Laura Mercier

A Laura Mercier Moment…

September 10th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

laura mercier september 2019 — Dearest Laura…you’re rockin’ my world at the moment.

I’m going to assume that you are, or have been, a makeup junkie, and so therefore you have probably had one (or more) moments like I did the other night at back-to-school night, when your makeup universe collides in such a way that you’re, like, “WHOA!”

I can’t be the only one. I just can’t.

I was just sitting there in Connor’s preschool classroom wearing some Laura Mercier products when my nose honed in on someone’s perfume (I have a bloodhound’s sense of smell). It was familiar, but I couldn’t place it, and the source of that scent — swear to gosh — knocked around in my head for days, like a song stuck in my head.

Then, half asleep one night in bed, it hit me! It was Laura Mercier Eau de Lune, which I wore every day for three years straight in the early aughts.

Dang, dawg, I’ve been wearing Laura Mercier makeup off and on for almost 20 years! In fact, I can recall when it was a relatively new line. I remember going to a counter for the first time (must have been about 1997) and being intrigued by the makeup primer, which was very forward-thinking at the time. And their Tinted Moisturizer, Secret Brightening Powder, Eye Basics in Wheat and Stormy Grey eyeliner have all been in my everyday makeup bag rotation at different times for years.

Like I was saying…I just happened to be wearing a few pieces of LM makeup the other night, and it reminded me why I like wearing Laura Mercier makeup so much. Her style is colorful, but not too crazy, and has elegantly subtle touches of pizzazz, like a little glitter here, a demi-matte finish there… It’s also easy to amplify or dial down.

A few quick thoughts on what I’ve been wearing lately…

Foundation Primer ($38)

There are a few different versions of this (Oil-Free, Dry SKin, etc.), and this one is the basic Foundation Primer. It’s a colorless, lightweight primer in a moisturizing gel that instantly sinks into skin (rather than sitting on top). If you like primers that add radiance with barely-there pearl finish (like MAC’s Natural Radiance), you’ll like this, too. It’s an oldie but goodie.

Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($39)

Light as air and completely undetectable, this has a soft matte finish that looks natural to the Nth degree!

laura mercier september 2019 swatches — Lovies by Laura M.!

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Laura Mercier Joie de Vivre Collection Spring 2017 Colour Powder in Windflush, and Lipsticks in Happy, Smile and Joy

March 3rd, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

Normally, I wouldn’t wear a bold green/blue eye look like this one with such bright lips, but I was feeling the joie de vivre today from the lipsticks and blush in the Laura Mercier Joie de Vivre spring 2017 collection, so I figured, why not? Life is short. Wear that bold color combo, girlfriend!

laura mercier joie de vivre smile — Windflush Blush and Smile Lipstick

Limited edition Joie de Vivre has been on counters for a while, with some lip pencils, a mascara, a cake liner, a blush and three lipsticks, and of course I’ve been wanting to try the colorful products (you know me) — Windflush Color Powder for Cheeks & Eyes ($40 and the three Joie de Vivre Lipsticks, Smile, Joy and Happy ($28 each).

Beautifully baked Windflush Blush is a peachy pink with a matte finish and a bananas wear time. I mean, I wore it one day last weekend for 12 hours (!), and it didn’t fade a bit. There’s something about those baked formulas, man… They hang on and won’t let go. If you have oily cheeks and blush usually scoots right off your skin, I bet it’ll work really well for you.

Incidentally, I think it’s also gorgeous as an eyeshadow. I like it as a wash all over the lid with a navy liner on my upper lash line.

laura mercier joie de vivre happy — Happy Lipstick

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Introducing Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in New Translucent Medium Deep

March 1st, 2017 by Karen 17 Comments

laura mercier translucent loose setting powder medium deep — New Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Medium Deep ($38)

I’m kindasorta (but not really) already looking forward to the end of the summer and wearing Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Translucent Medium Deep ($38), because by then I’ll have my full-on brown girl tan, and I’ll be able to wear this fabulous face powder.

A new addition to Laura’s permanent line, it’s a deeper version of her cult classic Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

This marvelous mattifying powder’s silky, velvety finish doesn’t scream, “Hey, world, I’m wearing makeup! LOOK AT IT!!!”

It’s too coy for that.

laura mercier translucent loose setting powder medium deep 1 — A swatch of Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder in Medium Deep

For the ultimate no-makeup makeup look

It’s comparable to Chanel’s powder (my loose powder holy grail) — similarly subtle finish and how it sits so closely to the skin. Both are beautiful powders if you’re into the no-makeup makeup thing.

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Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Collection Palette (2nd Edition) for Holiday 2016

November 4th, 2016 by Karen 3 Comments

I’m smiling in this picture out of sheer relief at having gotten one usable photo after doing my makeup today with the 2nd Edition Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Collection palette.

I don’t know, dude… This look was rough. I am so out of practice with makeup that requires more than 15 minutes and two brushes — like, I’m talking base color, transition shades, gradients… If you don’t use it, you lose it. At least that’s how it’s been for me.

