Brand Loving: Laura Mercier

 

Laura Mercier: Space NK

 

This is a post dedicated to my favourite products from a brand I love, Laura Mercier. The brand is renowned in the beauty world for its base products which help to create a flawless face, their foundations and primers are their most popular items. I like Laura Mercier's 'no frills' approach where their products focus on accentuating natural beauty rather than seasonal trends which may not suit many people.

 

Firstly I like to prime my skin before applying makeup with the Foundation Primer - Radiance (sample size) which adds a luminous base to the skin. I then apply Silk Crème Foundation in Rose Ivory £33 with a Real Techniques Face Expert Brush, this gives the most flawless finish, covering and concealing blemishes like no other - I tend to use this product on bad skin days because spots don't stand a chance with this bad boy. I also love the Laura Mercier Mineral Power Foundation in Real Sand £31, I like to use this over the top of the crème foundation to set my makeup where I apply a light layer using a kabuki. I also use the mineral powder foundation alone as I find the coverage is pretty good, it helps to cover red patches and conceal blemishes well. I finish off the face with a dab of the Secret Brightener £24.50 on the cupids bow, down the centre of my nose and on my cheekbones. This product gives a lovely subtle glow to the face without looking sparkly/glittery. My favourite HG lipstick has to be the Crème Smooth Lip Color in Pink Blush £20, it is such a natural shade (check out my full review here).

 

A final special mention goes to items within the skincare and bodycare Laura Mercier line. I am currently using a sample of the Flawless Skin Repair Eye Crème (sample size) which I'm enjoying, I find the product to be quite refreshing as it noticeably helps to reduce puffiness. I am also a big fan of the Souffle Body Cremes £43.50, especially 'Fresh Fig' however I find them to be quite expensive for body moisturisers!

 

So there we have a quick overview of my current Laura Mercier favourites. I am yet to be disappointed with any of my purchases from this brand, next on my wishlist is the Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine and the Mineral Illuminating Powder. What are your favourite Laura Mercier goodies?

 

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June 2013 Beauty Favourites

 

1. Benefit They're Real Mascara - A freebie with a previous issue of Elle magazine. This mascara really does lengthen and thicken lashes giving a noticeably fuller effect. I would compare this mascara to Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara, similarly the results are not subtle. I love the big fluttery fake look when it comes to my eyelashes. The only downside is if you apply too much the eyelashes can look quite clumpy...it's also a bugger to remove...but the product itself is great. I will definitely repurchase.

 

2. Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Eye Creme - I received this eye cream free when I purchased two products from a Laura Mercier counter a few months ago. I don't tend to use an eye cream but after dabbing this on a few nights before bed I've been using it every night ever since. The product has a creamy, cooling effect on the eyes, it reduces puffiness and keeps skin feeling nourished.

 

3. Pantene Fine Hair Volume and Body Conditioner - This range not only smells gorgeous but also leaves hair feeling soft and smooth. This product made my hair feel conditioned whilst on holiday even though the sun and sea salt was trying its best to dry it out. I thank this conditioner for allowing me to walk around in the humidity without looking like Monica from Friends.

 

4. Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub For A New Skin - My top favourite of the month goes to this body scrub. This scrub leaves skin feeling silky smooth without feeling too abrasive. I was talking to a lady at the Clarins beauty counter who advised to apply this scrub before getting into the shower for a deeper exfoliation, or another tip was to mix with some body oil to moisturise the skin at the same time. A great body product from Clarins, I've yet to come across one I don't like.

 

5. Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser - The lazy girl in me loves this product, it allows me to apply moisturiser quickly in the shower after cleansing and means I don't have to apply anything when I've dried off. Skin is left feeling smooth and hydrated.

 

6. Dr Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm - I wore this on my face every day on my holiday to Spain instead of my normal foundation. The balm has a tinted moisturiser consistency with SPF25 (the main reason why I chose it as my daily base product) - other suncreams tend to break me out on my face but this one worked great. It gave me just enough coverage with a dewy effect whilst protecting my skin at the same time. Love.

