little white truths

This review has given me a bit of a headache because I used to love this product and I must have gone through at least three tubes before I started blogging, but for some reason it doesn't work for me as well as I remember.

Indeed, this product has been on my Project Pan list for a while now and I've almost finished it, so I need to review it before it's gone forever and I can't remember what it's like.

• A makeup sensation that helps recreate the texture and glow of perfect, nude-looking skin
• The ultimate all-in-one colour correcting beautifier with all the benefits of a BB cream plus colour correcting properties
• An advanced anti-dullness coverage cream that has been made for those with dull skin
• The formula's milky mauve emulsion changes into a foundation on contact with the skin, while correcting tired-looking yellow tones in every complexion
• The perfect solution for problem skin
• With seamless coverage, it leaves skin healthy-looking, even, radiant and perfectly nude
• SPF 20
• RRP $26.95 AUD for 30ml, but do shop around (I bought mine half price)

There's what the product looks like when you first squeeze it out:

Then it starts to adjust when you rub it in:

 There's the colour (direct sunlight):

Natural light:

 And blended out, direct sunlight (and excuse the goosebumps; it's cold!):

Verdict

My memory of this product was that it gave me a beautiful, natural finish with just enough coverage to even me out but not enough to be detectable. Indeed, I remember it being one of the few truly undetectable base products I'd ever come across, which is why I loved it and kept buying it.

However, something has happened between now and then. Either L'Oreal has reformulated this (I can't see any reference indicating that this has happened), or my skin has changed. 

It may be that my skin is lighter these days than it used to be - I don't have as much time for things like self-tanning, now that I have kids - which is why the colour is totally wrong on me, and it also could be that my skin has become drier and more dehydrated over time (and note that I'm currently breastfeeding, which doesn't help those things), so it doesn't do enough for me anymore in terms of keeping my dry skin feeling comfortable and looking fresh.

Moving on.

This is a pale purple product that contains very fine grains (these vanish as you rub the product in - I'd say they're the shade-adjusting pigments), and once you start to rub it in, it becomes more skin-coloured in tone and it should in theory adjust to the shade of your skin. It used to do this for me reasonably well, but these days it looks too dark and too orange on my light/medium to medium skin, so I can't wear it alone.

The product has quite a strong, chemical scent that I don't like, but thankfully the scent dies down after application so I'm not aware of it once I'm wearing the product.

The coverage isn't heavy and you can certainly build it to a light/medium coverage if you want to. One thin layer evens out your skin and another layer or two gives a good, natural coverage that should suit those who like to look a bit healthier but don't want to look layered in makeup.

I like that the product contains sunscreen although I can't apply enough of it these days to get the benefit of that protection. I used to be able to apply a good dose, but given that it's now too dark and too orange for me, I can only use a thin layer and then go in with something else that matches me.

I also like the finish: it's somewhere between matte and dewy (so let's call it satin) and it indeed looks like skin. Having said this, these days the finish isn't quite dewy enough for me and there's something powdery about it that makes me look dehydrated: another reason why I need to layer something else over the top.

Overall, it's hard for me to give a really firm opinion of this product, given that I know it used to work beautifully for me and no longer does. So let's just say that it's definitely worth testing, and the main thing to be aware of is that it mightn't colour-adjust as you want it to - so do test it on your face (not just your hand) before committing to a purchase.

Still, it's certainly not the worst CC cream I've tried and while I wouldn't buy it again, I may still test one of the other products in this range - there's a green one to target redness and a yellow one to target fatigue - just in case either of those adjust better for me.

Please also note that while this product has had some good reviews (see eg beautyheaven), I've also seen other reviewers note the orange colour-adjusting issue so that's something to keep in mind.

Have you tried this product? Let me know what you think if so.