L’Oreal Nude Magique (or True Match Lumi?) Cushion Foundation
Good things come to those who look in strange places. Unless you are obsessed with make-up, you probably don’t know who Jaclyn Hill is. And even if you were obsessed with make-up, you’d possibly find following her a bit tiring, as she is very intense and can come across as slightly manic. Her highlighted, countoured and fake-lashed look is also not everybody’s cup of tea/can of Coke.
I like her because she’s a) fun b) completely unlike me and c) very focussed on results. She is clearly primarily driven by what works well on her face, rather than brand names, prices or any other secondary considerations. As she is a professional make-up artist with a very high-impact style, I can trust her on formulations, even if our preferences in the colour or placement department aren’t the same. If she says a lipstick is highly pigmented, I know it truly is. So I like to watch her videos when I’m going through my skincare routine in the evening, and this is how I found the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion.*
As it turns out, it’s her favourite drugstore/high street foundation and that’s saying something. While it’s not like I need another base product (I have more than 10 already) per se, most of them are too light for me at the moment, now that I have a light tan. So I thought I’d give it a go** and you know what? It’s great.
If you’ve tried the Lancome cushion, this one is similar, but I actually like it better. Lancome is nice, but very sheer, so unless your skin is already looking pretty perfect, it may not be enough. And if you already have perfect skin, you are probably not trawling the great Interwebs for new foundations. Anyway, the L’Oreal is easy to apply, can be built up to medium coverage, feels comfortable on the skin, looks dewy and natural and stays put. I often find that very comfortable foundations do not set well without powder (and I don’t like powder) – Charlotte Tilbury’s Light Wonder being a particular offender.
Finally, there is the convenience factor. As it comes in a cushion (obviously), it’s easy to transport and to apply on the go. It lasts well, so I have honestly not needed to touch up much, but if you have to, it works like a charm. All this makes Nude Magic/True Match Lumi a good everyday foundation for people who cannot be bothered to mess around with
Nothing is perfect, though, so let me point out two non-perfect things about this cushion. First, it’s quite pricey for a non-luxury foundation and you don’t get much product for your money. As I’m a person who has paid 60+ euros for her bases and almost never finishes them anyway, this is not something to hold me back. Secondly, the dewyness means that unless your skin is dry and/or you use powder, your T-zone might get quite shiny. Again, I can live with this – I have embraced my shiny nose or if it really seems too awful, I’ll put some YSL magic on top. People with oily skin might feel different, however.
*She is in fact talking about L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion, but as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, what is called True Match Lumi cushion in the US is called Nude Magic Cushion in Belgium and France. The packaging is almost identical, but the shade selection is different, so it cannot be excluded that there are differences in the formula as well. It’s all very confusing. Just look for a cushion by L’Oreal, there shouldn’t be more than one.
** I have it in number 7, Beige Dore.
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Isn’t it kinda cakey and thick? I haven’t dared to buy any cushion type foundations, although I have been tempted to. I stuffed my fingers in some of them, while in Japan and they all felt very thick and super drying on my skin. In fact, most asian foundations and bb/cc creams i have tried are soooo thick. Full disclosure is, of course, that most foundations dry out my skin immediately and look crap. I found a Lumene Hydra Drops couple a years ago, but it of course has been discontinued. Woe is.. yeah-yeah.
Honestly, I think it’s one of the least cakey foundations I’ve tried. But you need to keep in mind that my skin is no longer dry, so it might behave completely different on you. Still, it is definitely a liquidy liquid. Have you tried Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation (not the original Healthy Mix)? It’s a creamier liquid foundation, but I find it super smooth and super comfortable.
This looks worth investigating, I haven’t tried anything like this in years and next time I am in Boots I will have a look. I like you have lots of make up (although lipsticks/glosses etc of all colours are my main draw) and have recently settled on a Guerlain base, I think it’s called Baby Glow, which seems rather good without being too heavy or too sheer. That said, a primer does of course make a world of difference. Will let you know what I think of the cushion when I have had a play with it!
Don’t think I’ve tried that Guerlain, on the list it goes… What primer do you use? I cannot be bothered with a primer for everyday, but occasionally I do make an effort.
I’m looking in the mirror as I write this and yes, still like the finish of this quite a bit. Let me know what you think!
I have and computer says no. I evrn bought the earlier version (i think) because it seemed kinda decent in the shop and i had just read a raving review of it saying how it’s ideal for dry skin. But it’s like despite all my attempts to fight the dehydration, my skin breaks into pixels and the cake batter settles between them. I just tried the gel version last saturday and the result was the same. Mostly i just go sans foundation, because it looks better than pixeled cake 🙁
In that case, I’m afraid this one will not be hydrating enough for you either. I’ll give it some thought and see if I can come up with a better recommendation. Another thing worth trying is a seriously hydrating primer. Unfortunately I haven’t tried any, as I don’t need them. I think people rate the Marc Jacobs coconut one, but it’s not available in Estonia, obvs.
I have a chanel (vitalumiere aqua) and YSL foundations and always at least one cheaper one on rotation. The main difference I have noticed actually shows in the long run – cheaper foundations tend to break out my skin, irritate it and occasionally make it flaky + clog pores. I have to put more of an effort in my skin care routine if I use them (I mean do extra stuff to deal with the results in addition to regular cleansing-moisturizing). This never happes with the more expensve ones. In fact the YSL (touche eclat) feels like a moisturiser that has a bonus effect to even out my skin. I havent got any major skin issues (expept occasional dryness after winter months) so as long as the shade is righ I can get away with almost any foundation, but I’ve chosen vtalumier aqua and YSL one for the amazing glow which I dont get from drugstore ones 🙁 (bourjois healthy mix at the moment). But yes, one should always be on the lookout for a perfect drugstore foundation and thanks for pointing this one out. Might try in the future.
This sounds like a fair enough statement – as I rotate my foundations so often, I cannot really judge the more long-term impact (and I guess it would be diluted anyway). The other thing where cheaper foundations used to go wrong was the shades (too pink! too few!), but these days I would say L’Oreal beats most high-end brands with their selection of shades. True Match foundation especially has amazing range and great undertone options. Anyway, I mostly wanted to say that as YSL and Vitalumiere are among my favourite foundations, you might like the L’Oreal Cushion as well – even if only as an on-the-go alternative to your favourites.