What it is: Loreal True Match Radiant Serum Concealer is a high-medium coverage concealer with a thinner more fluid consistency and natural-matte finish. It is supposed to also have skincare properties with hyaluronic acid for hydration and caffeine to help depuff the under eye area.

Price/Quantity: $15.99 for 0.33 fl oz / 10 ml

Availability: Ulta, Amazon, CVS

Shade Range: 24 shades

Packaging: Mostly a typical concealer container but the doe foot wand is a little more unique with one flat, broad side, sharper edges and a slightly pointed tip. The product doesn’t coat the wand too heavily but if I’m applying concealer to the face directly from the wand, I feel the need to wipe the small amount of excess product off on the neck of the container. The applicator has a soft fuzzy texture that feels comfortable and plush against the skin. The edges are not too sharp and the pointed tip isn’t too pointed but does offer a tiny bit more precision than a typical doe foot applicator. Brand new, the product came sealed with a small sticker holding the top and bottom portions of the tube closed. 

Smell/Fragrance: I don’t smell any fragrance at all but there is a noticeable alcohol scent during application. It’s not super strong but it’s enough that it isn’t easy to miss.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients: These are the ingredients for the shade C2 from the Ulta website. 

C2: Aqua/Water/Eau, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Magnesium Sulfate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Bis-Peg/Ppg-14/14 Dimethicone, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Carbonate, Caffeine, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Silica Silylate, Tocopherol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tin Oxide. May Contain (+/-): Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides, Mica, Ci 77163/Bismuth Oxychloride. (F.I.L. N70031568/1).

ulta.com

Performance

Shade: I picked up shade C2. I use the Loreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation in N1 but the concealers in N1 and N2 were both sold out at the time when I ordered, so I decided to give the next closest option a try. I’m glad I didn’t get those other shades because C2 ended up be much lighter and more neutral than I was expecting. I’m guessing the other two would’ve been way too light on me.

Application: I’ve tried applying this with a small flat synthetic brush like I do with many other concealers. It works fine that way. If I lightly scrape excess product off on the neck of the bottle, I can also sweep the applicator directly across my under eye area and get a nice thin, even layer of it on the skin. I don’t normally use that method, but it seems to work well with this concealer. If I apply it that way, then I just quickly tap it out with my fingers and the coverage ends up even and well blended. I can add a second layer the same way if I want to build up the coverage and it layers over itself well that way.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: This has a thin, lightweight texture that feels very fluid when I first apply it but it dries down as I blend it out. It even has that faint alcohol scent that is sometimes present in thinner complexion products. In the container, if I look at it REALLY close under just the right lighting, I can see the finest bit of pearl in the formula. On the skin with actual use, I don’t see any pearl or shimmer whatsoever. I do not feel this actually looks radiant at all. Once this is applied and sets, it looks like a matte finish product. It sits closely to the skin which I like but it is dry looking and all the micro fine lines in my skin are visible because of it. The longer it sits on the skin, it’s as if the moisture in the product continues to dissipate, leaving behind the powder pigments. Over time, as I’m making facial expressions and the skin is moving, the powders kind of gather in those lines and give the surface of my skin a lightly “cracked” appearance. This all sounds kind of dramatic and it’s only noticeable very up close. From a normal distance, it’s not all that visible, but most of my other concealers don’t do this.

During a full day wear test (set with powder), I noticed that by the end of the day I had no creasing under my eyes and the dryness that I see when I initially apply the product went away. The skin looked more normal, more hydrated, and smoother but still matte. The cracked appearance went away and I no longer had the issue with the product looking like it had migrated into the fine lines of my skin. 

Coverage: High medium, almost full coverage. I’m surprised by how much coverage this offers for being a much thinner consistency. It works both for the under eyes and as spot concealer, though I think the consistency is more geared toward the under eye area. It is buildable to an extent but can lift previous layers of itself that have already dried down. The lifting issue happened more on my nose and when using it as spot concealer. I noticed hardly any lifting at all when I used multiple layers under the eyes.

