Laura Mercier

Try Laura Mercier Sheer Creme Colour in Golden Pink for a Sheer Veil of Shimmery Golden Pink

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Laura Mercier Golden Pink Sheer Creme Colour

I like to wear Laura Mercier’s Sheer Creme Color in Golden Pink on the apples of my cheeks (applying it with a patting motion) when I rock bolder eye looks. It’s a creamy new limited edition face product that adds a sheer veil of shimmery golden pink color.

Words of warning (not a big deal, but just to save yourself some trouble): be careful not to go overboard with this, especially if you wear foundation. The first time I tried it on, I applied too much, and it ended up looking really patchy on my cheeks.

Golden Pink ($35) is part of the New Attitude collection, which you can find now at Laura Mercier counters and online.

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour Quad in Summer in St. Tropez — Wearing Golden Pink on my cheeks

Giving Lips an Attitude Adjustment With Flushed, Heartbreaker and Temptation: New Gel Lip Colours by Laura Mercier

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Heartbreaker — Heartbreaker

To quote the great Rachael Ray of 30-Minute Meals, “YUM-O.”

Whenever I get one of Laura Mercier’s Gel Lip Colours on my lips, my tummy rumbles because they taste so good! I’m tempted to bite into one like it’s a big butterscotch popsicle.

They taste and smell like butterscotch to me, also known as “one of the fine flavors of my youth.” Seriously, I used to walk to the corner store and get candy from those Brach’s Candy tubs, and I was all about the butterscotch, mah!

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colours in Flushed (top) and Heartbreaker (bottom) — Gel Lip Colours in Flushed (top) and Heartbreaker (bottom)

This summer, as part of her New Attitude summer collection, Laura is adding four new limited edition shades to her sheer, smooth Gel Lip Colour line in Heartbreaker, Flushed, Temptation and Clementine. The lightweight, moisturizing formula conditions lips while it hydrates them.

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Flushed — Flushed

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Blue Monday, Take 3: Laura Mercier’s Summer in St. Tropez Baked Eye Colour Quad

May 12th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Another Monday, another excuse to wear blue eyeshadow. And glitter. And false lashes. 🙂

Seriously, though, I can’t think a better day to bust out the blues.

For starters, there are a ton of ’em out there right now; they’ve been popping up in a bunch of the summer collections (like Lancome’s French Riviera, Tom Ford’s Unabashed and Urban Decay’s Electric Palette , just to name a few).

On top of that, I feel that if we’re going to have to put up with the oftentimes annoying nature of Mondays, we might as well have something fun happening on our lids.

Am I right?

Laura Mercier’s Summer in St. Tropez Baked Eye Colour Quad from the New Attitude summer 2014 collection ($44) has three such shades of fun blue — a sheer, pearlescent baby blue; a pigmented, satiny teal blue; and a sheer and shimmery dark royal blue.

Um…yeah, that’s a lot of blue, so if you feel the need to break it up a little, you could try mixing the bronze shade from the palette with the dark blue, which gets you a really cool purplish bronze.

That’s what I did today, popping it along my lower lash lines to contrast with the satiny teal I placed in the crease.

And because I still have those glittery eyes from that fashion show last week at the San Francisco Academy of Art University on my noodle, I swiped a small amount of glitter — Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Spandex, which has flecks of blue and purple glitter — in the inner corners, figuring that the flickering sparkles would add a little splash to the eyes while tying together the blue on the lid with the purply bronze along the lower lash line.

A’ight then, here’s a breakdown…

Laura Mercier Summer in St. Tropez Baked Eye Colour Quad: Medium blue shade in the crease, bronze shade in the outer corner and the dark blue and bronze shades mixed together along the lower lash line.
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Spandex: The inner portion of my lower lash line.
MAC Mylar Eyeshadow: On the brow bone, on the lids and in the inner corner.
Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Blackest Black: The upper lash lines.
Ardell 120 Demi Lashes: The false lashes I’m wearing on my upper lashes only.
MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme: Mah brows.

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Just Look at That Vibrant Blue in Laura Mercier’s Summer in St. Tropez Baked Eyeshadow Quad

May 6th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

I think I’m going through a blue period ’cause I seriously cannot wait to get the blue eyeshadows in Laura Mercier’s Summer in St. Tropez Baked Eyeshadow Quad ($44) on my lids.