 

7. Mac Fix+ - Perfect for freshening up my makeup, I've been using it everyday and twice a day on holiday. I can't rave about it enough, it gives the skin a dewy look on top of foundation, I have also been using this by spritzing a little on my foundation brush before applying my base, this enables me to blend the foundation much more easily and prevent any caky effects on the skin.

 

8. 17 Instant Glow Gold Bronze Shimmer Brick - Another holiday product. Gives the apples of cheeks a glow without too much shimmer, looks great with a tan....not so much without.

 

I love reading peoples monthly favourite posts so link yours below :).

 

 

May Favourites

Not too many beauty favourites this month because I've been spending most of my money on clothes and new furniture for the house, but i'm happy with these products they have been serving me well this month.

 

1. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion

Gives the skin a slight natural looking tan, perfect for using mid week when the fake tan is starting to fade. This product is also very moisturising and sinks into the skin quite quickly, I hate thick moisturisers which seem to sit on the skin.

 

2. Caudalie Beauty Elixir

This has been my skin saviour for the past few weeks. Slightly drying but has helped to clear some pesky pimples I had on my chin. Many people complain about the smell, but I love it as it's so refreshing. This is the second small bottle i've purchased, when I run out I may have to get the bigger size.

 

3. Estee Lauder Sensuous

Gorgeous, a sweet and woody fragrance. It always makes me feel sophisticated when wearing it.

 

4. Mac Fix+

I've talked about this before, great for setting my makeup and removing the cakey/powdery look I sometimes get if I've applied too much powder. One bottle of this lasts forever!

 

5. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder

Helps to conceal blemishes and red patches after I've applied my foundation (great for coverage!), my makeup also lasts longer when I set it with this product. I like to spray Fix+ on top of this powder so that it doesn't look too drying and cakey.

 

6. Models Own Tweezers

Once again I lost my tweezers so in a panic (with bushy eyebrows) I rushed out to buy some and found these. I love the bright colour, it may prevent me from losing them! They are good, sturdy tweezers which are sharp enough to grab the smallest of hairs.

 

7. Topshop Lip Bullet Covet

I love this bright peach colour from Topshop. The application is smooth and the product is heavily pigmented as with all Topshop makeup items. I will definitely be purchasing the other bullets when I get chance (Heartbeat and There She Goes are next on the list).

 

8. Rimmel Pro 317 Coral Romance

My absolute favourite nail polish for the summer. It's more red toned than orange, a lovely coral colour which goes with everything. The lasting power on these nail varnishes are fab!

What are your beauty favourites this month? I'd love for you to send me your links!

9 to 5 Saviours

 

I work 9 to 5 from monday to friday in an office so it's safe to say my makeup doesn't stay in place. By 11am i'm looking in the mirror wishing i'd spend more time getting ready that morning. These are the products I carry with me to work in my handbag on a daily basis. They do the job.

I carry the products in this lovely Cath Kidston makeup bag which I bought from the store in Bicester Village, I love it! So girly. I don't carry too much around, just little bits which will allow me to quickly touch up throughout the day and make me look half decent.

 

My face and lips regularly feel dry which is caused by working under an air conditioning vent. I use Nivea Lip Butter on my lips (which smells gorgeous) and spritz some Caudalie Beauty Elixir on my face to give me some hydration. This is the reason why I don't carry a face powder around with me...I never need it. I use cream products to help me get that dewy look and prevent my makeup looking too cakey, Topshop blush in Neon Rose is great for injecting some life into my face when it's looking tired along with Laura Mercier Secret Brightener which I apply to my cheek bones and cupid bow for that healthy glow. Healthy Mix Concealor is in there in case an unexpected spot pops up throughout the day (this ALWAYS happens). I don't need two mascaras in here to be honest but both are travel friendly, Benefit They're Real Mascara (which I got free with the most recent Elle Magazine) and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. My lipsticks change all the time, I like to have a pink shade and a nude depending on how I feel, I'm currently wearing Maybelline Color Sensation in 132 or Rimmel Nude Delight. I'm quite proud at how little I take to work with me, but these products work well to refresh my makeup. What products do you take to work with you?