Longevity: I have wear tested this only once (set with powder) and found it held up well till the end of the day. I didn’t have any creasing in the fold under my eyes and the coverage stayed strong. This is the type of concealer that dries down and sets so it doesn’t transfer or rub off very easily at that point.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Very high coverage, really neutralizes dark circles. 
• Thin, lightweight feel. Doesn’t look or feel heavy even when layered.
• Stays in place well once it sets.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Says it’s supposed to be hydrating but I don’t find this hydrating.
• Not thrilled about the crackly, dehydrated appearance this has up close.
• Only going by one shade in my possession and the swatches on the product page, the shade selection seems kind of weird. 
• Alcohol scent and just having alcohol high up in the ingredients in general.

Do I Recommend It?

This is another product that I’m on the fence about. There are things I really like about this and if I were younger, it would probably suit me better. But I don’t think this is a good fit for someone with more mature skin. I also don’t think it would work well for someone with dry or dehydrated skin given how the moisture in the product dissipates over time as it is worn. If you’re younger and have more normal/oily skin, it might work well. Otherwise, it’s probably a safer bet to pass on this.

Loreal Voluminous Panorama Mascara is supposed to have a volumizing formula and an applicator that helps apply the product evenly to all of your lashes from inner corner to outer corner so that you end up with a more “voluminous” fanned out fringe without clumps, flakes or smudges. It comes in 3 shades (Black, Blackest Black, and Black Brown) and also in waterproof and washable versions. It looks like the waterproof one is only available in Black. Depending where you buy it, you can find it for around $13-$16. As of the time of this review, it is available to purchase from Ulta, Walmart, Amazon, and CVS.

My Natural Lashes And What I Look For In A Mascara

I have somewhat fine/sparse lashes that are mostly straight and not very long. I don’t typically go for volumizing mascaras and prefer a more “natural” look. I like a bit more length/curl and darker color with good separation. I don’t like when my lashes stick together so it looks like I have fewer but thicker lashes. The claims on this are somewhat up my alley and I enjoyed the last Loreal mascara I bought so I had high hopes for this. 

What Does It Actually Do For Me?

This looks much more natural and light than I expected when considering the claims and compared to other mascaras I’ve used. That said, I like it. It’s actually not that easy to find mascaras that do just enough and don’t get in the way or make a mess of my lashes or the skin around my eyes. It doesn’t add a whole heck of a lot of volume (which I’m fine with) but it does darken and beef them up a bit. It applies evenly as claimed and even if I go over the lashes many times to build it up, it does not clump and doesn’t cause the lashes to stick to each other unless I sweep the wand through my lashes WAY too many times. So far I have not noticed any flaking or smudging during application or throughout the day.

The color is a decently dark black. I’m happy with the depth of color and don’t feel like I wish it were any darker than it is.

It only uncurls the lashes slightly during application but it does so in a way where all the lashes remain in a neat line and don’t end up frayed — I don’t get that weird thing where some lashes end up pointing way down and some are pointing more upward. Once I’m done applying it there’s still plenty of curve left in the lashes and the curl is locked in place all day. 

How It Compares To Other Mascaras I Often Reach For

Other mascaras currently in my rotation are Loreal Noir Balm, Milani Highly Rated Anti Gravity, and Benefit Roller Lash. All of these, including the Loreal Voluminous Panorama, look about the same on the lashes. They all separate, add a bit of volume, and hold a curl decently well in about a similar way. They even share a lack of clumping and none of them cause my lashes to stick to each other much. But where this new one is noticeably different is in flaking, smudging, and ease of removal. 

This one has the least amount flaking and smudging. I’ve worn this for several days and I’ve struggled to notice any flakes or smudges at all even by the end of the day. It is also the most difficult to remove, and almost feels like a waterproof mascara, though the back of the packaging says it is supposed to wash off easily. It does not run/smear/smudge if I wet my lashes with water. It kind of “crumbles” off of my lashes though, similar to a tubing mascara but in smaller pieces (not larger “tubes”). My preferred removal method is using a Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipe. I need to spend about twice as long using a wipe with this mascara versus the others I mentioned.