Especially that intense one on the far left…

It’s from Laura’s New Attitude summer collection (catchphrase: “Dare to be different”), available on counters and online now.

A Multitude of Mattes Make the New Laura Mercier Artist’s Eyeshadow Palette Quite Flexible

February 17th, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

The new Laura Mercier Artist's Palette, $80 — The new Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette ($80)

First, before we get to Laura Mercier’s new Artist’s Eyeshadow Palette (in case you’re wondering, though, yes, it does have African Violet), a quick and (hopefully) amusing story…

So I decided to grab lunch at the mall this afternoon to take a break from all of the construction racket directly below my window (Oh, did I mention the new gas line trench being dug through my front yard? Good times…) and, let’s be honest, try to get warm, so I zipped up the jacket I was already wearing (in the house), grabbed my keys and iPhone and said “BRB!” to Tabs (who doesn’t seem to mind the cold at all). “Call me if you need anything, sir!”

The second I opened the door and stepped outside, I realized — holy sh*t! It’s warmer out here than it is inside.

Yay! 🙂

Laura Mercier Artist Eyeshadow Palette — A closer look at the palette…

At Nordstrom, one of the first things I spied was the new Artist’s Eyeshadow Palette from Laura Mercier. Part of a three-piece $80 kit, it also comes with a small Caviar Stick in Cocoa and a mini Full Blown Volume Mascara.

As a side, I love the number of mattes in this palette. Laura stocked the entire top row with really useful non-shimmery shades perfect for lining lash lines, contouring creases and smoking outer corners.

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Laura Mercier’s 17-Piece White Magic Holiday Collection Promises To Brighten Spirits While It Illuminates Lips and Lids

November 18th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Laura Mercier Flamingo Creme Smooth Lip Colour, Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour and Gunmetal Smoke Tightline Cake Eye Liner — Wearing a few pieces from the new Laura Mercier White Magic Collection: Flamingo Crème Smooth Lip Colour Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour and Gunmetal Smoke Tightline Cake Eye Liner

I’m really hoping to feel some holiday magic this year because last Christmas was a blur. You know all the fun (sometimes frantic) things that come with the holidays, like spending time shopping for meaningful gifts, carefully wrapping presents (as opposed to just slapping things together with tape) and decorating the tree? Last year, everything I did was last-minute. This year, I want to take the time to really savor the holidays and make them a priority, you know? Life is too short.

That magic I mentioned? — there’s actually some happening now over at Laura Mercier counters, where the White Magic holiday collection is available.

Laura Mercier White Magic — Five of the 17 pieces from the White Magic collection

The 17-piece limited edition launch heralds the holidays with shimmery pastels, illuminated skin and shiny, glossy lips.

When I look at these products, I think of the word, “glow.” But not in a bronzed, beachy way. I’m thinking more in terms of regal, otherworldly winter ice queens riding silent sleighs across snow-covered fields…

White Magic is one of those collections with a healthy dose of shimmer and pastel.

Ya know, I do like pastels, and I think a little shimmery white or baby blue on the lids close to the lash lines can look very artsy, particularly with thick cat liner, but generally, with my tan and warm skin tone, I think they get a little lost on me. But I think they can look phenomenal on gals with lighter skin, and on younger women (shimmer isn’t always so forgiving on mature skin).

The collection isn’t all pale colors and shimmer, though. There are moments in which darker, more intense colors break through, and those are the ones that make me do grabby hands. 🙂

Like Mocha Myth lipstick, which is like an updated version of the classic ’90s brown lip…

Laura Mercier Mocha Myth Crème Smooth Lip Colour, $26 — Mocha Myth Crème Smooth Lip Colour ($26)

It’s a dark, neutral reddish brown — totally something someone could have worn back in 1994 with a plaid shirt, hoop earrings, jeans and Timbaland boots, except that back then, the lipsticks were almost always matte. This one’s smooth, comfy and creamy, with a metallic finish that seems fresher. I bet it would look striking on gals with darker skin tones, especially as an everyday lip shade. And it’s great for dry lips.

