REVIEW: Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation

Laura Mercier is the brand of my dreams, promising glowy skin and naturally gorgeous looks packaged in sleek, simple tubes. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with their products. Their formulas are almost always perfectly fine for me, but their shade ranges? I don't know what it is, but I can never find a passable match in a Laura Mercier formula. When they released the Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation, a product name full of words I love but refuse to keep typing throughout this review, I thought things might be a little different.

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Fair, MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1, Kosas Tinted Face Oil in 02, Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation in 1W1 Ivory.

The Flawless Lumiere foundation is $48 for an ounce of product housed in a simple glass bottle with an easy-to-control pump. As of this writing, there are 30 shades in the range, stretching from fair to decently dark, though it looks like there's quite a jump between the depth 5 and depth 6 shades. I chose the lightest warm shade, 1W1 Ivory. In swatches, it's about NC15 with very strong golden undertones, but I do think it gets a bit darker after application. Even when I self-tanned my neck, this shade was too dark for me.

The formula itself is a thin, relatively fragrance-free liquid that spreads easily with your fingers, a brush, or a sponge. If I had to describe the texture in one word, I'd call it "soft."

Laura Mercier says this product has medium coverage, and some people have taken umbrage with that. I actually think Laura Mercier is right, though you could call it a "light medium" or "natural medium" coverage. As you can see in these before-and-after pictures, my skintone is evened out and most of my flaws are covered or softened, but you can still see my freckles and a bit of the darker surface redness peeking through. This is a very skin-like foundation, and while it isn't outright glowy on my dry skin (what foundation is?), it certainly makes me look healthy and hydrated.

The one issue I had with this foundation? I had an awful time blending my blush over it. I tested all of my cream blush formulas, which normally spread like a dream for me, and they all experienced a bit of "catching." Powdering mitigated the issue a little, but of course, it cut down on the radiant finish. In the end, the best fix for me was to really warm up the blush on my fingertips or the back of my hand, then take my time slowly but surely patting it in to my cheeks. Going over the blush with a damp Beauty Blender also helped.

Here's a macro shot of my makeup completely finished. Looking at my nose, the skin around my brows, the tops of my cheeks...I think this foundation looks just like skin. Really, it's a beautiful texture.

PS: Why do so many brow pencils turn red on me? Is this some weird makeup version of a Midas touch? Send help and ashy pencils, please.

As far as wear goes, the Flawless Lumiere foundation performed pretty well. I noticed some oil breakthrough on my nose after three hours, and a lot of oil and some fading on my nose after 8 hours. The skin on the driest parts of my face--around my mouth and up the sides of my jaw--also looked a little dry at the 8 hour mark, though you had to get really close to my face to see that. I'd call that pretty solid performance, though I'd hesitate to recommend this foundation to truly oily skin. I didn't experience any itching, discomfort, or breakouts from this product; it was comfortable and weightless all day.

Now, in these pictures, I buffed out two pumps of foundation with a Real Techniques buffing brush, then bounced a damp Beauty Blender on top of it, as directed by many-a-YouTuber. However, Laura Mercier suggests using a sponge to apply this product. So I used a damp sponge and my usual "spray your face with moisturizing spray until it's dripping wet" tactic on my next test run, and I got this:

While they're both really lovely finishes, I'd say I prefer this sponge-and-spray look to the brush-and-sponge look. It has an even more natural finish. I also applied this product with my fingers during another test, and while it looked just fine, I really think a damp sponge works best.

And yes, I wore a turtle neck and applied the foundation to the top of my neck. This stuff is way too dark for me, but dammit, it's pretty, and I wanted to wear it to work at least once.

So there you have it: another Laura Mercier foundation that doesn't work for me, personally, but is an overall gorgeous product. If it wasn't such an uphill battle to apply my cream blush on top of it, the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere What Is With These Long Names Foundation would be a five star product.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchased this foundation from Sephora.

Vanity: Laura

Vanity: Lipsticking Vicariously Through Others

Laura, Blogger

Beauty has been an interest of mine since I was around 8 years old.  I grew up with twin sisters who were 10 years older than me, and they both used makeup, but each had their own style.  I remember playing in their makeup and my interest has snowballed from there. The only rule I follow is there are no rules.  Makeup is forever evolving and everyone interprets beauty differently.