Can It Be Layered and Built Up Slowly?

Yes I can build it up slowly. I have other mascaras (Loreal Noir Balm) that I can seemingly layer indefinitely without any issue but this one does have a limit. I can layer for quite a while but eventually I can feel my lashes start to become stiff and waxy, making further layering difficult. I have plenty of time to work with it till I get to this point though. I don’t feel rushed to get the application right immediately.

Even being brand new, I don’t feel the need to allow it time to dry out. The formula doesn’t feel “too fresh” or too wet and it doesn’t coat the brush too heavily. I get a nice clean, predictable application that holds well all day. It looks nice up close in photos too which is important to me.

Before and After

I’ve been in need of a new mascara for a while and decided to pick this one up to try out. It’s supposed to be a volumizing and (I guess) moisturizing formula, hence having “Balm” in the name. These are my thoughts based on a couple weeks of wearing it so far.

Packaging and Applicator

It has a bendy plastic applicator. If I press it against the edge of the container, it gives a little but it isn’t floppy. It’s a cool feature but I don’t feel like it makes applying the product any easier or harder. The bristles aren’t pokey or uncomfortable against my lashline. It’s not too big for the size of my eyes or length of my lashes so I don’t get very much smudging on my lids during application. I have a few mascaras from Covergirl that have a similar type of applicator, which is maybe why I thought I might like this.

Here are a few other mascara wands to compare to and help you visualize. From left to right:

• Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara
• Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara
• Tarte Tarteist Mascara
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

So far the have tried the Covergirl one side by side with this and they feel nearly identical both in how bendy they are and how gentle they are against the lashline. These are all taken straight from the container without cleaning any excess product off the wands.

I prefer a lighter mascara application so for me, just the right amount of product coats the brush to apply to all my lashes on both eyes without having to dip back into the container. The stopper removes all excess mascara from the wand except for a tiny bit on the tip which is no big deal to wipe off.

What The Formula is Like

The formula is more volumizing than lengthening but has a good balance of doing both. I usually go for lengthening mascaras that provide good separation and fanning so I’m surprised I still get that quality out of a volumizing formula. The balminess seems to make it take longer to fully dry down than other mascaras I use but it does completely dry so I can touch my lashes without it transferring. I can add a second layer without it causing my lashes to stick together or uncurl them.

Something that I can’t stand about mascara is when the part the mascara that extends past the tip of my lash to create that extended length doesn’t follow the curve of my lashes and gives me these weird angled bits that don’t look natural at all. Thankfully, this does not do that. It very nicely follows the curve of my lashes and doesn’t cause them to point all different directions once I’ve applied it, even when I add a second layer.

How It Wears

This holds curl all day and I get very minor flaking and smudging on the lids near the lashes. Smudging happened more as my skin became more oily toward the end of the day or if I wore more emollient concealers. Most of the days I’ve worn this I haven’t seen flaking except for those that I decided to apply it more heavily or layer it.

There really isn’t much that stands out as being super unique about this. It’s kind of a no-nonsense, just-make-my-lashes-look-better type of product and I’m happy with how it has been working for me. Flaking isn’t something that bothers me unless there is a whole lot of it. Smudging is annoying but this has been so minor and not something I’ve seen happen every time I wear it.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

L’Oréal Unlimited Mascara is supposed to give your lashes length and lift thanks to the innovative bending wand and “stretchable” formula. It isn’t supposed to clump, flake or smudge. It retails for around $12 and comes in 2 shades. There is also a waterproof formula, but this review is for the washable formula. It is available at Ulta, Target, and Walmart.

