Review: L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss in Aphrodite Kiss

Purchased by Me 

Back in December, L'Oreal released this display for the new limited edition Infallible Pro Matte Glosses (not to be confused with the Infallible Pro Last 2-Step Lip Colors). I've heard rumors that these are eventually going to become part of the permanent Infallible lip color line, although I have not received any confirmation of that just yet. Either way, I thought you might like to see my thoughts about the shade I purchased about two months ago at Rite Aid. I've seen the display for these (there are six shades in the range) in my local drugstores even to this day, so I know they're still out there. Either way, let's take a look...

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss in Aphrodite Kiss

(retail: $8.99, 0.21 oz.)

Keep reading for my full review...

As you can see, the packaging is very similar to the Infallible 8HR Le Gloss line. 

If you have not used a lip product like this before, I want to make sure you know that even though these do not come with safety seals, there's a very easy way to tell if one of these tubes has already been opened (and possibly tested/used):

Before you remove the wand from the tube for the first time, you can see that the chamber is empty (pic above).

But the moment you remove the wand, the chamber fills right up. So you can very easily tell if the wand has been removed.

The pic above shows one swipe of Aphrodite Kiss on the back of my hand. As you can see, this is a very opaque, bright color. This photo was taken within minutes of me swiping the color onto my hand. As you can see, there's some shine to this lip color upon initial application. 

The pic above is of me wearing Aphrodite Kiss. I was wearing this color for about twenty minutes before I took this photo--I wanted to show you that this product does eventually set to a more matte finish. My lips are pretty chapped right now (I know, my lips are always chapped) but I hope you can see that I didn't really have an issue with color bleeding into my fine lines. I was sort of expecting it to be bad since this color is so pigmented and saturated, but it really surprised me. I get no significant bleeding, even as the color fades. 

When I first posted about this collection, I know that many you thought the name was silly. "Matte Gloss" is definitely an oxymoron, but I think I've figured out why L'Oreal may have chosen this name. Unlike the flood of matte liquid lipsticks, stains, creams, etc. currently on the market, I think that putting the word "gloss" in the title sort of gives you a clue that the texture of this lip color isn't going to perform like, let's say, a Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick. In other words, it doesn't have that longwear, slightly dry texture that we generally associate with matte liquid lip colors. To me, this feels just like a non-sticky gloss...with a matte finish. It is in no way drying, and it does not feel heavy on the lips. It actually feels quite creamy and when I'm wearing it, I forget that it LOOKS like a matte on the lips because, based on the way it feels, I expect it to have at least a satin (if not shiny) finish. 

The staying power of this lip color is good. Much better than a traditional, shiny gloss, but not as good as most of my longwear matte liquid lip colors. It's sort of right in the middle between the two, and more like a traditional matte lipstick to me. I can easily get three hours of wear before I see some fading, but this color does leave a nice, even stain behind, which sticks around for a few additional hours. I also want to mention that this lip color does transfer. It actually transfers quite a bit at first, but it does taper off after the first hour of wear. But yeah, it's definitely not like a traditional longwear liquid lip color in that respect (it's much more like a gloss). 

This color, Aphrodite Kiss, is a bright reddish pink that leans more toward fuchsia on my lips. It's gorgeous in person, but it's definitely a bold shade. I've tried to apply it lightly for a more subtle look, but it's just not happening. This is a bold, bright color through and through.

As for the flavor and fragrance, this lip color both smells and tastes exactly like a L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick. It has that same signature rose flavor and fragrance so, if you don't care for that in L'Oreal's lipsticks, you won't care for it here either. 

FINAL VERDICT: I really hope that L'Oreal adds these to the permanent line this year. I love the way this product feels on the lips, and I love that it's so opaque and pigmented. I think this product fills a gap in the the matte lip color market, since it isn't as heavy as a matte lipstick, but it's not as drying as a matte liquid lip color. It really does feel like a creamy, non-sticky gloss on my lips, but with a matte finish. Sounds silly, but it's true! If you can find these in your area, I think you might enjoy them (unless you dislike lip colors that transfer, since this is definitely not transfer-proof).

Do you own any L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Glosses? If so, which shades do you own and how are they working for you? Do you want to see L'Oreal add these to the permanent line?

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.