On days that I actually DO have more than 5 minutes to get ready, I will spend hours getting ready.  Long showers, layering on skincare, perfecting my hair, and of COURSE applying my makeup.  You might think I'm a geisha on those days! My nighttime skincare routine consists of applying my TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil and rinsing. I then use the Koh Gen Do Spa Water and a Q-tip to remove any excess eye makeup.  I apply whichever night time moisturizer I am wearing at that time, as well as my Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream. I also love facial masks of all varieties--sheet masks, clay masks, peel off masks--you name it.

Being as beauty obsessed as I am, it's hard to pick favorite products. I don’t judge beauty products by cost or brand. If something is good, I'll buy it. It doesn’t matter if it is a $2 Wet n Wild eyeshadow or a $100 serum. The TATCHA Deep Brightening Serum is a favorite; this product alone has made my skin something to be proud of. The Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous highlighter is the most gorgeous highlighter I have ever seen in my LIFE! And It Cosmetics Hello Lashes is my favorite mascara because it makes my lashes look RIDICULOUSLY long when I'm wearing it. The only things I've ever used up, or at least those that come to mind, are mascaras. None in particular; I use all of my mascaras up and have tried a large variety. But I have hit pan on a number of things. One product that I use daily is MAC Mystery eyeshadow. I use it to fill in my brows. I've had that eyeshadow for 3+ years and I only have the tiniest bit of pan showing.

  

Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite people because she always looked great and I find her style amazing.  Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. I have been in month-long ruts, and a simple idea will pop in my head while walking around my neighborhood or talking to a friend.  

 This project is greatly indebted to the Top Shelf section of IntoTheGloss.com, which was my inspiration, and to every beautiful person who participates. This article has been slightly modified for clarity and length.

Vanity: Kayleigh

Vanity: Lipsticking Vicariously Through Others

Kayleigh, Student

 I've always had some interest in makeup and beauty. As a little girl, I obsessively collected Bonne Bell Lip Smackers and would sneak into my mom's makeup bag and put on her lipstick. My first "real makeup" was a Bobbi Brown gift set bought for me by my wonderful grandmother. When I was in college, I stumbled upon MakeupAlley.com, and my interest in makeup (and my collection) grew rapidly.

My favorite products change all the time, and I tend to fall in love with a brand, buy a ton of it, then discover a new brand to go wild over. But I also have a rule for myself when it comes to how much makeup I have: I only keep things that I truly love and will use. The rest I blog sale or give away. When I have too much, I just neglect it, and the clutter bothers me. I am constantly buying and editing my collection.

One philosophy I live by is "less is more". I find that a well-applied, simple face of makeup is always ten times more flattering than haphazardly piling it on. In general, I love products that create natural, "my face but better" looks. Some of my current favorites are from Becca: the Luminous Skin Color, Shimmering Skin Perfector, Beach Tints, and palettes. Becca products seem to create the most beautiful yet subtle looks. I've also been loving Dior lipsticks, Laura Mercier shadows, and Tarte blushes. I wear a "full face" of makeup maybe three times a month.

Lipsticks are probably my biggest addiction. I tend to prefer sheer to medium coverage lipsticks with a satin or slightly glossy finish. The majority of my lipstick collection is variations of natural colors, but with hints of rose, berry, and red. I also love neutral shadows. I gravitate towards bronzes, taupes, and nude shades. When I want to get a bit crazy, I'll use plum, navy, or forest green--that's colorful enough for me! Becca, Guerlain, and Laura Mercier are my favorites for shadows at the moment. All three of those brands have beautiful, complex neutrals.

Although I'm lazy when it comes to makeup, I am vigilant about my skin care routine. At night, I start by removing my makeup with Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil. It removes everything and helps to balance my skin. Sometimes I follow up with my Clarisonic and Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash--it just depends on my skin that day. I will then apply Alpha Hydrox 10% Enhanced Cream. This takes care of any flaky patches and keeps my pores really clean. As far as my morning skincare, I usually use a damp washcloth and apply my sunscreen (unless my skin is particularly oily, in which case I will cleanse). I also use Kate Somerville Exfolikate and Makeup Artist's Choice peels as needed.