This mascara gives my lashes a lot of impact quickly. Just a few swipes both lengthens and volumizes with rich black color. It dries down fairly quickly and holds a curl pretty well. I have to be careful to get the application right with the first layer though and stop there. Adding another coat quickly turns my lashes into a clumpy, spidery mess. I also noticed quite a bit of flaking throughout the day but no smudging.

The wand can be used straight like a typical wand or it can be angled. Personally, I just prefer to use it straight because it’s what I’m used to doing. The applicator is plastic, tapered, and narrow which is great to avoid getting mascara on your eyelids. The narrow end seems like it would be great for reaching smaller lashes near the inner corners of your eyes. However, it holds onto too much product and those tiny lashes are easily overwhelmed by the sheer heaviness. I can make it work by applying that excess product to the outer parts of my lashes first which can tolerate holding onto more product. Once the brush is a bit cleaner, I’ll move on to my inner lashes.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

L’Oreal Color Riche Shine Lipsticks come in 16 semi-sheer, glossy shades and have a moisturizing feel on the lips. They contain 0.1 oz / 3 grams, retail for about $10, and can be purchased from Ulta, Target, Walmart, and drugstores.

900 Glossy Fawn

902 Dazzling Doe

904 Varnished Rosewood

906 Burnished Blush

908 Sparkling Rose

910 Shining Peach

912 Dewey Petal

914 Glazed Pink

916 Luminous Coral

918 Polished Tango

920 Lacquered Strawberry

922 Laminated Fuchsia

924 Enamel Red

926 Glassy Garnet

928 Gleaming Plum

930 Splendid Blackberry

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Loreal’s Paradise Enchanted Fruit-Scented Blushes come in four warm-toned shades. The formula is described as being silky, blendable, but still rich in color. They contain 9 grams of product, retail for about $12 each and can be purchased from Amazon, Ulta, Target, Walmart. They may also be available in your local drugstore. I purchased mine at Walgreens.

Fantastical is a medium peach with fine golden shimmer. The photos currently available on retailers websites make this shade look way more vibrant and red-toned than it is. It wasn’t until I saw it displayed in-store that I had an interest in picking one of them up. This was the only shade that really called to me.

The compact opens both on the top and the bottom with a mirror on the bottom side of the blush pan. The scent reminds me of peach rings and isn’t particularly strong but it is noticeable when I first open it up. After I apply the blush, I don’t smell it anymore.

I really enjoy the formula of this. It is soft and silky but not powdery or messy when I pick up product on a brush. The color is buildable but definitely pigmented enough. I don’t have to be super careful when applying it but I can easily and quickly build up the color if I want.

The shimmer in this is very forgiving on texture. If you are afraid of shimmery blushes, this one might surprise you. It isn’t frosty at all but it does provide a nice muted glow to the cheeks. There is no large chunky glitter in this and I find the shimmer particles are all uniform in size.

This shade lasted 8 hours on me with no fading.

L’Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire is a new lip gloss with 16 shades that offers rich, glossy color and smooths the surface of lips. From the ads I’ve seen, these seemed like they might be some sort of liquid lipstick but to me they feel mostly like a gloss. They have a moisturizing, non-sticky feel and offer vibrant but sheer to semi-opaque color. Dancing Rose is a purplish pink with lots of fine multi-colored sparkles and Rouge Allegro is a bright pinkish red with no sparkles or shimmer.

Price/Quantity: About $8.00 for 0.18 Fl. Oz. / 5.5 mL

Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Packaging: Short, lipstick-sized gloss tube. The outside of the packaging is a metallic, reflective gold with a swatch of the color inside on the front. There is a label on the top with the color name as well. The rounded doe foot applicator is very soft to the touch and pulls out enough gloss to cover lips without having to go back into the tube. I have an acrylic lipstick caddy and these fit nicely in the compartments right next to my lipsticks.

Smell: These have a light floral fragrance that I only noticed when I smelled the applicator or smelled a swatch on my hand. I can somewhat taste the fragrance. It faded away soon after I applied the product.