It wasn’t the palette’s fault at all, though. It was just classic user error, but one thing that made this look slightly easier was the fact that — oh, my gosh — there are so many mattes, specifically workhorse shades.

The Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Collection/palette (2nd Edition)
$125, limited edition, available now online and at Laura Mercier counters

“This incredible collection is filled with some of my favorite shades, finishes and liners to create endless looks. You can transform your eyes from classic to cat eye with just a few easy steps. Get creative!”

— Laura Mercier, from lauramercier.com

The palette comes with…

12 Eye Colours (1.5g / 0.05 oz each): Etoile, Bronze Glow, Minx, Pewter Dust, Gilded Pines, Vanilla Nuts, Café Au Lait, Espresso Bean, Poison Ivory, Stone Taupe, Noir, Stellar
Second Skin Cheek Colour (3g / 0.1 oz): Riche Nectar
Face Highlighter (3g / 0.1 oz): Pink Haze
Bronzing Pressed Powder (3g / 0.1 oz): Soleil Bronze
Tightline Cake Eyeliner (1.5g / 0.05 oz each): Black Ebony, Mahogany Brown
Longwear Creme Eye Pencil (0.8 g / 0.02 oz): Noir
Double Ended Eyeliner Brush
Double Ended Eye Colour Brush

* A $429 value

The palette, which is $125, limited edition and available now at Laura Mercier counters, is referred to as a collection (even though it’s a palette), and it contains 12 eyeshadows, a blush, bronzer, highlighter, pencil eyeliner, two cake eyeliners and two brushes.

Six of those 12 eyeshadows are mattes, which is great because, as you know, I’m always bitchin’ and moaning about eye palettes that don’t have enough workhorse mattes. 🙂 This one, thankfully, has lots of delicious browns and beiges and even a dark black.

It’s part of Laura’s holiday 2016 collection and a followup to last year’s Master Class Collection palette from holiday 2015. Like last year’s, it also comes in what looks like a cute clutch and has the same layout.

The eye look I’m wearing here is on the cooler side. I’m wearing cool-toned and neutral browns with some shimmery, neutral olive, and everything I have on my eyes and cheeks is from this palette.

Because the bronzer, blush and highlighter are all warm toned, I assumed that the eyeshadows would be as well, but they aren’t. They’re generally cooler, which seems unusual to me — the contrasting color temps. The bronzer, blush and highlighter are all very warm. I don’t know if the palette is intended for cool-toned gals or warm-toned gals, or if Laura just wanted to cover all of her bases, but it’s kind of different.

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Laura Mercier Double Impact Eye Colour Collection | Cool Gray Smoky Eyes and Smoky Pants!

October 28th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

laura mercier double impact eye colour collection swatches — Smoky eyes and smoky pants!

Who wouldn’t want to wear eye makeup that matches their smoky pants??

The first thing I saw when I opened this $58 Laura Mercier Double Impact Eye Colour Collection palette was that bottom row of cool-toned greys. Some of ’em looked a little blue, and I thought, “These totally look like the crazy pants my mom got me from Costco.”

Girl, these pants are everywhere! I am not kidding. Shortly after my mom got them for me, El Hub and I were driving through China Town in the city, and I saw this cute older Chinese lady walking through the crowd with a big bag of vegetables. “Look!” I said to El Hub. “She’s wearing my smoky pants!”

And then last month at our hotel in Tahoe while we were waiting in the lobby to check in, I saw a lady walking away from me with her roller bag and her cute little butt clad in these smoky pants.

I whispered, “She’s wearing my smoky pants…”

They’re freaking everywhere.

They’re grey with a sort of a blue tinge, but I don’t know. I can’t always tell with my eyes. Note to self: Make an appointment with the optometrist.

So I think I see a little blue in the pants, and I was hoping that the bottom row of colors in this palette would have a bluish tint, too, because I love bluish greys.

But when I got the shadows on my lids, they looked straight-up cool-toned grey, which is also fine…’cause I also love cool-toned greys, especially in smoky looks.

So…I think I might be spoiled for life by the super pigmented Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder palette because a layer or two with it and I’m done, but these shadows are sheerer than that.

I have to pat some on, buff it out, then pat some more, then buff that out, then pat even more, and then buff that out again.

I admit that I’m out of practice with slightly complicated, moderately intense looks, but it still seem like I’m piling a lot of this makeup on. Just an FYI.

And the fallout is fairly intense. I had a lot under my eyes when I did this look, especially when I used that dark navy blue shade. If you do your eyes first, then clean up, you’ll be fine.

Laura Mercier Double Impact Eye Colour Collection
$58, limited edition from the holiday 2016 collection, available now
12 shades

“The mirrored palette features 9 matte and 3 sateen-shimmer eye shadow shades in a range from light to dark. The versatile palette can take eyes from neutral day to sultry night. Universally flattering, light reflecting sateen-shimmer shades add dimension and enhance brightness. A value of $96.”