FOTN

 

I went out in Birmingham on Saturday night and snapped a few pics before I left the house. My FOTN is quite simple and isn't too different from my every day look, I just like to add a pair of falsies and a brighter lipstick. I'm still loving my Foxy Locks hair extensions too, they are so easy to style and the curls stayed in place all night.

I started off by applying my usual foundation, Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Rose Ivory followed by Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Real Sand. These two products apply like a dream and cover any blemishes so easily (deffo my HG brand for base products). I then used Soleil Tan De Chanel for contour and bronzing, then applied Mac Melba on the apples of my cheeks. For my eye makeup I used MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre as a base then used NARS Gstaad eyeshadow from The Happening Palette in the crease (this is basically my everyday look). I then applied Clinique Brush-on Creme Eyeliner in Black on my upper and lower lash line with some MaxFactor Falsh Lash Effect Fusion Mascara before applying Eyelure Naturalites Evening Wear Lashes. Lippie is the gorgeous MAC Chatterbox.

 

So overall quite a simple going out look. I wore my pearl earrings which I wear everyday without fail and my new gold chain from Miss Selfridge. Clothes wise I wore a H&M black jacket, Miss Selfridge lace top and lemon yellow pencil skirt from Ebay (didn't take a photo of my outfit).

Did you lovely ladies have a good weekend?

I went shopping

I had a day off on Thursday so I decided to go to the Bullring to pick up a few bits and bobs, I'm officially skint now with 3 weeks left until payday FML! Oh well, i'll enjoy using the things I bought, I love them all. A couple of things were repurchases including Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Caudalie Beauty Elixir & Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Rose Ivory. All of which seemed to run out at the same time, I wish I didn't love them enough to repurchase as I spent a bloody fortune.

 

New goodies included one of the new Topshop Lip Bullets in Covet, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 132 Sweet Pink, & 2 of the new Bourjois Creme Blushers in 02 and 04. I also picked up a few accessories including these gorgoeous shoes from H&M, Mary Kate Olsen-esque sunglasses from Topshop and a gold chain necklace from Miss Selfridge.

 

I think I need to go and cut up all my cards. Spending ban until the end of the month!

Current Beauty Favourites (my daily face)

 

Above are the beauty makeup products which have been gracing my face for the majority of the past month. I've spoke about a couple of them before but some are quite new to my routine and are products which i've fallen in love with. All are items which I will 100% repurchase when they run out.

 

1. Nars The Happening Palette

I got talked into buying this by the MUA at the Nars counter in Selfridges, Birmingham and i'm so glad I was. The palette contains a bronzer (laguna), a blush (orgasm) and four eyeshadows (night star, gstaad, kuala lumpur, coconut grove)... for £45 I thought this was quite a good deal. Laguna and Orgasm give the most gorgeous combination to the cheeks, especially for quite a muted daytime look. The eyeshadows are also really handy as the colour combinations can be used to create a soft daytime look or for a full on smoky eye. I am still planning on doing a full review on this palette so I wont say much more than this, I just love it.

2. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - Rose Ivory

My new favourite foundation. For the last few weeks this product has replaced my usual Bourjois Healthy Mix as I feel it gives much better coverage as well as giving a healthy glow to the skin. I buff into my skin using a Real Techniques buffing brush and I only need a small 10p size amount for my whole face. I can see this being my HG foundation, gorgeous.

 

3. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance

I don't usually use a primer before applying my makeup as I feel that alot of them dry out my skin and do more damage than good. However this product is great, it gives a lovely glow to the skin and makes your makeup stay put all day long! I wore this primer in Iceland in -8 degree weather and my makeup did not budge....it has definitely passed the test! I only have a small sample size, so when I run out I will be running to make a purchase.

 

4. Topshop Creme Blush - Neon Rose

The only Topshop creme blush I own. I have used this product for about a year now and love the bright colour and the healthy look it gives to the cheeks. I love my blush to be quite pigmented, and this definitely is, only a tiny amound it needed. It applies so smoothly to the skin, it has a soft texture which stays put on the cheeks.