I buy almost all mid-end and high-end products. I used to impulse buy drugstore products, end up hating them, and feel I wasted money, so I cut myself off. The exception is Maybelline Full n' Soft waterproof mascara, which I love to pieces and have gone through countless tubes of.

This project is greatly indebted to the Top Shelf section of IntoTheGloss.com, which was my inspiration, and to every beautiful person who participates. This article has been slightly modified for clarity and length.

Beauty Sightings: Sex and the City, season 1

I have a love-hate relationship with Sex and the City. On the one hand, I can see how it brought third-wave feminism to the forefront of pop culture and promoted the idea that strong, powerful women are still mere mortals. On the other hand, I found many of the storylines unrealistic, close-minded with regards to sexuality and gender stereotypes, and yes, even a little anti-feminist by promoting phrases like "I can't be in a committed relationship/marriage because I'm selfish." But truth be told, I've rewatched every episode a dozen times. The show is generally light-hearted, makes me laugh, and contains numerous beauty sightings, though they can be tricky to spot.

Season 1 beauty sightings are especially difficult to capture. The video quality didn't really go up until about season 3 or 4, so any screenshot that can capture the rough textures and colors of the items is bound to be grainy and blurry. Still, I managed to spot a few products I definitely recognized; about half of the rest look very similar. Those who are going to help me with brand names and products, please do! This show ran from the late 90s to the early 2000s.

Carrie's purse gets smacked out of her hand in the first episode. Several gold-cased lipsticks and gold-capped lipglosses pop out--they appear to be Estee Lauder--and a mascara-looking object in a thin white tube with a blue stripe. Anybody recognize the mascara-looking thing? Also, on the right, there's a tube of concealer with a satiny silver cap...I think it might be Clinique?

I can't recognize the silver compact, but a makeup artist friend of mine said that the round lipstick shape and silver-and-black tube are signature 90s Dior. Can anybody back this up for me?

A makeup artist with a bag of tools, and she's holding a sponge, a brush that appears to be from Estee Lauder, and something in a red compact. My immediate reaction was "Kevyn Aucoin!", but I'm pretty sure KA's beauty line launched closer to the time of his death in 2002--this season was filmed in 1988.

Carrie seems to keep a lot of her makeup in this wicker basket. There's also a vanity behind her--it looks like there are some serums and an eyeshadow and blush/gloss in black compacts, but they're hard to see.

Early-episodes Miranda has relatively light, natural brows. Here we see her running a spooly through her brows before she runs off to work.

Anybody recognize this lipstick packaging?

The ladies testing makeup. I'm dying to know what brand these products are! They remind me a lot of Estee Lauder, but of course, I can't be sure. The window in back seems to say "Desse," which isn't a boutique or store I recognize. (Then again, I'm not a New Yorker.)

Carrie in the same boutique holding a compact, most likely an eyeshadow.

Samantha's vanity, which cotton rounds, a powder compact, nail polishes, and lipsticks. Anybody recognize any of this stuff.

Carrie's plummy-pink lipliner. The writing is actually embossed silver. Liners are some of the hardest things to recognize because they're so tiny and their packaging is rarely distinctive.

Carrie's bathroom table. There's a Laura Mercier compact, a lash curler, and a bottle of Benetint. Makeup 411 notes that they used Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage on Sarah Jessica Parker, but I think that's a powder compact. I have a really hard time recognizing the foundation or the hair products. I'm 95% sure the pot of cream on the far right, which keeps popping up, is Ponds. (UPDATE: Emmeleine has pointed out that the cream might actually be Olay. Thanks!)

I don't recognize the liner, but those pots in the center are almost definitely La Femme cake glosses and blushes. EDIT: According to Amanda, the liner is very similar to old-school Stila. Thanks, Amanda! I think the small bottle with the white cap might be another Benefit product...High Beam or Posietint, perhaps?

Carrie applying mascara. I'm pretty sure that this is YSL--confirmation?

 Sam applying a really beautiful plum-nude lipstick.