When L’Oreal came out with the La Couleur Infallible shadows, I had to suppress a laugh, as they were so obviously mimicking Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense shadows – similar shades, similar packaging, with the same little black insert inside to keep the powder flat. Their marketing scheme was the same too – exceptionally long wear and intense pigmentation. Having picked up one of the GA shadows last year, I was skeptical that they would measure up – the GA shadows are, in a word, unbelievable. Ridiculously pigmented, they do not smudge, budge or fade over the course of a day, and do not require primer whatsoever. And they contain multiple colors in each pot which mix together to create one gorgeous shadow with incredible depth. Could L’Oreal even stand a chance at being as good?
Last week, I had my chance to find out. While the Infallible shadows initially didn’t tempt me at all, when I was skulking around Shoppers for something (anything!) to buy (it happens), I saw that these were on sale, from something like $11.99CAD to $6.99CAD. I noticed they had a great burnished red shade, Golden Mahogany, that reminded me strongly of another L’Oreal shade I had bought eons ago – Five Alarm – which I loved. I decided to give in an pick one up – research for the blog, you see. It didn’t seem so bad since it was on sale.
Once home, I compared it to Five Alarm, and initially they seemed quite similar:
Five Alarm is a loose shadow, while the Infallible shadows are sort of this loosely pressed shadow, which feels very smooth to the touch (just like GA’s). Above, they both are shimmering deep reds with a sort of slight bronze leaning. However, when swatched, the differences become more apparent:
Golden Mahogany on left, Five Alarm on right.
Golden Mahogany is clearly more pigmented and dense, while Five Alarm pales in comparison. Also, Five Alarm is more sparkly, while Golden Mahogany imparts a deep metallic effect, which I find more wearable. From past experience, Five Alarm does not stay put very well – perhaps four hours at the most before it starts to fade. Golden Mahogany, on the other hand, wore quite well all day (without primer), even through a vigorous run at the gym. However, none of this is surprizing, as Five Alarm is over 10 years old (gasp!) and I would expect technology to have improved since then 
Comparing the formulation of L’Oreal’s Infallible shadows, to Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense, is another story. While the Infallible shadows are certainly impressive regarding pigmentation and wear compared to many other drugstore shadows, Giorgio Armani’s (original) version kick L’Oreal’s butt. Golden Mahogany wore well considering I went for a mid-day run, but by the end of the day it had faded considerably. Still visible, but not nearly as intense – in the future, I would definitely use a primer. Giorgio Armani’s shadows last all day and then some, without the need for a primer at all. The pigmentation of Golden Mahogany, while very good, still doesn’t come close to the insane pigmentation of the Eyes to Kill shadows, which truly blow my mind – with just the barest touch of a finger, you get rich, full opacity in one stroke.
Ultimately, my conclusion is that if you’re looking for a (MUCH) cheaper alternative to Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense shadows, you might be appeased by these, but will have to put in a bit more work to get the same effect. That’s not to deter you though, as even at full price these are nearly a quarter less than the Giorgio Armani shadows, which is kind of a big deal. If you find them on sale, I definitely recommend grabbing one (or a few) as they do have great shades, and are an exceptional drugstore shadow overall. They’re just no Eyes to Kill…those babies are one of a kind!
#1 by Liz (Beauty Reductionista) on January 16, 2012 - 7:37 pm
I love the colour selection of these Infallible shadows and have to stop myself from scooping up 5-6 when they’re on sale! So far I only have that one I reviewed and don’t have an Armani ETK to compare with. I totally believe you when you say ETK goes on opaque in one shot. I wore the Infallible in Singapore and had to put in some work to build up the colour. Still, for such a bargain, they’re hard to resist.
#2 by Latoya on January 18, 2012 - 9:45 pm
True, there is excellent selection when it comes to shades, Liz. And for the price, there’s not really a good reason TO resist! But if/when you buy an Eyes to Kill…it kind of ruins it then and there. So, maybe hold out for as long as you can? LOL
#3 by Eugenia on January 16, 2012 - 8:00 pm
I just had to comment…last week, I was in Pharmaprix (Shopper’s Drugmart renamed for Quebec, naturally!!) and I saw that these were on sale (you nailed it: $6.99 from $11.99) so I couldn’t resist picking up a few more – I already own Black Onyx (used to be called Black Star I think), and that’s thanks to Liz who opened up my eyes to it…and I immediately tested it against my Armani’s (I own 3 Eyes to Kill – am working on expanding that number…slowly! Lol!) and immediately saw the difference; the Eyes to Kill are unsurprassed in every way. That being said, the L’Oréals come is a few textures, I’ve come to realize: not all of these shadows swatch the same, with some being a lot creamier and pigmented than others. I know this, because I now have 7 of the L’Oréal and was busy swatching them today for a post I’m preparing. By the way, L’Oréal actually owns Armani Beauty, so if you see similarities, know that they’re not exactly trying to knock off the pricier version: they created a similar product but for their lower price-point market — so they’re in essence not really “stealing” the technology! Believe it or not, the shade you picked up, I haven’t seen anywhere — unless it’s one of the ones I chose, but renamed as well. I’ll know better once my swatches are complete! Thanks for your take on this, Toya…I really enjoyed hearing your opinion!
#4 by Latoya on January 18, 2012 - 9:50 pm
Thank you!! I’m always happy if I post something worthwhile
You make a good point, Eugenia, and I did happen to read this tidbit after the fact – obviously there’ll be similarities when owned by the same parent company. So, in that respect, they’re forgiven 
However, like you said the Armani shadows are unsurpassed, and while I think the L’Oreal options are still great, I think my foray into them is likely over. I’ll stick to the Eyes to Kill for now – they’re just so amazing! But, always great to have options!
#5 by Donna on June 7, 2012 - 9:26 pm
I found this an interesting read. I have read numerous blog posts & seen as many YT videos where people are comparing the L’oreal Infallible to the GA Eyes to Kill shadows.
The comparison really does baffle me. L’oreal own GA Beauty & they have made a product with the same technology as ETK but less expensive ingredients. All of this is done so that people who cannot experience the bliss of ETK shadows at least have something comparable to use (a shadow that uses mineral oil as a binder for a powder product).
A similar, and in my view pointless, comparison would be perfume. I could buy a bottle of EDT at a pharmacy for less than $10 and try to compare it to my all time favourite, Chanel No 5 EDP.
They are both perfumes, right? That is where the comparison stops & in my opinion that’s where the comparison should stop with the eyeshadows too.
Thank you for allowing me to add my 2c (actually we don’t have 2c in Australia so it will have to be 5c) worth.
Regards
Donna
#6 by Latoya on June 9, 2012 - 4:25 pm
LOL No problem Donna! And your argument has some weight of course! The comparison isn’t fair, that’s for sure, but I think it’s still helpful so that for those people who haven’t had a chance to try the ETK shadows, it gives them an idea of how close they are to the ‘original’ product. That way, if they read that they’re not quite close in comparison, it might inform them better on if they WANT to spend the money on the ETK shadows or not. But certainly its apples to oranges to some degree. Thank you for giving your 5c, I appreciate you taking the time to read the post and commenting!!