 

5. Clinique Brush-on Cream Liner - True Black

I'm yet to find an eyeliner which is as black or as long lasting as this one. I've been using this for about 7 months, my favourite!

 

6. Mac Vanilla Pigment

One of my new purchases, I've been wearing this on my brow bone and tear duct area as well as on the tops of my cheeks for nights out. I find it gives the best glow when mixed with a small amount of fix+ before applying (see below).

7. Mac Creme Cup Lipstick

I've gone back to using this little beauty lately, see my mini review in my mac lipstick post here.

 

8. Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara - Black

See my review here

 

9. Mac Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

See my review here

 

What are your current favourites?

Pre Birthday Haul

It's my 25th birthday on Wednesday so my parents gave me some money to go and treat myself. Typical me, I spent it all on makeup! The Karen Millen bag contains a top which was a birthday present to myself (I just had to). I got a few bits i've been wanting to try for ages and also spent alot of the time getting hints and tips off the MUA's at the different counters. Here's a quick list of the things I picked up;

MAC Fix + I've never tried this product but i've wanted to for ages, i've had a quick spritz ontop of my makeup today and I really like how refreshing it is and the glow it gives to my face.

 

MAC Lipstick in Chatterbox A beautiful pink shade, I cannot wait to wear it.

 

MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre I saw this on Lisalisad1's latest friday haul youtube video. It's supposed to provide a base for your eyeshadows to allow their true colour to 'pop' out.

 

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Rose Ivory I'm getting bored of using bourjois healthy mix so purchased another product i've never used from my favourite makeup brand.

 

Nars The Happening Eye & Cheek Palette I originally went to the Nars counter to purchase Laguna, but after talking to the MUA about the makeup she was wearing (gorgeous) she pointed out this palette which contains both Laguna and Orgasm as well as 4 eyeshadows in Night Star, Gstaad, Kuala Lumpur and Coconut Grove. All for £45 which I thought was quite a good deal. This is my favourite purchase of the day.

 

Look Beauty Blush in Flirt I first saw this on llymlrs beauty blog. I love how she does her makeup and this is one of her favourite shades. I like my blush shades to be quite pigmented and this definitely is, can't wait to try it.

 

Look Beauty Lip Liner in Toffee Cup An impulse buy, there wasn't even a tester but i've been looking for a nude/baby pink liner for a while. For only £2 I didn't really care.

 

There were some other products I was dying to try but I couldn't really justify buying. Including Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Balm & a few more MAC products.

 

I will do separate blog posts on each of the products purchased when i've had chance to use them. Do you own any of these products? What are your thoughts?

Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour Pink Blush

 

Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour 'Pink Blush' - £20 LINK

Laura Mercier's description... 'In one smoothing swipe, the crème formula envelops lips in rich colour with a semi-lustrous finish. The cushiony, lightweight texture feels comfortable, while pure Olive Oil and Vitamin E nourish lips. Features an elegant, modern case with a metallised finish.'

Let me just start by saying this is my favourite lipstick ever! Quite a bold statement I know. Firstly lets start with the colour, a 'pink blush' shade which gives a pinky nude effect to the lips. It definitely creates a 'my lips but better' look. I am drawn to shades which lighten my naturally pigmented lips (which I really dislike), think similar to MAC hue (LM is slightly pinker) and Natural Collection Rose Petal (LM is less drying) - both of which are two lipsticks I rate highly. I do think this shade suits my light/medium skintone but as with other light nude shades it may wash you out if you're skin is darker.

Not only is the colour beautiful the application is so creamy and moisturising I feel like i'm applying lip balm rather than a lipstick. The product glides on upon application and leaves a similar finish to MAC's cremesheen lipsticks - slightly glossy. The lipstick is not particularly longlasting, I would say it lasts about 3 hours which I find is typical of most brands.

 Excuse the quality of the photo and the messy hair (getting the roots done on thursday - much needed)

This is the only Laura Mercier lipstick I own and i'm determined to get more. Have you tried this range? Any recommendations??