As seen in the blog title, the main character of this post is the Signature Colour Essentials For Face, Eyes and Lips by Laura Mercier.
I bought this set during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and I wasn't planning on reviewing it until I saw it in Laura Mercier counters in Malaysia. For people living in the US, this product is a Nordstrom exclusive item and it's still available online (as of 16th of October 2012).
Unboxing.
This set contains a deluxe travel size Foundation Primer, an exclusive 3-well Custom Compact with a full size Second Skin Cheek Color in Vintage Pink, Eye Colour Duet in Morning Dew/ Primrose and Eye Colour Duet in Topaz/ Kir Royal, full size Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Twilight, travel size All Over Eye Colour Brush, mini Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in Black and a full size Lip Glace in Sweetheart.
This set also comes with an insert with step by step instructions to create a look with the products. Excellent for people who are just starting out with makeup!
FOUNDATION PRIMER
Deluxe travel size Foundation Primer (more than half of the full size). A full size version of this primer comes with 1.7 fl oz of product.
The Laura Mercier Foundation Primer has a very light texture and it is colourless on the skin.
I have been using the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer for a long time and I do really like it. According to the product description, this primer creates a barrier on the skin and it is supposed to suit all skin types. The texture is light and doesn't feel heavy. I feel like it preps up the skin very well and makes the skin supple and smooth for makeup application. With this primer, I do notice that makeup stays on well and goes on smoother.
It is important to note that this primer is a very basic one so it doesn't really have any colour correcting properties, SPF nor does it fill it pores or fine lines. The scent of it is also a little strange, which bothered some people according to some reviews I read online.
3-WELL CUSTOM COMPACT (SECOND SKIN CHEEK COLOUR IN VINTAGE PINK, EYE COLOUR DUET IN MORNING DEW/PRIMROSE & EYE COLOUR DUET IN TOPAZ/ KIR ROYAL)
The custom compact included in this set is an exclusive version (top) and the one at the bottom is what a normal version looks like.
3-well Custom Compact. From left: full size Second Skin Cheek Color in Vintage Pink, Eye Colour Duet in Morning Dew/ Primrose and Eye Colour Duet in Topaz/ Kir Royal
Second Skin Cheek Colour in Vintage pink (satin finish mauve tone neutral pink)
This blush has a nice smooth texture that applies and blends well on the skin. It can be blended out to a slight flush but the colour is definitely buildable. This colour is very natural on my skin, so I like to wear it on my "no makeup makeup" days. This blush lasted 8 hours on me, fading gradually after 5 hours of wear.
Eye Colour Duet. From left: Morning Dew (matte pink tinged white), Primrose (peachy pink champagne colour with a golden sheen and gold & pink micro shimmers), Topaz (mushroom taupe with a subtle sheen) & Kir Royal (deep violet with a subtle sheen)
I really like the colour combination in this palette. This palette is very versatile and it can be used to create soft, natural looks or stronger, more intense looks as Morning Dew/ Primrose are the perfect soft neutral tones while Topaz/Kir Royal added a pop of color.
Morning Dew can very easily disappear on the skin or appear powdery on some simply because it is a light matte shade. For my skin tone, it makes a very good subtle brow highlight or swept all over the lid as a colour wash to even out the colour on the lids. Primrose is a gorgeous color that I like to sweep all over the lids when I want to wear just one colour on my lids. I also like to use it on the lower lashline to create the aegyo sal look.
Topaz is an excellent colour to be used to create some definition on my lids. I like to use it on the outer corners or on my socket bone to create some depth. I also like using this colour to line my lower outer lashline. Kir Royal is definitely the statement colour in this palette. This shade is amazing when used to create a smokey eye look.
The eyeshadows are all soft and pigmented. All shades are easy to blend and are very buildable with minimal fall out during application (make sure you tap off the excess of course). Without a primer, the eyeshadows stayed on for around 7 hours with fading after 4 hours or so. With a primer, the eyeshadows stayed on for over 8 hours with fading after 5 and a half hours.
