Hidden Gems of the Drugstore- L'Oreal Paris Infallible Mega Gloss- MATTE

First of all, you'll have to excuse the excitement, after all, this is my VERY FIRST ever blog post! I am very excited as this is something I have wanted to for the longest time and only now find myself in a position where I have the time and motivation to do so! But I digress. What I have to talk about for my first blog post (did I mention that already?!) is perhaps something equally exciting- the L'Oreal Paris Infallible Mega Gloss. 'How can a gloss be exciting?' I hear you say- well let me tell you, this is no ordinary lip gloss that we are discussing. As we are all aware (and are probably sick to death of), matte lips are in...in a big way. Every brand and their dog it seems is coming out with their own version of a lip-dehydrating liquid lipstick or matte something or other. Don't get me wrong, I do love a matte lip! And that's why I'm so excited. If you're like me and dedicate a lot of time to watching the YouTube make-up bloggers, the majority of which are based in the States, you've probably seen extensive reviews of affordable matte-but-not-drying lip products being released in the US, such as the Maybelline vivid matte lip colors, the Revlon Ultra HD matte lip colors and the L'Oreal infallible pro-matte glosses, all the while screaming at your computer screen 'why are these not available in the UK?!'- well at least I have. Well do not fear- we have not been left out completely.

The Details

During my search for products comparable to those being released across the pond I stumbled cross our version of these creamy, pigmented matte lip products which are all the rave- and they have just been hiding among more classic lip gloss collections within the L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss line all along. This specific gloss line comes in 5 different finishes; cream, xtreme, dazzle, neon and (of course) matte! The matte glosses themselves come in 5 shades; 407 'Smoke Me Up'- a beautiful berry purple; 405 'The Bigger The Better'- a very bright pink; 402 'Forgive My Sin'- a bright post-box red; 401 'Amen'- a pinky-brown nude and '404 Rasputine me'- a vibrant tangerine orange. You can find them in the UK at Boots for £6.99 a piece.

L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in shades 401 'Amen', 402 'Forgive My Sin' and 407 'Smoke Me Up'.

I own 3 of the shades- 407, 402 and 401- and let me tell you, they are worth a go! If you're into creamy matte lip products (and who isn't?!) then these are for you. The packaging is simple yet stylish, with a transparent plastic tube letting you see the colour you're picking out, with the shade name, number and gloss finish conveniently printed on the lid of the tube. The formula is richly-pigmented, creamy, but not too thick, and doesn't dry down like a liquid lipstick, and as such they are not transfer proof but are extremely comfortable to wear and keep you lips hydrated throughout the day or night. Although they have a slight sheen following initial application, this is lost through wear, or they can be blotted immediately to achieve that sought-after matte look. Whats more- they stain your lips for hours!

L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss matte swatches of shades 401, 402 and 407.

Application is straight forward enough, there is a subtle vanilla-butter-cream-yet-slightly-chemically smell and they glide on beautifully and opaque, and almost seem to melt onto your lips. The formula as it comes out of the tube is not dissimilar to the Nyx soft matte lip creams, but I find the application of these far nicer and they don't go on to 'set' like the Nyx version. However, the applicator is one of the strangest I've come across. On the L'Oreal website they describe it is an 'ergonomically designed lip applicator' that 'hugs the lip contours'. Don't get me wrong, its not unpleasant to use. Its soft and plush feeling on the lips and distributes the product well, I just personally don't see the benefit over a regular doe foot applicator, and I find it slightly irritating that a lot of the product gets caught up in its nooks and crannies.

L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss 'ergonomic' applicator.

To Sum Up

All-in-all, I love this product. It is my go-to when I want a bold matte lip that I know will last and can be easily re-applied on the go without the faff and pressure of having to apply a full-on liquid lipstick (or the risk of having flaking lips- if you're an avid user of drying liquid lipsticks- you know what I mean!). 'Amen' is perhaps my favourite shade as it is the most versatile, although it is the least pigmented and therefore wears off quickest. 'Smoke Me Up' has also been a go-to for me over the winter for that festive berry lip. I only wish there was a greater colour selection, although considering it is a mini-collection within a larger range its not so bad, and I think there should be at least one shade suitable for everyone. If I were L'Oreal, I would re-brand it as its own separate range- they're way too good to be hiding under the guise of a gloss! In short- I recommend you pick one of these up and give it a go!

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