Application: One pass is enough for me to get plenty of color and shine from these glosses. If I attempt to add a second layer, it does smooth out lip lines but it also looks too thick, bordering on goopy. So, one layer is just perfect.

Texture/Finish: There is no stickiness in this gloss, even when I press my lips together. They feel moisturizing but they also have a slight “oily” feel to them, which makes sense since L’Oreal says that these are infused with micro-oils. Some of these have shimmer and sparkle and others have none. I like the sparkles in the shades I bought because they are big enough to see but you can barely feel them. There are incredibly shiny and glassy-looking.

Pigmentation: Both are semi sheer but Dancing Rose is slightly more opaque than Rouge Allegro. They can be built up to appear more opaque or sheered out to give just a hint of color and shine. For me, it is most comfortable to wear a light-medium weight coating of these on the lips because they have a heavier feel than some other glosses I have tried. The ads I have seen for these give the impression that they would look very loud on the lips but they are not.

Longevity: After about 3 hours Rouge Allegro bled into the cracks and crevices of my lips and migrated outside lip lines but it did stay vibrant and shiny for 5 hours. Dancing Rose also stayed vibrant and shiny for 5 hours and didn’t have any bleeding issues.

Worth Buying?

Because of the bleeding/migrating issue, I wouldn’t recommend Rouge Allegro but Dancing Rose is worth buying if you like extra glossy lips and semi-opaque color. If you like lighter weight glosses (like Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Glosses), or you like opaque to nearly opaque glosses then you might not like these as much. The light fragrance doesn’t bother me but those that are extra sensitive to smells may want to be wary of that.

L’Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire is a new lip gloss that comes in 16 shades and offers rich, glossy color and smoothes the surface of lips. From the ads I’ve seen, these seemed like they might be some sort of liquid lipstick but to me they feel mostly like a gloss. They have a moisturizing, non-sticky feel and offer vibrant but sheer to semi-opaque color. Rose Melody is a light peachy pink with fine multi-colored sparkles and Purple Prelude is a cool lavender gloss with no sparkles or shimmer.

Price/Quantity: About $8.00 for 0.18 Fl. Oz. / 5.5 mL

Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Target

Packaging: Short, lipstick-sized gloss tube. The outside of the packaging is a metallic, reflective gold with a swatch of the color inside on the front. There is a label on the top with the color name as well. The rounded doe foot applicator is very soft to the touch and pulls out enough gloss to cover lips without having to go back into the tube. I have an acrylic lipstick caddy and these fit nicely in the compartments right next to my lipsticks.

Smell: These have a light floral fragrance that I only noticed when I smelled the applicator or smelled a swatch on my hand. I can somewhat taste the fragrance. It faded away soon after I applied the product.

Application: One pass is enough for me to get plenty of color and shine from these glosses. If I attempt to add a second layer, it does smooth out lip lines but it also looks too thick, bordering on goopy. So, one layer is just perfect.

Texture/Finish: There is no stickiness in this gloss, even when I press my lips together. They feel moisturizing but they also have a slight “oily” feel to them, which makes sense since L’Oreal says that these are infused with micro-oils. Some of these have shimmer and sparkle and others have none. I like the sparkles in the shades I bought because they are big enough to see but you can barely feel them. There are incredibly shiny and glassy-looking.

Pigmentation: All the shades I have tried are semi-sheer. The brightest one I have is Rouge Allegro and it is very vibrant and can be built up to appear more opaque but for me it is most comfortable to wear a light-medium weight coating of these on the lips. The first ones I bought were Rose Melody, Purple Prelude, and Dancing Rose. I went with lighter colors first because I was under the impression these were going to be very loud on the lips but they are not. Don’t be afraid to try the brighter colors, since they are sheer enough to tone down.

Longevity: About 4 – 5 hours. The color started fading after 3 hours but the shine kept on going and faded between 4 and 5 hours.

Worth Buying?

