beauty.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet but I wear the shade Buff, which has a neutral undertone but it’s a bit too dark for me. (I have this problem a lot at the drugstore.) You can probably tell from the before/after photos below, but I’m quite pale with cool-to-neutral undertones, for reference.

 

THE VERDICT

So, can I make this full coverage foundation stick work on my dry skin? Yes I can, but there are definitely conditions (i.e. skin prep). Is this my new go-to base for everyday? Not really, but I think it’s a good option on those days where I do want more coverage; and now I know how to use it properly for my skin type.

I think the big takeaway here is this: you can make different textures and different levels of coverage work for you, but you have to be strategic about how much you apply and in what manner you apply. A lot of foundations can be manipulated to your liking, which is what I’ve done here. So go forth, and experiment!

What kind of foundation do you like to use for your skin type? Have you ever changed a foundation to suit your needs? I’d love to know!

xo, and be well, Erica

 

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