— lauramercier.com

Shades:

9 Matte (1g / 0.03 oz each) — Dune, Wind, Earth, Bone, Love Potion, Venemous, Poison, Hypnotic, Voodoo

True Matte shades (Classic Matte) that are best applied with Eye Colour Brush: Dune, Wind, Earth, Bone

NEW Sateen Matte shades (Matte with hidden pearl) that are best applied with Eye Colour Brush: Love Potion, Venomous, Poison, Hypnotic,Voodoo

1 Crushed Pearl (all pearl, creamy to the touch that is best applied with both fingers and Eye Colour Brush) (1g / 0.03 oz): Spirit

2 Discrete Pearl (refined shimmer, creamy to the touch that is best applied with both fingers and Eye Colour Brush) (0.8g / 0.028 oz each): Rock (to use for boost of smoke), Dust (to blend finishing lines or highlight)

ADDITIONAL MAKEUP WORN IN THIS LOOK
CHEEKS: Cheeks MAC Studio Quicktriks Stick in Ginger Spiked/Counterpoint ($32)

LIPS: theBalm Pickup Liners in Acute One ($17.50), MAC Big Baby Plushglass ($21), Victoria Beckham X Estee Lauder Moroccan Heat Lip Gloss ($36)

FACE: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Beige ($46), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden ($33)

The Laura Mecier Double Impact Colour Collection Palette packaging — Inside the palette

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With Laura Mercier Colour Dots and Baked Blush Illuminé, You Get the Glowing Cheeks of a Girl From an Impressionist Painting

May 25th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 9 Comments

I’m often inspired by art when I get ready in the morning — and not always modern art, à la Andy Warhol or iconic images of Twiggy — but sometimes, like during the deepest and darkest parts of winter, I’ll think of a novel or a particular Renaissance painting and try to recreate the spirit of the work or, if it’s a portrait, the glow surrounding the subject.

Sometimes with Laura Mercier I think of impressionist paintings, and it’s not hard to see similarities between some of Laura Mercier’s muted greens, steel blues and rich sienna browns and a color palette used by Claude Monet, right?

That’s perfect for me, as I love that romantic flush on the faces of so many impressionistic heroines. If you gaze at a Renior, you’re sure to see a glowing rose pink, and when my skin is at its most sallow or pale during the winter months, that’s the look I most like to create with my blush.

Thanks to the new Laura Mercier Colour Dots ($32) and Baked Blush Illuminé in Rose ($42), I’ll be glowing like a painting for months.

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Caught in the Rain With Laura Mercier: The Laura Mercier Spring 2016 Collection, “Paris After the Rain”

March 4th, 2016 by Anna Oh 34 Comments

beauty illustration of the laura mercier lip parfait by anna oh spring 2016 — Illustration of the new SP16 shades of Laura Mercier Lip Parfait

Here’s a look at the new Laura Mercier Spring 2016 Collection, starting with the “Paris After The Rain Eye Colour Collection (a $55 palette). While most spring collections would rather distract us from the winter blues, “Paris After the Rain” imagines a world “inspired by the reflection of lights on cobblestone streets and the dance of colours on zinc rooftops in Paris after the rain.”

Sounds like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel, right?

laura mercier paris in the rain palette spring 2016 — The palette is housed in thick matte plastic (4″ x 3.75″ — smaller than my hand!)

Now, I should mention that I think Laura Mercier can do just about no wrong, and while every product isn’t always for me, I can usually imagine who would like and use them and how.

The Eye Colour palette was a surprise favorite of mine. With four super creamy matte shades (0.05 oz. each) and four soft glittery toppers (0.035 oz. each), it’s a versatile palette with lots of options for day and night.

laura mercier paris in the rain palette swatches spring 2016 — Matte eyeshadows in Champs Elysee, Saint Germain, Tour Eiffel, Le Marais + Multi Chrome Pearl Topper Formula (L-R) La Madeleine, Arc de Triomphe, Rue de Vivoli, Montmarte

lauramercier-paris-in-the-rain-swatches2 — A better look at the Multi Chrome Pearl Topper formula

Laura Mercier calls the baked lid colors “Multi Chrome Pearl Toppers” and suggests patting them on the lid after smudging the matte shades along the lash line. In the swatches above, it took two or three passes to build up the intensity. I think this would give a beautiful soft focus effect, but when swatched over a cream base, they really come to life!

laura mercier paris in the rain palette swatches — Swatches on top of a cream base

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There’s Something Big Hidden Among These Laura Mercier Sephora Exclusive Holiday Sets

December 9th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Can you spot the belly bump hidden in the picture above of Laura Mercier Holiday sets at Sephora?

The Blush & Glow Radiant Face Trio ($58), Daring By Day Eye & Cheek Colour Palette ($48) and the Daring By Night Eye & Cheek Colour Palette ($48) are Sephora exclusives, by the way.

Of these, I’m leaning toward the $48 Daring By Day Eye & Cheek Colour Palette. I like the mix of neutrals, and I REALLY like that pretty purple plum shade…ya know, for variété.

Doesn’t Laura Mercier make beautiful palettes? The colors they choose to put together just always make sense to me, and the formulas are top notch. They use a little more color than Bobbi, but they don’t go over the top.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen