How To Find Your L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation Shade

After more than a year of hiding your lovely face under a protective face mask every time you’ve left home, you’re finally able to remove it. In our minds there’s no better way to celebrate changing mask mandates and this post-vaccination era than with a full glam makeup look, equipped with a bold lipstick and your favorite blush. And we all know that every makeup look starts with the right base products—your foundation is key, especially for withstanding hot summer weather. Enter the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation. This lightweight, long-wear foundation will give your skin the medium-to-full coverage you crave while resisting sweat, water, and transfer. With 40 shades available, this super lightweight liquid formula has plenty of options to help you find the perfect match for your skin tone. Not sure where to start to find your perfect shade now that you’re ready to makeup again? Keep reading for a swatch breakdown of the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation.

L’ORÉAL PARIS INFALLIBLE UP TO 24HR FRESH WEAR FOUNDATION SWATCH BREAKDOWN

The more shades, the merrier—as long as you know how to narrow down your foundation match. Below, find a breakdown of our L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation swatches to make things a little easier.

The following shades are for deep and dark skin tones: Toffee, Hazelnut, Maple, Copper, Sienna, Deep Golden, Deep Amber, Espresso, Mahogany, and Ebony.

The following shades are for medium skin tones: Radiant Sand, Cool Sand, Radiant Sun, Golden Sun, Toasted Almond, Warm Almond, Caramel, Golden Amber, Amber, and Honey Bisque.

The following shades are for light skin tones: Ivory Buff, Rose Vanilla, Natural Rose, Vanilla, Rose Beige, Natural Buff, Golden Beige, Sand, Radiant Honey, and Sun Beige.

The following shades are for fair skin tones: Snow, Rose Pearl, Pearl, Porcelain, Ivory, Beige Ivory, Warm Ivory, Rose Ivory, True Beige, and Linen.

6 TIPS FOR FINDING YOUR FOUNDATION MATCH

Now that you know which shades are best for your skin tone, you may be wondering how to decide which shade to officially add to your makeup collection. Here are a few tips and tricks for finding your perfect foundation match.

TIP #1: IDENTIFY YOUR UNDERTONES

Not only do you have to consider your skin tone when searching for your perfect foundation shade, but you also have to think about your undertones. Not sure what your undertones are? Flip your wrist and let your veins do the talking. If your veins look greenish, you have warm (or yellow) undertones. If you have blue or purple veins, you have cool undertones. Unsure whether your veins look green, bluish or purple? You’ve probably got neutral undertones. When you go to choose a shade of foundation, make sure that you grab one that matches both your skin tone and your undertones for a truly flawless look.

TIP #2: CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS

Temperatures change with the seasons—and so should your foundation shade. While it would be nice to use the same foundation year-round, you’re bound to tan during the warmer months in comparison to fall and winter so reach for a foundation shade that suits your skin tone when it changes.

TIP #3: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TESTERS

No one wants to purchase a full bottle of foundation only to realize it’s the wrong shade, but we understand that testing out makeup has had its challenges in the past year. Now that more stores and services are reopening, take advantage where you can. When available, use testers to swatch the shade on your wrist or arm. If you're using testers that are used by a lot of people, you don't want to swatch them on your face or jaw because of the potential for bacteria to go near your face. Check out Your Guide to Hygienic Beauty for more helpful tips on avoiding germs in your beauty routine.

TIP #4: CONSIDER THE LIGHTING

Lighting makes all the difference, so make sure to look at your foundation swatch in lighting that won’t impact how the color appears. Yellow lights can often add warm tones that aren’t really there, and fluorescents can drown the color out. For the most realistic color, look at the swatch in natural daylight.

Editor’s Tip: Also consider using the Makeup Genius virtual try-on tool to test out different L’Oréal Paris foundations right from the comfort of your home. Just make sure you have good lighting, and use your computer or phone’s camera to do a live try-on. You can also upload a natural photo of yourself if your lighting isn’t great.

TIP #5: WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT

Have your perfect shade in a different product or formula? Since you already have a shade that works, you can use that product to compare and find the perfect match! The best part is, you don't even have to leave home to do this. Simply click through to the Infallible Fresh Wear Up to 24HR Foundation product page, scroll down, and use our 'Make the Switch' tool. This handy tool is just about as easy to use as it gets—input your current foundation brand and shade and you'll be offered a recommendation for which shade will best match your complexion. Can't beat that!

TIP #6: TAKE YOUR TIME

Don’t swatch a shade and immediately decide it’s the one. Instead, wait a few minutes to allow your foundation to dry. This can cause the color to change, appearing slightly darker, so it’s worth the wait!

HOW TO APPLY L’ORÉAL PARIS INFALLIBLE FRESH WEAR FOUNDATION

Have your perfect shade in hand? It’s time to start applying! You can apply this liquid foundation using a stippling brush, your hands, or (our personal favorite) a makeup blender. We recommend using the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender to buff out the formula for an effortlessly blended complexion.

If you love the Infallible Fresh Wear Up to 24HR Foundation but you prefer a powder formula for your oily skin or you want to set your liquid foundation, try the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear in a Powder, matte finish. Find out why TikTokers can’t get enough of this heatproof, sweatproof, waterproof full coverage formula.

Photo: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy, Design: Sarah Duvivier 

Next: The Best Makeup Colors for Every Skin Tone