L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder: Review & Swatches

I had been eagerly awaiting the launch of L'Oreal's newest foundation, Magic Nude Liquid Powder, from the moment I first heard about it back in early June. It just sounds like such a cool concept, promising a lightweight product that goes on as a liquid, then sets as a powder to deliver natural-looking coverage. So as soon as I spotted it in person, I snatched up a bottle to try. Maybe I got myself a bit too hyped up about this product but...well...things didn't really work out between us.

The Magic Nude Liquid Powder retails for about $13, depending on where you buy from. The bottle contains 0.91 oz, which is a bit less than most foundations. It comes in a glass bottle and the packaging looks attractive enough. My main gripe with the packaging though is that there is no pump, so it's difficult to know or control how much product is coming out, especially when you have a product like this that has a consistency similar to water.

You do need to be on the cautious side when applying, because as I mentioned, the consistency is thin and runny--a lot like water, really--so it's easy to pour out waaaayyyy too much. Lesson learned: Dabbing a few drops onto your finger, rather than tipping the bottle over into your hand, will save you a lot of grief--not to mention product. The bottle recommends applying this with fingers, instead of a brush or sponge, so that's what I did. I tried out the second lightest shade, Classic Ivory (312), and I can say that this line definitely runs dark. I'm on the pale side of NW20 and I probably would have found the lightest shade in the line to be the best fit for my skin.

As you can see, aside from the questionable color match on me, it does blend out to a pretty natural-looking, semi-matte finish. However, before it set, it felt kind of strange. It was oddly heavy for a product with such a thin texture and it felt maybe even a little greasy. It's not really something that you can layer, either. Anytime I tried to, it wound up just rubbing off what I'd already put on--so this seems to be designed for someone who doesn't want or need a lot of coverage. It gives you just enough to even things out, but it does not cover like a traditional foundation and it won't cover any blemishes or dark spots. I dusted some powder on top for some added coverage and to set everything, then off I went.

But before too long, I began to feel that dreaded greasy, shiny feeling coming back. I have oily skin and by around the three-hour mark, my foundation had noticeably separated and faded in some areas. I blotted things down, hoping to get it to last through the day, but with no luck. By around hour five, it felt so greasy and looked so separated that I was ready for it to come off. Even with my favorite primers, I could not get this to last more than a few hours on me. This was one of those products that gave me that "OMG-the-first-thing-I'm-doing-when-I-get-home-is-wiping-this-off-immediately" feeling. Yuck!

I've seen some reviewers that seem to really like this, but I just could not get it to work for me. It's an extremely intriguing concept, but I think the formula needs some work. If you're looking for an affordable foundation with excellent staying power, even in the summer heat, I cannot say enough good things about Covergirl's Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation!

Have you tried the Magic Nude Liquid Powder? Did you dislike it as much as I did or were you able to make it work? I'd love to hear your thoughts!