CAVIAR STICK EYE COLOUR IN TWILIGHT
Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Twilight (Metallic gunmetal grey with silver micro shimmers)
I am a big fan of the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour. I have 7 out of the 8 shades in the permanent range and I have reviewed them HERE if you are interested. This product is a godsent for oily lids and it stays on for hours and hours with almost no smudging. This product is creamy and it glides onto the lids, you will have a little bit of time to blend it before it sets and once it sets, it will not move anymore. Twilight is a gorgeous metallic gunmetal grey that will work great as a base for smokey eyes. I also like to use it to line my eyes if I don't want to wear black on my lashline that day.
TRAVEL ALL OVER EYE COLOUR BRUSH
As the name implies, this brush can be used to sweep color onto the entire lids in one swipe/ patting colour all over the lids. Since this brush is quite wide, it might be too big for people with less lid space. This brush is a tiny travel size one, which I am not a big fan of because I personally prefer doing my makeup with full size brushes (I have big hands and I find tiny brushes to be very uncomfortable to hold). With that being said, this is still a nice brush with bristles that are quite soft and dense.
FULL BLOWN VOLUME LASH BUILDING MASCARA
The brush head for this mascara is huge! It's the length of my eye.
The colour.
This is the first Laura Mercier mascara that I have tried and I really like it. It has a huge standard mascara brush that gives volume while still separating the lashes to create a full, clump-free look. It does give a tiny bit of length but nothing too over the top. This mascara also holds curls quite well, which I am very surprised by considering this is not a waterproof formula (non waterproof formula tends to make my lashes droop). I do notice some smudging with this mascara, but then again, most mascaras (even waterproof ones) will smudge on me. This mascara is also not too difficult to remove, I have tried using bi-phase eye makeup remover and makeup remover oil and both took it off very well.
LIP GLACE IN SWEETHEART
Laure Mercier Lip Glace in Sweetheart (sheer peachy pink with micro shimmers)
The Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Sweetheart is a limited edition lip glace (I can't find it on the official website). It is a sheer formula that imparts a very subtle pinkish glow onto the lips. The formula is not too thick or heavy but it still leaves a balmy feel on the lips. This Lip Glace has a very glossy look on the lips with not very visible shimmers. It has a caramelly/ toffee type scent but it's not noticeable once the product goes on. On my lips, this lasted for 3 hours without eating or drinking.
OVERALL
I am really pleased with this makeup set. All the products work well and the colours are versatile and will work for an array of skin tone. I will say that the colours in the palette are very dupable, so people with a huge makeup collection might not find it worthwhile. If you like the colours or if you are interested in trying out some products from Laura Mercier, I think that this set is definitely something worth looking at.
A light makeup look using Primrose eyeshadow all over the lids, Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour to line my upper lashline and one third of my outer lower lash line and Topaz to smudge out the line. I then used 2 coats of the Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara and as you can see, it coats and separate each lashes to give volume in a very natural manner (you have to keep in mind that my lashes are nothing amazing to begin with). I have the Vintage Pink Second Skin Cheek Colour on my cheeks and for my lips, I was wearing the Kissed Lips Sheer Lip Colour also by Laura Mercier with the Sweetheart Lip Glace over it.
A smokey eye using the same palette. For my eyes, I blended the Twilight Caviar Stick Eye Colour on the lids as a base. I then layered on Kir Royal on the outer corners/ over v. After that, I used Topaz to line the inner part of my lower lashline. I used Primrose as a transition colour to blend out the edges on my top lids, extending into Morning Dew to highlight my brow bone. For more intensity, I lined my top and bottom lash line with a black gel liner pencil. Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara on my top and bottom lashes finished with a set of false lashes.
I was wearing the Vintage Pink Second Skin Cheek Colour and the Lip Glace in Sweetheart.
Closer look of the eye makeup.
(p/s Please excuse the glossiness on the lash band, I should have put some liner over it to cover it up but I forgot. It's not noticeable when my eyes were opened. Such is life)
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