Laura Mercier Flamingo Crème Smooth Lip Colour, $26 — Flamingo Crème Smooth Lip Colour ($26)

Pinkish purple Flamingo lipstick also caught my eye. (It’s referred to as Girly on Laura’s website… Not sure if that’s a typo.) It’s a lot like one of my favorite MAC lipsticks, Syrup, except that Laura’s is slightly sheerer and more pink.

Now, I know that a purple-toned lipstick might sound a little scary, but it depends. Find the right one, and you can use it as a nude lippie. I think the pink in this one makes it wearable and flattering.

Laura Mercier Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour — Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour ($26)

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The New $125 Laura Mercier Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour Palette for Eyes & Cheeks Is Filled With Flattery for Warm and Cool Skin Tones

November 13th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Laura Mercier Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks — Wearing Laura Mercier’s new $125 (!) limited edition holiday palette, the Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks

Since a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s how I feel about Laura Mercier’s new Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks…

The thing is, it’s $125.

Uh… Yeah. Ouch.

And it’s not like there aren’t any other holiday sets out there now that cost a lot less. There are, but if you want something comprehensive for your eyes and cheeks that you could use every single day, don’t overlook this two-tiered kit outright, despite its price.

It’s brimming with rich purples and chocolaty browns, and sprinkled with pink, taupe and navy. Plus, the included travel brushes are actually worth keeping! They’re surprisingly soft. I almost always ditch the brushes that come with holiday kits because they’re usually scratchy and…just not up to par, but I think the eye brushes that come with this apply and blend just as well as Laura’s full-sized brushes.

WOOT! Bomb-@ss brushes to go with some bomb-@ss makeup. Who’d a thunk it?

Starting with the eye colors in the first tier…it’s African Violet, huzzah!

LOL! OK, you’re probably about as sick of seeing African Violet as I am (I swear, it must be in half of Laura’s kits). I love ya, L-Boogie, but please, can we take a break from African Violet already? At least for a few months? 🙂

Aside from that little quibble, I think the eyeshadows are tops. Every one has the brand’s signature smooth, easy-to-blend formula, where you literally swipe your blending brush once or twice, and the colors melt together. As with Laura’s Artist’s Palette, I actually have to resist the urge to over-blend these.

And I barely notice any fallout at all — a smidgen, but it’s not enough to annoy me.

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With Aromatic Coconut Milk, Pistachio, Fig, Amber and Vanilla, Laura Mercier’s $60 Soufflé Body Crème Sampler Collection Smells Like the Baking Challenge on a Cooking Show

November 11th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

The delicious-sounding (although inedible) new $60 Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crème Sampler Collection

Today I thought, “Why don’t I review this new holiday body care collection from Laura Mercier?” not because it immediately struck me as one of the most eye-catching sets I’ve ever seen, but because, yeah, I’m wearing some crazy-@ss makeup right now (I look like a brown Baby Jane!) for testing purposes (one eye is darker than the other…), and I wasn’t ready to take pics yet. 🙂

Enter Laura Mercier’s new $60 Soufflé Body Crème Sampler Collection! — which is actually my favorite thing in my bathroom right now.

Interestingly, my bathroom has been smelling a lot like my kitchen lately…

Wait — that sentence is just not going anywhere good, LOL!

Ha! But seriously, I think that Pumpkin Body Butter from Trader Joe’s set off a food-scented chain reaction in my bathroom, because lately I haven’t wanted anything to do with any moisturizers or body products that don’t smell abso-frickin’-lutey delicious.

The set includes four scents, which I’ve been calling “flavors,” even though they’re inedible, because dayum, Gina! — if they were, I’d be spreading them on toast.

I don’t know about you, but I like smelling like a walking bakery. I want people who pass me on the street to think, “Why do I want to bite that girl’s arm?!”

(Yes, I admit it. I’ve been watching and reading too many zombie stories…)

Really, though, what I want are lotions that make me feel warm and cozy, like I’ve been baking magically delicious treats in the kitchen.

Someone else’s kitchen, I mean, because mine hasn’t seen a lot of baking lately. Just meals of questionable nutritional content. But imagine a cozy kitchen where someone’s baking holiday cookies. Like, hella cookies. So many cookies that all of your splurge points from here till next Tuesday are completely obliterated.

With the collection, you get four 4-ounce body creams, each one with a different scent, and if you’re going to get into these, you should like food fragrances with warmer notes like vanilla and amber.

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