Yes, if you like extra glossy lips and semi-sheer color. If you like lighter weight glosses (like Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Glosses), or you like opaque to nearly opaque glosses then you might not like these as much. The light fragrance doesn’t bother me but those that are extra sensitive to smells may want to be wary of that.

Product Description

Price/Quantity: About $20 for 35 mL
Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer
Selection: There is only one option available.
Color/Finish: This does not have any “color” in it. It is essentially transparent and casts a soft-focus effect over skin, minimizing the look of pores and shine.
Packaging: Flat squeeze tube.
Smell/Taste: Moderate sunscreen smell.

Performance

Application: I just apply this with my fingers. It is quite thick and even a little hard to get out of the tube but it smoothes over skin easily.
Texture: It feels like silicone with very fine powder in it but it also has a bit of greasy/heavy feel on the skin. I can feel it on my face.
Longevity: The soft focus and mattifying effect lasts for a few hours and then shine starts poking through again which does nothing to help the look of my pores, of course.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• SPF 30
• Reduces shine
• Reduces look of pores

Cons:

• Feels heavy and greasy
• Doesn’t last all that long
• Doesn’t offer any kind of color or coverage for redness or blemishes
• Pricey

Would I buy this again? No. It doesn’t last long enough for me to put up with the heavy feeling. For what it does, it seems over priced to me.

Product Description

Price/Quantity: $8.99 for 2.8 grams
Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Target, Walmart
Color Range: 6 Shades. 3 of them are for warm undertones and the other 3 are for nuetral undertones. I like that they offer this versatility but since they went down that road I’m not sure why they decided to leave out cool undertones.
Color/Texture:

• w1-2-3 has more yellow undertones and is the lightest shade in the warm range.
• n1-2-3 has more neutral undertones and is the lightest shade in the neutral range.

Between these two, n1-2-3 is slightly lighter in color and not at all pink or yellow. It blends decently well although not as well as my Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche Concealer. The texture is on the drier side so if you have any dry patches or flakiness this will make it show more. It would work best for those with normal to oily skin types or if used over a moisturizing foundation. It creases almost immediately after application but the creasing does not get worse throughout the day, nor does it melt off. The product is a medium to full coverage concealer and has good (though not excellent) staying power. I prefer to use this on acne scars, blemishes, and areas of redness. I don’t like to use it around my eyes or nose as it accentuates the dryness I can get in those areas.

Packaging: The crayon twists up to reveal more product. If you twist it all the way up, you can still twist it back to the starting position. The image below shows one crayon fully extended so you can see how much product you get. I find the crayon to be a very quick and convenient way to apply concealer. I am not sure I would feel comfortable tossing this in my purse because of the cap. You have to press it down to secure it closed. I’m just not sure how well the cap would stay on jostling around with all the other stuff in my bag.
Smell: It has a somewhat waxy smell but it’s only noticeable if I actively try to smell it.

Performance

Application: For maximum coverage I found it best to apply this concealer directly to the area and then use a small fluffy eyeshadow brush to blur and blend around the edges. Using my finger to blend resulted in too sheer coverage no matter how many layers I attempted to put on. On my eye, I could only get medium coverage because the dryness started making it look cakey. It worked best on blemishes and acne scarring.
Pigmentation: Good pigmentation.
Longevity: So long as you don’t accidentally rub it off, it will last all day.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• Medium to full coverage – especially for blemishes and scars
• Lasts all day
• Options for warm and neutral skin tones
• The shape is convenient for quickly and precisely applying concealer to blemishes or acne marks

Cons:

• Texture is a litte too dry and dull-looking to use around the eyes
• Creases right away
• No option for cooler skin tones
• Considering the price and the overall size of the packaging, there isn’t very much product in the tube

Worth buying? It would be worth it if you are planning on using it to cover up blemishes and acne scarring and like the convenience that stick concealers offer. However, if you are familiar with the True Match Super Blendable Foundations and are expecting the same moisturizing/creamy quality that those have, you might be disappointed and opt to skip these.